Why Didn't the Police Have Schwartz and/or Lawende Take a Look at Hutchinson?

[DJA]

He had a parcel wrapped in a newspaper in his hand. The parcel was about 18in. long and 6in. to 8in. broad.

That would be a huge portion of fish and chips.

Obviously more concerned with salt and batter than ripping.

[Batman]

Well, he was providing for two victims that night....

Okay, you earn yourself a Basil Brush.

[Wickerman]

Well, he was providing for two victims that night....

[Simon Wood]

He had a parcel wrapped in a newspaper in his hand. The parcel was about 18in. long and 6in. to 8in. broad.

That would be a huge portion of fish and chips.

[Batman]

Just an update on the possibility of oily newspaper carrying fish and potatoes being mistaken for American oilcloth...

William Smith, 452 H Division: On Saturday last I went on duty at ten p.m. My beat was past Berner- street, and would take me twenty-five minutes or half an hour to go round. I was in Berner-street about half-past twelve or twenty-five minutes to one o'clock, and having gone round my beat, was at the Commercial-road corner of Berner-street again at one o'clock. I was not called. I saw a crowd outside the gates of No. 40, Berner-street. I heard no cries of "Police." When I came to the spot two constables had already arrived. The gates at the side of the club were not then closed. I do not remember that I passed any person on my way down. I saw that the woman was dead, and I went to the police-station for the ambulance, leaving the other constables in charge of the body. Dr. Blackwell's assistant arrived just as I was going away.
The Coroner: Had you noticed any man or woman in Berner-street when you were there before? - Yes, talking together.
[Coroner] Was the woman anything like the deceased? - Yes. I saw her face, and I think the body at the mortuary is that of the same woman.
[Coroner] Are you certain? - I feel certain. She stood on the pavement a few yards from where the body was found, but on the opposite side of the street.
[Coroner] Did you look at the man at all? - Yes.
[Coroner] What did you notice about him? - He had a parcel wrapped in a newspaper in his hand. The parcel was about 18in. long and 6in. to 8in. broad.
[Coroner] Did you notice his height? - He was about 5ft. 7in.
[Coroner] His hat? - He wore a dark felt deerstalker's hat.
[Coroner] Clothes? - His clothes were dark. The coat was a cutaway coat.
[Coroner] Did you overhear any conversation? - No.
[Coroner] Did they seem to be sober? - Yes, both.
[Coroner] Did you see the man's face? - He had no whiskers, but I did not notice him much. I should say he was twenty-eight years of age. He was of respectable appearance, but I could not state what he was. The woman had a flower in her breast. It rained very little after eleven o'clock. There were but few about in the bye streets. When I saw the body at the mortuary I recognised it at once.

[Darryl Kenyon]

there was this thread (with pics courtesy of Bob Hinton): https://www.casebook.org/forum/messages/4921/6718.html

Thanks Robert. Interesting stuff and good photo's

[Robert St Devil]

Without trying to sound too pedantic, do we know what kind of lock and catch was on the door of 13 Millers Court?
I think I need a key to unlock my brain on this little mystery.

there was this thread (with pics courtesy of Bob Hinton): https://www.casebook.org/forum/messages/4921/6718.html

[Darryl Kenyon]

Without trying to sound too pedantic, do we know what kind of lock and catch was on the door of 13 Millers Court?
I think I need a key to unlock my brain on this little mystery.

[DJA]

Abberline wasn't sufficiently savvy to grab any of the upper class involved in the Cleveland Street Scandal 9 months later.

[Simon Wood]

It would appear that Abberline wasn't sufficiently savvy to work out for himself the 'arm through the window' trick.

Abberline [inquest testimony]—

"Barnett informs me that it [the key] has been missing some time, and since it has been lost they have put their hand through the broken window, and moved back the catch. It is quite easy."

[DJA]

Given all the police in attendance with McCarthy,surely someone would have woken up to the fact that if, just one of them put their arm less than 18 inches through the broken window,the door could be easily opened.

Bleedin' obvious as Basil would say.

[Wickerman]

The breaking of the window being a recent event. Unless McCarthy had ever had cause to reach through himself he may never have known it was possible.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Jon,

I do?

Kindly explain.

Regards,

Simon

[Wickerman]

Millers Court tenant, 41 year-old charwoman, Julia Venturney, testified—

“She broke the windows a few weeks ago whilst drunk . . .”

Happily, the window got broken before the key went missing. Had the key been lost first, Barnett would have had to deliberately break the window in order to gain access to the room.

So you agree then that McCarthy cannot be expected to know about this recent means of gaining admittance via the broken window?

[Wickerman]

He would still need to reach through the window when he came home and Kelly was inside asleep. He can do that without waking her up or disturbing her.
The case of Kelly may be slightly different because it seems her & Harvey were running a cleaning business from that room, which would necessitate the keeping of clothes belonging to others so she may have been inclined to locking her door when she went out if Mrs Harvey had just brought a bagful of clothes to wash.
She wouldn't want them stolen, but that may have been an infrequent measure.