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Hi all,
I'll apologize for the length of this now.
Catharine Eddowes was found murdered in Mitre Square at 1:44 am by PC Watkins. He reports having previously patrolled this location at 1:30 am, at which time nothing suspicious was noted. At 1:30 am, Joseph Lawende and two friends (Joseph Levy and Harry Harris) were getting up to leave the Imperial Club on Duke Street.
When Lawende and his friends exited the pub they saw a man and women at the corner of Duke Street and Church Passage (leading into Mitre Square). Lawende estimated this sighting as being at 1:35 am, Levy suggested they left the pub at 1:33 or 1:34 (He testifies as leaving 3 or 4 minutes after 1:30; so the sighting can be thought to have occurred between 1:33 and 1:35). Their testimony, is consistent with that of PC Watkins because it suggests that Eddowes and Jack are not in Mitre Square at 1:30, when PC Watkins patrols Mitre Square (their sighting occurs after this point). Dr. Brown suggests 5 minutes is required for Jack to murder and mutilate Eddowes. Allowing 1 minute for Jack and Eddowes to traverse Church Passage and get to Mitre Square, then that means the times for Jack to leave the scene begin at about 1:39 (earliest time of the Lawende et al sighting is 1:33, 1 minute to get to the murder scene, 5 minutes with the body).
So, years ago I put together a simulation based upon the beats of PC Harvey and PC Watkins (their beats are reported in full, so we know their patrols). Also, we have their testimony as to how long it took them to complete their beats. So, knowing that PC Watkins reports finding the body at 1:44, and that he had patrolled the square at 1:30, and PC Harvey reports he checked his time at the Post Office clock at 1:28. While he doesn’t state his patrol time, he does say he had checked Church Passage 3-4 minutes prior to hearing the whistle blow, so from all the information I’ve estimated his patrol to be 17 minutes for a complete circuit.
From that, there was enough information to roughly estimate where each of the PCs were during the critical time period. I’ve marked them in 1 minute increments up until the earliest time for JtR to leave Mitre Square. Again, this is set to be at 1:39 (6 minutes after the earliest time for the Lawende et al sighting, giving them 1 minute to head into Mitre Square, and 5 minutes for the murder and mutilation). Their entrance into the square is on the heels of PC Watkin’s 1:30 patrol time, which they could very well have been aware of from their vantage point when spotted by Lawende et al, as there was a gas lamp at the Mitre Square end of Church Passage).
The last bit of information we have is from Morris, who indicates that a couple minutes before PC Watkins arrived, he opened the door into Mitre Square while he was sweeping up. So the door is opened not long before 1:44, something like 2-3 minutes prior, and that’s starting to bump up with 1:39, the earliest that JtR could leave the square.
With all of that in mind, the relative positions of the PCs as indicated in the map below (PC Harvey is the red dots; PC Watkins the blue dots; JtR in Green), and having JtR leave out through St. James Place (which most suggest he might have), JtRs escape route from Mitre Square ends up going through areas devoid of the two PCs that have beats in that area. While I’ve not marked it, he could also flee out to Mitre Street, turn right and head that way and not be spotted. The exit out through Church Passage is not viable, as he would pass PC Harvey, unless (and this is really unlikely), he doesn’t flee for another 2 minutes, but that would mean PC Harvey patrols up to the end of Church Passage, doesn’t see JtR in the square, exits Church Passage, and JtR then follows him out and turns left (away from PC Harvey). If the trigger for JtR to leave is not the door opening, but PC Harvey coming into view at the gas light (which impedes his vision into the dark of Mitre Square), PC Watkins is still far enough away for JtR to escape through St. James Place, Mitre Street, or the far less likely “following the PC down Church Passage” route.
I know it's a bit messy, and a bit hard to follow, but hopefully the information is readable.
Note, my estimation for JtR’s position at 1:40 in St. James Place is based on him leaving at the average speed of PC Watkins and PC Harvey (so at a speed of a patrolling PC, with the notion that he’s trying not to draw attention to himself, and also that he’s on the look out for safe routes – but if he’s running, he would be further along. Again, I’m going with minimums here).
