Trevor Marriott: "of hearing footsteps running away"
From Fisherman, 5 Sep 2015:
Number 3: As Lechmere approaches the body, he has Robert Paul walking right behind him, thirty to forty yards away, so they are on the same, absolutely silent street. In spite of this, neither man professes to have seen or heard the other. And we know that John Neil heard his colleague Thain walk past the Buck´s Row/Brady Street crossing – 130 yards away! Was it a coincidence that Paul did not hear Lechmere? Or was that due to Lechmere not having walked in front of Paul, but instead having been engaged in cutting away at Nichols as Paul entered the street?
I have also been thinking about this. In the Inquest statements only Cross and Neil mention hearing footsteps. Looking at Buck's Row, both sides of the street were enclosed by two storied buildings.
Could it be that when when they were walking, their own footsteps echoed and therefore they couldn't hear clearly anyone else walking, either behind them or in front of them? ie the street isn't silent, because their own footfalls produced sound. And Buck's Row may have had some sort of "canyon" effect from the surrounding buildings, amplifying the sound? I know that in a local walk I do that runs under a road my footsteps take on a strange, echoey sound that sounds like someone is walking behind me! But that is a sound I'm not used to, but these people walked the streets all the time....
Notice both Cross and Neil in stating they heard footsteps were standing still at the time.... And Paul couldn't have heard (or should I be saying "would have had trouble hearing") Cross because he was walking behind him, and Cross would have had trouble hearing anyone leaving the murder site in front of him?
In the current days of shoes, runners and whatever people wear these days it must be hard to imagine what it was like walking around in hobnail boots. If we can still get hobnail boots, I wonder if it is worth "re-enacting" the scene?
Cheers
Bill
From Fisherman, 5 Sep 2015:
Number 3: As Lechmere approaches the body, he has Robert Paul walking right behind him, thirty to forty yards away, so they are on the same, absolutely silent street. In spite of this, neither man professes to have seen or heard the other. And we know that John Neil heard his colleague Thain walk past the Buck´s Row/Brady Street crossing – 130 yards away! Was it a coincidence that Paul did not hear Lechmere? Or was that due to Lechmere not having walked in front of Paul, but instead having been engaged in cutting away at Nichols as Paul entered the street?
I have also been thinking about this. In the Inquest statements only Cross and Neil mention hearing footsteps. Looking at Buck's Row, both sides of the street were enclosed by two storied buildings.
Could it be that when when they were walking, their own footsteps echoed and therefore they couldn't hear clearly anyone else walking, either behind them or in front of them? ie the street isn't silent, because their own footfalls produced sound. And Buck's Row may have had some sort of "canyon" effect from the surrounding buildings, amplifying the sound? I know that in a local walk I do that runs under a road my footsteps take on a strange, echoey sound that sounds like someone is walking behind me! But that is a sound I'm not used to, but these people walked the streets all the time....
Notice both Cross and Neil in stating they heard footsteps were standing still at the time.... And Paul couldn't have heard (or should I be saying "would have had trouble hearing") Cross because he was walking behind him, and Cross would have had trouble hearing anyone leaving the murder site in front of him?
In the current days of shoes, runners and whatever people wear these days it must be hard to imagine what it was like walking around in hobnail boots. If we can still get hobnail boots, I wonder if it is worth "re-enacting" the scene?
Cheers
Bill
Comment