Richardson's View

[Chava]

This makes absolutely no sense.

You never lied to your mother?
I certainly did. So did everyone else I know.

[Joshua Rogan]

You never lied to your mother?
I certainly did. So did everyone else I know.

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

[Observer]

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

Hutchinson lied to the police, and the press, as did Packer, and Violenia.

[Observer]

This makes absolutely no sense.

It makes sense to me. I'd say John Richardson if he wasn't exactly fearful of his mothers wrath, he certainly didn't like to get on the wrong side of her. If checking the backyard, the stairs, and the cellar was a kind of duty, it's possible he neglected that duty on the morning of the murder. If so it's also possible that he made up his story to save an ear bashing from his mother

[Abby Normal]

I'm not even sure Richardson was there at all. And if he was it was likely for 10 seconds tops. His Ma wanted him to check the backyard when he went past on his way to the market. I'm sure he always said he did. But having revisited the 3-volume novel he came up with about the knife & the boot & the rabbit & the carrot I think it's highly possible he didn't. Couldn't be bothered. And then he heard about the body from someone at the market and raced back to see what was what. He arrived just before the doctor. Now what's he going to say? So we hear that he was there. But the body wasn't. Otherwise he's got some explaining to do to his mother and he's like not in the mood for that. The doctor says she was dead 'at least 2 hours and probably more'. And I agree with that. Otherwise Our Boy is killing at a time when people are likely to be around--waking up & going to the privy in an inconvenient fashion--and no way he wants to get caught like a rat in a trap. He's chancy. But not that chancy.

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.

[Joshua Rogan]

It makes sense to me. I'd say John Richardson if he wasn't exactly fearful of his mothers wrath, he certainly didn't like to get on the wrong side of her. If checking the backyard, the stairs, and the cellar was a kind of duty, it's possible he neglected that duty on the morning of the murder. If so it's also possible that he made up his story to save an ear bashing from his mother

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.

[Fisherman]

You never lied to your mother?
I certainly did. So did everyone else I know.

Not me. But I am lying to you.

I for one am very open to the suggestion you make. And thatīs not a lie.

[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

[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"

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.