So, basically, there’s wiggle room with regards to the time window, but not much although we know there can’t be just based on PC Watkins patrol times, and given that 5 minutes of that has to be used for the murder and mutilations. Also, time estimates are very error prone, however, Lawende et al indicate they checked the clock when they got up to leave, and PC Harvey indicates he checked his time at 1:28 by the Post Office clock. PC Watkins noted the time when he found the body. Of course, clocks aren’t all tied to the same source, so different clocks could read different times, and patrol speeds will have faster and slower sections, etc. While I’m just showing things based upon holding the times as exact, I’ve played around with variations with JtR leaving as early as 1:37 (which would mean Lawende et al spots them around 1:30-1:31, and JtR and Eddowes enter Mitre Square as soon as PC Watkins leaves), and having him leave as late as 1:43 (which still gets him to St. James Place before Watkins finds the body, but means he stuck around after the door opens and PC Harvey patrolled Church Passage – making that very improbable). And basically, all of those times results in the escape route through St. James Place being clear for him. The route out through Mitre Street becomes unavailable around 1:42 as PC Watkins would have seen him exit the square, and Church Passage isn’t really viable until after 1:40, but then requires him to follow PC Harvey (if he goes that way earlier, unless he heads south, he’s going to pass PC Harvey).
Anyway, it looks like Lawende end company’s sighting would fit with other known events. It places Eddowes and JtR at a vantage point where PC Watkin’s 1:30 patrol of Mitre Square would be noted, informing them that the area will be vacant for sufficient time to complete a transaction. The opening of the door by Morris occurs around the time when JtR would have had sufficient time to complete the mutilations, and would act as a trigger for JtR to leave, with St. James Place being the probable, but not only, exit route (Mitre Street would require him to exit passed the opened door). A later possible trigger would be PC Harvey coming down Church Passage (but not entering Mitre Square), and while possible, requires JtR to sit tight until PC Harvey turns around and heads away. The gas lamp makes PC Harvey not seeing JtR or the body, which are in the dark, explainable – we know he didn’t spot Eddowes’ body, which must have been there at the time after all, so it is possible that JtR was as well. I hold that to be the less likely than JtR exiting when the door was opened.
Also, the above works for a range of times, allowing for some error in the testified times of events. Alternatives, like Eddowes bumping into JtR in Mitre Square, and Lawende and company seeing other people at the end of Church Passage, seem less tenable as neither Eddowes nor JtR can enter Mitre Square from Church Passage, and if either entered from Mitre Street, then PC Watkins would have spotted them as he was patrolling that street at the times they have to enter Mitre Square for there to be sufficient time for the murder to occur. That only leaves them both entering through St. James place, replicating the scenario we have for Church Passage but for which we have no evidence but create a fairly substatial coincidence that two other people are seen at the only other entrance to Mitre Square, with the woman wearing clothes later identified as at least similar to Eddowes’.
- Jeff
I'll apologize for the length of this now.
Catharine Eddowes was found murdered in Mitre Square at 1:44 am by PC Watkins. He reports having previously patrolled this location at 1:30 am, at which time nothing suspicious was noted. At 1:30 am, Joseph Lawende and two friends (Joseph Levy and Harry Harris) were getting up to leave the Imperial Club on Duke Street.
When Lawende and his friends exited the pub they saw a man and women at the corner of Duke Street and Church Passage (leading into Mitre Square). Lawende estimated this sighting as being at 1:35 am, Levy suggested they left the pub at 1:33 or 1:34 (He testifies as leaving 3 or 4 minutes after 1:30; so the sighting can be thought to have occurred between 1:33 and 1:35). Their testimony, is consistent with that of PC Watkins because it suggests that Eddowes and Jack are not in Mitre Square at 1:30, when PC Watkins patrols Mitre Square (their sighting occurs after this point). Dr. Brown suggests 5 minutes is required for Jack to murder and mutilate Eddowes. Allowing 1 minute for Jack and Eddowes to traverse Church Passage and get to Mitre Square, then that means the times for Jack to leave the scene begin at about 1:39 (earliest time of the Lawende et al sighting is 1:33, 1 minute to get to the murder scene, 5 minutes with the body).
So, years ago I put together a simulation based upon the beats of PC Harvey and PC Watkins (their beats are reported in full, so we know their patrols). Also, we have their testimony as to how long it took them to complete their beats. So, knowing that PC Watkins reports finding the body at 1:44, and that he had patrolled the square at 1:30, and PC Harvey reports he checked his time at the Post Office clock at 1:28. While he doesn’t state his patrol time, he does say he had checked Church Passage 3-4 minutes prior to hearing the whistle blow, so from all the information I’ve estimated his patrol to be 17 minutes for a complete circuit.
From that, there was enough information to roughly estimate where each of the PCs were during the critical time period. I’ve marked them in 1 minute increments up until the earliest time for JtR to leave Mitre Square. Again, this is set to be at 1:39 (6 minutes after the earliest time for the Lawende et al sighting, giving them 1 minute to head into Mitre Square, and 5 minutes for the murder and mutilation). Their entrance into the square is on the heels of PC Watkin’s 1:30 patrol time, which they could very well have been aware of from their vantage point when spotted by Lawende et al, as there was a gas lamp at the Mitre Square end of Church Passage).
