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The idea of killing someone in a narrow court yard, with occupied dwellings on one side and a crowded club room on the other, within full view of a public street only a few feet away, would seem more the impulsive act of a beginner than the work of an experienced serial killer. Still, our Jackie seemed quite content with taking his fun where he found it, however risky it might be.
With one exception, all Ripper murders were committed in public places, in areas where the risk of discovery "in the act" was fairly high. For example:
Tabram: Stairway landing, inside occupied apartment building.
Nichols: Public street in front of occupied dwelling.
Chapman: Back yard at rear of occupied dwelling.
Stride: Side yard off public street, next to occupied buildings.
Eddowes: Public square, next to occupied dwellings.
At any of these sites, someone could easily have stepped onto the street, looked out the window, came down the stairs, opened the door, or turned the corner (as PC Watkins did at Mitre Square), surprising the killer. And yet, in each case he managed to do his thing and disappear without a trace.
The lone exception, Kelly, was murdered inside her rented room, behind a locked door. The room, however, was located in an occupied dwelling, directly beneath another tenant's room and a few feet from another occupied dwelling off the same entry way - so still a bit risky for Jack, especially considering the increased numbers of police and frightened women in the area.
I offer this only to suggest that while Stride's murder may fit someone's idea of a non-Ripper killing, the murder site does comply with Jack's usual work environment, with perhaps a little more risk involved. And for what it's worth, if Stride was a Ripper victim, I believe he came along after BS Man left, talked her into the yard and killed her - probably all in a matter of 5-7 minutes.
John
With one exception, all Ripper murders were committed in public places, in areas where the risk of discovery "in the act" was fairly high. For example:
Tabram: Stairway landing, inside occupied apartment building.
Nichols: Public street in front of occupied dwelling.
Chapman: Back yard at rear of occupied dwelling.
Stride: Side yard off public street, next to occupied buildings.
Eddowes: Public square, next to occupied dwellings.
At any of these sites, someone could easily have stepped onto the street, looked out the window, came down the stairs, opened the door, or turned the corner (as PC Watkins did at Mitre Square), surprising the killer. And yet, in each case he managed to do his thing and disappear without a trace.
The lone exception, Kelly, was murdered inside her rented room, behind a locked door. The room, however, was located in an occupied dwelling, directly beneath another tenant's room and a few feet from another occupied dwelling off the same entry way - so still a bit risky for Jack, especially considering the increased numbers of police and frightened women in the area.
I offer this only to suggest that while Stride's murder may fit someone's idea of a non-Ripper killing, the murder site does comply with Jack's usual work environment, with perhaps a little more risk involved. And for what it's worth, if Stride was a Ripper victim, I believe he came along after BS Man left, talked her into the yard and killed her - probably all in a matter of 5-7 minutes.
John
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