The Back Yard at #29

[Chava]

At the inquest, those living at 29 Hanbury Street say that people often came and went through the house because the front door was never locked. So it sounds like prostitutes took their clients there on a regular basis. But I got to thinking. If I was a tart and knew about the unlocked door, I'd take my clients there as a handy and relatively private and quiet place to go. But it can't have been common prostitute knowledge because if it was, the yard wouldn't have been quiet or private. If you took a trick there, you might be surprising someone else. Which would ruin their evening and wouldn't help yours. So I suspect the knowledge that the door was unlocked wasn't very widespread.

So how does Annie take the Ripper there? Was she hanging around #29 for a while and saw a tart take her trick in back? I doubt it. Unless Annie followed her, she might assume that the girl had a room in the house. Was she in on the secret? Possibly. However it doesn't sound to me as if any of the house-dwellers recognized her, and I think they might have if she spent a lot of time there.

Is it possible she was taken there by the Ripper? Who had either been there with another prostitute or lived in the area and knew tarts took their tricks there. The reason I bring this up is because, by all accounts, Annie was killed around 5-5.30 am. But she wasn't seen after 1.45 am. That's a considerable amount of missing time. It occurs to me that the Ripper might have spent quite a bit of that time getting to know Annie and walking around with her/buying her drinks/whatever before he took her away to kill her at a place of his choosing which he knew fairly well.

There is some gap time between Nicholl's last sighting and her death as well. Kelly was last reliably sighted a few hours before she was killed. I don't think we can take as gospel the idea that the Ripper happened upon a woman, jumped her and killed her. I believe it's possible that he spent some time with her first. And I also think--despite the evidence of Mrs Long--that it's possible he took her to Hanbury Street, rather than her taking him.

[perrymason]

At the inquest, those living at 29 Hanbury Street say that people often came and went through the house because the front door was never locked. So it sounds like prostitutes took their clients there on a regular basis. But I got to thinking. If I was a tart and knew about the unlocked door, I'd take my clients there as a handy and relatively private and quiet place to go. But it can't have been common prostitute knowledge because if it was, the yard wouldn't have been quiet or private. If you took a trick there, you might be surprising someone else. Which would ruin their evening and wouldn't help yours. So I suspect the knowledge that the door was unlocked wasn't very widespread.

So how does Annie take the Ripper there? Was she hanging around #29 for a while and saw a tart take her trick in back? I doubt it. Unless Annie followed her, she might assume that the girl had a room in the house. Was she in on the secret? Possibly. However it doesn't sound to me as if any of the house-dwellers recognized her, and I think they might have if she spent a lot of time there.

Is it possible she was taken there by the Ripper? Who had either been there with another prostitute or lived in the area and knew tarts took their tricks there. The reason I bring this up is because, by all accounts, Annie was killed around 5-5.30 am. But she wasn't seen after 1.45 am. That's a considerable amount of missing time. It occurs to me that the Ripper might have spent quite a bit of that time getting to know Annie and walking around with her/buying her drinks/whatever before he took her away to kill her at a place of his choosing which he knew fairly well.

There is some gap time between Nicholl's last sighting and her death as well. Kelly was last reliably sighted a few hours before she was killed. I don't think we can take as gospel the idea that the Ripper happened upon a woman, jumped her and killed her. I believe it's possible that he spent some time with her first. And I also think--despite the evidence of Mrs Long--that it's possible he took her to Hanbury Street, rather than her taking him.

Its the age old Ripper question Chava.....did he follow or lead?

That yard was known to be used by whores, so I dont believe Annie had to have any special knowledge of the door being left unlocked,....for that matter nor would her killer if he led her there.

I for one believe that there was no Ripper murder that occurred in a place he didnt know in advance. I also believe that may only be 2, perhaps 3, of the venues. Not necessarily by scouting, maybe by walking around at night. Watching the deals being made and the couples heading somewhere. If he only kills a max of 3 women, he only really needs to know Bucks Row is open ended, Hanbury was more private but risky due to ingress/egress, and Mitre Square had 3 exits/entrances.

The thing that is a key on that issue is whether women would let themselves be led somewhere they didnt know after Annies death. If he did lead Polly, and Annie....he may have used up all the "trust" that he might be granted as a stranger.... down the road. And dont use that to suggest thats why he moves indoors.... ....cause in the case of Ms C5, the evidence suggests he would have had to go to her room to find Mary. He didnt have to go anywhere but outdoors to find the rest.

Cheers Chava

ps...I found your reflecting "Now, if I was a tart..." hillarious.