The last bit of information we have is from Morris, who indicates that a couple minutes before PC Watkins arrived, he opened the door into Mitre Square while he was sweeping up. So the door is opened not long before 1:44, something like 2-3 minutes prior, and that’s starting to bump up with 1:39, the earliest that JtR could leave the square.
With all of that in mind, the relative positions of the PCs as indicated in the map below (PC Harvey is the red dots; PC Watkins the blue dots; JtR in Green), and having JtR leave out through St. James Place (which most suggest he might have), JtRs escape route from Mitre Square ends up going through areas devoid of the two PCs that have beats in that area. While I’ve not marked it, he could also flee out to Mitre Street, turn right and head that way and not be spotted. The exit out through Church Passage is not viable, as he would pass PC Harvey, unless (and this is really unlikely), he doesn’t flee for another 2 minutes, but that would mean PC Harvey patrols up to the end of Church Passage, doesn’t see JtR in the square, exits Church Passage, and JtR then follows him out and turns left (away from PC Harvey). If the trigger for JtR to leave is not the door opening, but PC Harvey coming into view at the gas light (which impedes his vision into the dark of Mitre Square), PC Watkins is still far enough away for JtR to escape through St. James Place, Mitre Street, or the far less likely “following the PC down Church Passage” route.
I know it's a bit messy, and a bit hard to follow, but hopefully the information is readable.
Note, my estimation for JtR’s position at 1:40 in St. James Place is based on him leaving at the average speed of PC Watkins and PC Harvey (so at a speed of a patrolling PC, with the notion that he’s trying not to draw attention to himself, and also that he’s on the look out for safe routes – but if he’s running, he would be further along. Again, I’m going with minimums here).
So, basically, there’s wiggle room with regards to the time window, but not much although we know there can’t be just based on PC Watkins patrol times, and given that 5 minutes of that has to be used for the murder and mutilations. Also, time estimates are very error prone, however, Lawende et al indicate they checked the clock when they got up to leave, and PC Harvey indicates he checked his time at 1:28 by the Post Office clock. PC Watkins noted the time when he found the body. Of course, clocks aren’t all tied to the same source, so different clocks could read different times, and patrol speeds will have faster and slower sections, etc. While I’m just showing things based upon holding the times as exact, I’ve played around with variations with JtR leaving as early as 1:37 (which would mean Lawende et al spots them around 1:30-1:31, and JtR and Eddowes enter Mitre Square as soon as PC Watkins leaves), and having him leave as late as 1:43 (which still gets him to St. James Place before Watkins finds the body, but means he stuck around after the door opens and PC Harvey patrolled Church Passage – making that very improbable). And basically, all of those times results in the escape route through St. James Place being clear for him. The route out through Mitre Street becomes unavailable around 1:42 as PC Watkins would have seen him exit the square, and Church Passage isn’t really viable until after 1:40, but then requires him to follow PC Harvey (if he goes that way earlier, unless he heads south, he’s going to pass PC Harvey).
Anyway, it looks like Lawende end company’s sighting would fit with other known events. It places Eddowes and JtR at a vantage point where PC Watkin’s 1:30 patrol of Mitre Square would be noted, informing them that the area will be vacant for sufficient time to complete a transaction. The opening of the door by Morris occurs around the time when JtR would have had sufficient time to complete the mutilations, and would act as a trigger for JtR to leave, with St. James Place being the probable, but not only, exit route (Mitre Street would require him to exit passed the opened door). A later possible trigger would be PC Harvey coming down Church Passage (but not entering Mitre Square), and while possible, requires JtR to sit tight until PC Harvey turns around and heads away. The gas lamp makes PC Harvey not seeing JtR or the body, which are in the dark, explainable – we know he didn’t spot Eddowes’ body, which must have been there at the time after all, so it is possible that JtR was as well. I hold that to be the less likely than JtR exiting when the door was opened.
Also, the above works for a range of times, allowing for some error in the testified times of events. Alternatives, like Eddowes bumping into JtR in Mitre Square, and Lawende and company seeing other people at the end of Church Passage, seem less tenable as neither Eddowes nor JtR can enter Mitre Square from Church Passage, and if either entered from Mitre Street, then PC Watkins would have spotted them as he was patrolling that street at the times they have to enter Mitre Square for there to be sufficient time for the murder to occur. That only leaves them both entering through St. James place, replicating the scenario we have for Church Passage but for which we have no evidence but create a fairly substatial coincidence that two other people are seen at the only other entrance to Mitre Square, with the woman wearing clothes later identified as at least similar to Eddowes’.
- Jeff
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