Escape from Buck's Row

[Fisherman]

I´m with Ben on this one. I think he would have used the smaller thoroughfares. And I believe that the Mitre Street escape is a pointer in this direction. Since we had PC:s appearing at Church passage and Mitre Street, it would seem a wise thing to do to opt for St James´place, and then use Duke Street and Stoney Lane, then opting for New Goulston Street as he probably would have exited Stoney Lane on its southern side. After that, he would use the northern side of New Goulston Street and take a left turn into Goulston Street.
If he did it that way, then he traversed Goulston Street immediately after having walked onto it, meaning that he would reach the other side of the street at about the place where the "Apron doorway" is situated.

This would provide both the most secluded and the swiftest route to Goulston Street. And, of course, if this is the way he did it, we may also venture a guess that he traversed Goulston Street because he opted for a right turn into Wentworth Street.

And, just like Ben says, if he was heading westwards from Buck´s Row, Old Montague Street is the alternative that corresponds best with this type of thinking.

All the best,

Fisherman

[Monty]

Hi Chris,

I think an escape route towards Brady Street is out.

Cross approached from that area as well as Paul, who stated he felt Nichols was still alive when he arrived not long after Cross. Therefore, if Paul is correct, Nichols assailant was not far away. I can’t help but feel these men would have seen someone passing by in the opposite direction.

All the killings were close to main thoroughfares, Chapman near Commercial Street, as was Kelly, Stride off the Commercial Road and Eddowes off Aldgate High Street. This makes sense as an escape as the killer would be able to mingle into the crowd, which would have started gathering as people milled to and from work (Paul and Cross were on their way to work).

Nichols was killed not far off the Whitechapel Road and this road would have been easily accessed via Woods Building, the alleyway that joined Bucks Row (at its junction with Winthrop Street) to the Whitechapel Road.

I think the main thoroughfares are important and questions if the killer was indeed local, as these routes are easy to navigate by almost anyone. Goulston Street is indeed a quite Street however it is situated between the two major roads of Middlesex Street (Petticoat Lane) and Commercial Street.

However, there is more to local knowledge than geography. There is routine of not only the locals but Police as well.

I suspect that Jack was familiar with the area and its people.

Cheers
Monty

[Ben]

Hi Chris,

If the killer lived relatively central to the murders, as suggested by proponents of geographical profiling, Old Montague Street offered the quickest and quietest escape route back to that centre. It also meant that the killer could avoid the various police beats in the area (for example, he'd quickly cross Baker's Row before PC Mizen arrived there at 3:45am). I know it's been suggested that the killer used the arterial thoroughfares to search for victims and make good his escape, but I've never been too huge a fan of the idea, since the location of the Goulston Street apron hints at a preference for escape routes via the more secluded passages.

Best regards,
Ben

[DVV]

Hi Chris George,
I have always had a doubt about the man seen (or simply heard?) by Mulshaw. (I know it's difficult to believe that the murderer could have waited in the area up to 4h20, but...)
We know that afterwards, when the murders hit the headlines, many people behaved oddly on early mornings...But at the time of the Buck's Row murder, that was not the case yet.

Amitiés,
David

[Chris George]

Hello all

We at Ripperologist are publishing in our August through November issues, dedicated issues on the Whitechapel murders, timed to the anniversaries. I am working on an article on "Escape from Buck's Row" for the August issue. I would be glad to take allowance of any thoughts you have on how the murderer escaped from the murder scene in the stable entrance in Buck's Row. Thanks in advance.

All the best

Chris