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Mara writes:
"The flower was definitely a gift by some john. It could even be by the Ripper himself, who then arranged to meet Stride again, in the yard by Berner Street. In this scenario (with a pre-arranged meeting) the Ripper/the killer cannot have been BS – who surely would not have started pushing her around after having given her a flower?!"
Ah, sweet youth! There was a time, Maria, when I also believed that a loving gesture was an eternal promise, but alas ...! Surely you must realize that an evening that starts with affection and love may turn into something else before it is over, Maria?
There is even a suggestion to make, supported by the evidence, that may go to show you what COULD have happened: Marshall stated that his man said: "You will say anything but your prayers" to Stride. What if that was in response to Stride promising him not to walk the streets anymore? And what if he later found her outside Dutfeilds yard, seemingly soliciting? To me, that would present a very useful scenario, explaining how you can first affectionately buy your loved one a flower, only to, an hour later, be bitterly disappointed with her.
"BS definitely was not Kidney, since the physical description doesn't fit at all."
That holds very little water, I´m afraid. There are two possible leaks, even: You cannot be certain of how much of a likeness the sketch of Kidney gives us (and it is made from his side, so we cannot judge if he was broad-shouldered or not). Moreover, the witness description given by Schwartz, was a description given by a frightened man, seeing things on a dark street in a fleeting moment. I know of witness descriptions that have gone very much astray, Maria, and there is simply not enough in it to say for sure.
The best,
Fisherman
"The flower was definitely a gift by some john. It could even be by the Ripper himself, who then arranged to meet Stride again, in the yard by Berner Street. In this scenario (with a pre-arranged meeting) the Ripper/the killer cannot have been BS – who surely would not have started pushing her around after having given her a flower?!"
Ah, sweet youth! There was a time, Maria, when I also believed that a loving gesture was an eternal promise, but alas ...! Surely you must realize that an evening that starts with affection and love may turn into something else before it is over, Maria?
There is even a suggestion to make, supported by the evidence, that may go to show you what COULD have happened: Marshall stated that his man said: "You will say anything but your prayers" to Stride. What if that was in response to Stride promising him not to walk the streets anymore? And what if he later found her outside Dutfeilds yard, seemingly soliciting? To me, that would present a very useful scenario, explaining how you can first affectionately buy your loved one a flower, only to, an hour later, be bitterly disappointed with her.
"BS definitely was not Kidney, since the physical description doesn't fit at all."
That holds very little water, I´m afraid. There are two possible leaks, even: You cannot be certain of how much of a likeness the sketch of Kidney gives us (and it is made from his side, so we cannot judge if he was broad-shouldered or not). Moreover, the witness description given by Schwartz, was a description given by a frightened man, seeing things on a dark street in a fleeting moment. I know of witness descriptions that have gone very much astray, Maria, and there is simply not enough in it to say for sure.
The best,
Fisherman
suspicious, either as phonies (it's a much too generic gesture, and almost always it belongs to a “strategy“ tried out on all females he has ever approached), or, if already in a relationship, bringing the missus some flowers almost always telegraphs that Mr. has done something wrong, and the flowers are an attempt to clear his conscience! But you're totally right, especially with a streetwalker, the evening might have very well started with flowers and ended with knives. Silly of me not to see this before.
), plus it's imperative that I work out tonight – in anticipation of tomorrow's alleged increasing swell. That is, if I manage to get up from this bed and away from the computer, while eating and sipping this amazing white wine, from Spier, the farm near Stellenbosch where I went every afternoon to play with this one year old male cheetah, Choby 
, who got up on his hind feet, much taller than me, like we were about to dance, and put his face on my face. I was totally swepped off my feet. Now, this is what I'd call successful romancing, not offering flowers!)
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