Originally posted by Chava
View Post
who lived in the building. He was a Jew and was just old enough to realise (and understand) what most of the rest of the world thought about his people. He wrote it in defiance.
The killer had seen this writing earlier in the day and thought he could use it. He took the piece of apron with menstrual blood on it with the one intent of leaving it as close as possible to the writing. The apron had already been cut by Eddowes herself for use as a menstrual 'rag' for an unusually heavy flow of blood. The other half of the apron was tucked away on her body with all the other items. The smaller pieces of 'rag' were just that - too small to be of any use to mop up a lot of blood. Eddowes was of the age to have started the menopause and it is very common to have very heavy flows of blood one month and then only a small amount of blood the next, not to mention periods being missed. I think it possible that her period came when she wasn't expecting it - hence the use of the apron. By all accounts she was a clean woman who was as particular as she could be bearing in mind her circumstances. If I had been in her situation I would also have cut up my apron for use as a 'rag' if the blood flow was particularly heavy - blood gets everywhere and the possibilities for cleaning clothes were very poor. Blood is also very difficult to remove from clothing if it has been allowed to dry.
The fact that she had so many odds and ends on herself was just her carrying all her belongings with her. Anything left behind at a common lodging house would have been stolen. (Stride asked her friend at the lodging house to take care of a piece of green velvet for her before she went out that night).
(If Birmingham Phil reads this then he will be confirmed in his suspicions that I am definitely not an 'historical method' enthusiast. You were right, Phil!).
I know the above is pure conjecture but it is based entirely on what we know.
Carol
Comment