If Lechmere killed Nichols we can reconstruct more than one version. But all in all, the possibilities are somewhat linited - ads they always are when we have detailed knowledge to some extent.
At 3:40AM Charles Cross was mutilating Polly Nichols’ abdomen and administering the two cuts to her throat (nearly decapitating her). He was disturbed by Robert Paul, whose footsteps he heard approaching, about 40 yards off.
Here I would tend to think that the cuts to the neck were directly lead on by Pauls arrival. A coup de grace, thus - à la Tabram.
Robert Paul tells us that “he saw in Buck's- Row a man standing in the middle of the road. As (I) drew closer he walked towards the pavement, and (I) stepped in the roadway to pass him. The man touched (me) on the shoulder and asked (me) to look at the woman, who was lying across the gateway.
Yes, he does - the only real difference comparing with the paer interview is that he said that Lechmere stood where the boy was. Since he did not mean that Lechmere stood ON the body, I think the two are not mutually excluding each other. It was a very narrow street, and "in the middle of the road" need not mean that it was measured by Paul.
Paul accompanied Cross to Nichols’ body. He felt her hands and face, and described them later as “cold”.
In the paper interview, he said that she was very cold, even - but Llewellyn, arrinving half an hour later, said that the body was warm but for the extremitites.
Nichols’ clothes were disarranged, and he helped to pull them down. Paul states later that detected a slight movement as of breathing, but very faint. Paul suggested that they should give her a prop, but Cross refused to touch her.
Yup.
Cross and Paul then left the deceased. At around this time PC Neil entered Buck’s Row and discovered Nichols’ body.
Two minutes after, more likely - as the carmen had turned the corner up at Bakers Row.
Both Cross and Paul later stated that they had left Buck’s prior to Neil’s arrival
They did not phrase themselves like that - but it is nevertheless true.
...and that they had left the victim alone in Buck’s Row. Cross stated later that, in his opinion (Nichols) looked as if she had been outraged and gone off in a swoon; but he had no idea that there were any serious injuries. Cross detailed why they left the victim under questioning at the Nichols Inquest:
The Coroner: Did the other man (Paul) tell you who he was?
Witness: No, sir; he merely said that he would have fetched a policeman, only he (Paul) was behind time. I was behind time myself.
A Juryman: Did you tell Constable Mizen that another constable wanted him in Buck's-row?
Witness: No, because I did not see a policeman in Buck's-Row.
So far so good - or bad.
Cross and Paul continued on together. In Baker’s Row they PC Mizen.
In the crossing of Bakers Row and Hanbury Street, even!
The men informed Mizen that they had seen a woman lying in Buck's-Row.
Not if Mizen was on the money - he only said that Lechmere did so.
Cross said, "She looks to me to be either dead or drunk; but for my part I think she is dead."
This too is not in accordance with what Mizen said. According to him, Lechmere only said that she was lying in the street. Mizen also remarked that there was no speaking of any death or suicide.
Mizen, replied, "All right," and then walked on. PC Mizen confirms that at a quarter to four o'clock on Friday morning he was at the crossing of Hanbury Street and Baker's Row. He was approached by a carman who passed in company with another man. The men informed him that he was wanted by a policeman in Buck's-Row, where a woman was lying. When he arrived there Constable Neil sent him for the ambulance.
Some things stand out to me:
Cross has either just cut Nichols’ throat or he mutilated her abdomen when he hears Paul approaching.
The evidence is in favour of the neck coming last.
Paul finds him – not standing over the body which was lying against the gate
No - only a hand touched the gate, the left one.
– but “standing in the middle of the road”.
That is how it is worded.
It’s unclear if Cross if facing Nichols or Paul.
It is.
In any event, Paul states that he tried to walk past the man (Cross). But Cross approaches him, touches him, and asks him to “look at the woman, who was lying across the gateway.”
