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

[Sam Flynn]

I am just wondering if the key was found a day or two earlier? The killer then locked the door from the outside and maybe threw the key in the room through the smashed window.

Why would he bother doing that, when he could have dropped it anywhere or kept it as a trophy? Besides, if he had thrown it into the room, the key would have been fairly easy to spot on that sparsely-furnished floor.

[Darryl Kenyon]

On Monday 12th November, the early edition of the Evening Standard—on sale before the start of the inquest, and the fifth edition of the Star, on sale before Inspector Abberline gave his evidence at the inquest—reported a development—

Inspector Abberline—“The key of the woman’s door has been found, so her murderer did not carry it away with him, as was at first supposed.”

If we look at Mary Cox's testimony [Coroner] The chin was shaven ? - Yes. A lamp faced the door.
[Coroner] Did you see them go into her room ? - Yes; I said "Good night, Mary," and she turned round and banged the door.
So with the lamp facing the door. I am assuming that Mary Cox would have seen Mary go round the side to open the door through the broken pane. Of course, she may not have mentioned it, but I am just wondering if the key was found a day or two earlier? The killer then locked the door from the outside and maybe threw the key in the room through the smashed window.

[Wickerman]

Even if they were stupid enough not to put their arm through the window.

Why do you assume that McCarthy knew the lock could be reached through one of the broken panes?
It's jumping to conclusions that is the basis of too many theories in this case.

[Sam Flynn]

Breaking the door down isn't quite correct though. McCarthy opened his door to avoid the police breaking it down.

Quite so. The idea that he smashed it down like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining" is misplaced.

[Sam Flynn]

Bowyer knew the window was broken.

Phillips knew the window was broken.

Apparently it had been broken for weeks.

McCarthy didn't know?

I doubt that repairing a window pane in a slum apartment would have been particularly high on his list of priorities.

[Simon Wood]

On Monday 12th November, the early edition of the Evening Standard—on sale before the start of the inquest, and the fifth edition of the Star, on sale before Inspector Abberline gave his evidence at the inquest—reported a development—

Inspector Abberline—“The key of the woman’s door has been found, so her murderer did not carry it away with him, as was at first supposed.”

[DJA]

Breaking the door down isn't quite correct though. McCarthy opened his door to avoid the police breaking it down.

A pick-axe has a flat end opposite to the spike end, it is the flat side you would use to jimmy open the door to keep the damage to a minimum.

Those locks usually had about five different key patterns to choose from.

Nobody needed to take a pick to the door.

Even if they were stupid enough not to put their arm through the window.

[DJA]

A locked room mystery was being sold.

If McCarthy did have a spare key he wouldn't have needed to break down the door, and that would have ruined the denouement of said scenario.

Abberline at the inquest - "An impression has gone abroad that the murderer took away the key of the room. Barnett informs me that it 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."

The owner had taken back the bloodhounds several days earlier.

[Wickerman]

Breaking the door down isn't quite correct though. McCarthy opened his door to avoid the police breaking it down.



A pick-axe has a flat end opposite to the spike end, it is the flat side you would use to jimmy open the door to keep the damage to a minimum.

[Simon Wood]

A locked room mystery was being sold.

If McCarthy did have a spare key he wouldn't have needed to break down the door, and that would have ruined the denouement of said scenario.

[Batman]

I am still wondering why he didn't keep a spare key. If he had one and failed to admit to it then that's a bit incriminating.


Seems strange a landlord wouldn't be able to access their own premises in Whitechapel.

[Simon Wood]

You could put it that way.

I prefer to believe it was a BS story to gloss over the time period between Abberline's arrival at 11.30-ish and 1.30 pm when the door to Room 13 was allegedly broken down.

A lot can be accomplished in two hours.

[Batman]

So they waited for nothing because of confusion?

[Simon Wood]

On November 14th 1888, the New York Sun's London correspondent Arthur Brisbane interviewed Robert Anderson.

Anderson told him—

“At 11 o’clock the last murder was discovered, and we knew of it here in Scotland Yard a few minutes later. The officer who had wired us the event asked us also to send the bloodhounds. I personally object to the service of these animals in a thickly populated city like this, though I believe it would be extremely valuable in the case of a rural murder. However, as Superintendent Arnold was just then with me, I asked him what he thought, and he begged me not to send the hounds: that it would only lead to mischief.”

Inspector Abberline told the inquest—

“We remained until about 1.30 pm, when Superintendent Arnold arrived, and he informed me that the order in regard to the dogs had been countermanded, and he gave orders for the door to be forced.”

John McCarthy put a different spin on matters. He told Central News—

“The Inspector [Abberline] waited a little while, and then sent a telegram to Sir Charles Warren to bring the bloodhounds, so as to trace the murderer, if possible.”

This cannot have been true if Inspector Abberline was correct when he told the inquest—

“I had an intimation from Inspector Beck that the bloodhounds had been sent for, and the reply had been received that they were on the way. Dr. Phillips was unwilling to force the door, as it would be very much better to test the dogs, if they were coming.”

Other policemen were also anticipating the arrival of bloodhounds.

Echo, 12th November 1888—

“The Press Association says – ‘It is stated that an officer was waiting at Leman Street police station for six or seven hours on Friday for the hounds which had been telegraphed for. There are reasons to believe that Sir Charles Warren was at this time out of town, and in his absence no one knew where the animals were, or how they could be obtained.’”

Sir Charles Warren was not out of town. That morning he was at Scotland Yard [Whitehall Place].

The dogs were not on their way, as Inspector Beck had intimated to Abberline; but not, as Superintendent Arnold had informed Abberline, because the order had been countermanded.

There never were any bloodhounds to send.

The story is BS.

[Batman]

Given the situation, I think McCarthy can be forgiven for not thinking clearly and logically. I don't see any reason to suspect him of the murder.

c.d.

He did have heaps of time though because they were waiting for dogs until 13:30. That's hours after they saw her body.

Dogs never arrived.