Richardson's View

[Fisherman]

Lewis spotted someone opposite Millers Court on the night of the Kelly murder it wasn't necessarily Hutchinson. Even if it was, Lewis would only have seen him for a split second, across a darkened street. There was no need for him to come forward, yet he did. It's also debatable whether he knew of Lewis's testimony before he volunteered himself at Commercial Street Police Station.

... and debatable whether he was there on the murder night or the night before. But that is for another thread.

[Observer]

sure its possible, just not likely. and the difference with hutch is he was spotted there.

Lewis spotted someone opposite Millers Court on the night of the Kelly murder it wasn't necessarily Hutchinson. Even if it was, Lewis would only have seen him for a split second, across a darkened street. There was no need for him to come forward, yet he did. It's also debatable whether he knew of Lewis's testimony before he volunteered himself at Commercial Street Police Station.

[Fisherman]

sarah lewis

... who said at her police interview that she could not describe a single thing about the loiterer, but then, at the inquest, she had a whole lot to say about him. And lo and behold, he seems to have looked just like the man Cox had described some time before Lewis went on stage. And although I have not checked, Cox gave her initial testimony on the 9:th, and so it may perhaps have made it into the papers too.

Is it more than me who is mischiveous enough to sense a pattern here...?

[Observer]

This is not a point on which there can possibly be any universal agreement. Some will say that we should always work from the idea that witnesses are truthful, others will agree with you and me that we are in every likelihood looking at a case where much of the testimony offered by amateur witnesses is highly questionable.

Itīs about disagreeing, and disagree people will do.

You said it ! It's par for the course where lone witnesses are concerned Fisherman, right across the board.

[Observer]

What Observer said.
This case is chockful of lies.
And, yes. If his mother wants to know what the hell, he comes up with this story and then commences to embroider the hell out of it. He was there. (I was Ma! Honest!). He was there and he sat on the step. He was there and he sat on the step and he cut some leather off his boot with his knife. (Whoops!!). He was there and he sat on the steps and he cut some leather off his boot with a butter knife he used to cut up carrots for his pet rabbit. Reminds me of Hutchinson's peculiarly detailed description of The Fiend With Mary Kelly.

I don't believe it and I don't believe him. If he was there at all he walked in, took a fast glance right to the cellar entrance and then left the premises. And the position of the door would prevent him seeing the body in that instance.

I agree Chava, it seems the East End in the LVP was chockfull of fanciful witnesses !! Lewis and her top hatted bag man who tried to tice her down a back lane in Bethnal Green, and who she later saw with Kelly outside the Britannia public house. Hutchinsons Astrakhan man. Packer was full of BS, you get the idea.

[Abby Normal]

By who?

sarah lewis

[Chava]

sure its possible, just not likely. and the difference with hutch is he was spotted there.

By who?

[Abby Normal]

It's entirely possible. People do the strangest things, Hutchinson did exactly that

sure its possible, just not likely. and the difference with hutch is he was spotted there.

[Abby Normal]

If he didn't want to get on the wrong side of his mother, all he had to say was something like "l checked the padlock was ok. I didn't look to the left so I can't say if the body was there or not".
Happy mother, no police involvement, no need to lose pay giving evidence at the inquest, and no need to contradict his own mother's evidence. I'm sure he didn't get an ear-bashing for that.

agree. im with you on this one JR. if he was going to lie and put himself there he certainly wouldnt have gotten into all the detail and the stuff about the knife.

[The Baron]

Now we are on the right way.

We hove lost a long time discussing the possibility of Richardson missing the body, when we are not even sure that he went there at first place, let alone sat on the steps.

He could have been the thief who stole his mother, didn't he say there were always people there and his mother denied ?! Maybe he used to tell his mother that to avoid her suspicions?!

The moment he met the rabbit, and everything went awry.



The Baron

[Fisherman]

This case is chockful of lies.

Quite possibly, yes. However, that is a view that lends itself excellently to others saying that you only make that point so that you can rearrange the case and get the exact picture you are after. One must be aware of that - out here, we are wolves moving in wolf country, and bites will be taken whenever a possibility for it is opened up.

What must be kept in mind is that the public in general and in the East end in particular had a deeply rooted distaste for the police. It is a well established fact, although the serving policemen pointed out that the Ripper case seemingly bettered things. It is nevertheless a point that must be weighed in - in a society where the police is fair game, there will be people lying to them. Of course, there will also be honest mistakes made - witness psychology teaches us that misidentifications are very common, regardless if we want to be good citizens or not.

This is not a point on which there can possibly be any universal agreement. Some will say that we should always work from the idea that witnesses are truthful, others will agree with you and me that we are in every likelihood looking at a case where much of the testimony offered by amateur witnesses is highly questionable.

Itīs about disagreeing, and disagree people will do.

[Chava]

hi chava
ive wondered about this too, but that would mean he lied about being there and placing himself at a murder scene around approx time of death (according to the drs)with a knife no less! if he really skipped checking that morning i find it hard to beleive he would lie placing himself there and as apossible murder suspect all because he was afraid mum would be mad he didnt check the cellar door. shed be releived, not mad, he skipped it and wasnt there.

Hi Abby,

I think the thing is that Richardson just wasn't that bright. He started a lie and kept it running. He didn't think it through. And by the time he did it was far too late.

[Chava]

Have you ever lied to the police, the press and the courts to avoid doing so?

What Observer said.
This case is chockful of lies.
And, yes. If his mother wants to know what the hell, he comes up with this story and then commences to embroider the hell out of it. He was there. (I was Ma! Honest!). He was there and he sat on the step. He was there and he sat on the step and he cut some leather off his boot with his knife. (Whoops!!). He was there and he sat on the steps and he cut some leather off his boot with a butter knife he used to cut up carrots for his pet rabbit. Reminds me of Hutchinson's peculiarly detailed description of The Fiend With Mary Kelly.

I don't believe it and I don't believe him. If he was there at all he walked in, took a fast glance right to the cellar entrance and then left the premises. And the position of the door would prevent him seeing the body in that instance.

[Observer]

If he didn't want to get on the wrong side of his mother, all he had to say was something like "l checked the padlock was ok. I didn't look to the left so I can't say if the body was there or not".
Happy mother, no police involvement, no need to lose pay giving evidence at the inquest, and no need to contradict his own mother's evidence. I'm sure he didn't get an ear-bashing for that.

Yes but what you've outlined above might not have occurred to Richardson , you can't think for him. As I said people say the strangest things in these situations. I wouldn't go as far as to say "it doesn't make any sense"

[Observer]

i find it hard to beleive he would lie placing himself there and as apossible murder suspect all because he was afraid mum would be mad he didnt check the cellar door. shed be releived, not mad, he skipped it and wasnt there.

It's entirely possible. People do the strangest things, Hutchinson did exactly that