Let’s examine the decisions made by Cross here. Cross has killed Nichols when he hears footsteps approaching. He sees no one but he’s alerted to someone’s approach by the sound of footsteps on pavement.
That is a bit uncertain - it may be that there was a lamp up at Brady Street, so perhaps Lechmere DID see Paul entering the street.
He does not run. Even though it’s “very dark” and he has, as yet, not been observed.
Correct - but we cannot tell WHEN he noticed Paul. The closer Paul was, the riskier to run. If he wore steelshod shoes, he would have been heard easily no matter when he ran. Plus psychopaths lack the startle reflex and they never panic.
He remains close to the body. He then stashes the bloody knife on is person and stands in the middle of street.
Alternatively, he has already stashed it some time before.
At this point, Paul is approaching and moves to walk around Cross. Paul is trying to continue walking past Cross, and continue on his way to work. Rather than let Paul pass and continue down Buck’s Row, Cross reaches out and touches him and asks him to come see the woman he’s just killed.
He first closes in on him to cut Pauls way off.
Paul complies and goes with Cross to the body. Cross states that he thinks the woman is dead.
So he says himself. And Paul says that HE thought that she was dead too. But remember that Lechmere seems not to have said so to Mizen.
And if he wanted to play things down, then he may well not have told Paul can see no blood or an injury of any kind.
No, but Paul himself thought that she was dead, so Lechmere could perhaps not take that decision for him.
It's too dark.
Not THAT dark, no - they see clothes and hat, for example.
Paul touches the woman. He finds her hands and face cold. Her clothes are disarranged and Paul (helps to) pulls them down. Paul feels that he detects movement and states that he thinks that Nichols is breathing.
At this point Cross could have decided to agree with Paul on this point. A point that he knows is impossible since he just very nearly decapitated her. In doing this, he could have helped to convince Paul that Nichols was indeed alive. It’s likely that had he done so both men would have continued on to work, with Paul convinced that he’d simply stumbled upon a drunken woman, passed out on the pavement. Instead, Paul and Cross - Nichols’ killer - decide that they’ll stick together and hope to find a policeman.
If they had agreed that she was alive and kicking, then why would Lechmere not help to prop her up? No, Paul thoguth that she was dead, and only thought he felt a faint stirring in the body. Paul would have been aware that they had a possibly very serious errand on their hands, healthwise. And he DID say at the inquest that he thought she was dead.
Besides, I don´t think Lechmere fancied the idea of any further examination, coupled with efforts to raise her on her feet.
Approximately four minutes later they meet PC Mizen. Cross has four minutes to take an alternate route, to tell Paul, “I go this way. I’ll continue to look for a policeman and you do the same. Good day.” No. He continues on with Paul, in search of a POLICMEMAN.
While, it would seem, working on a plan. And keep in mind that travelling in pair with Paul would reasonably have seemd more innocent than walking the streets alone.
At this point Cross, who has just killed Nichols and hidden the bloody knife he used to do so on his person, approaches Mizen and tells him that a woman is lying in Buck’s Row, either drunk or dead. Mizen, apparently said, “Alright” and that’s about it.
Something happened before he said "Alright", Patrick - he was fed the lie that another PC awaited him in Bucks Row. So there it was: he was informed about the errand with no mentkioning of it´s graveness, he was told that another PC had it in hand but nevertheless requested his help. "Alright" is a logical answer.
But, Cross did not have a crystal ball. Mizen could very well have said, “And what do you know about it?” He could have asked him to turn out his pockets or asked him to show him where the body was, taking him RIGHT BACK TO THE MURDER SCENE.
Yes, he could. But WOULD he? Given the low seriousness, given that the carmen had helped his colleague out and been sent by him to fetch Mizen, the latter could rely on how there was no need to detain the men - his colleague would have tended to that.
And there is every reason to think that Lechmere prided himself on is smart plan.
Playing it through like this, I just find if hard to believe anyone wishing to avoid immediate arrest would behave this way?
And looking at it from my view?
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