The Night She Died

[Ben]

Hi Billie,

I doubt Kelly charged much more for her services. The vast majority of her client-base would have been local man from the immediate locality, and very few of them were able to fork out for an expensive service. Mary Cox had a similar domestic set-up, but it seems likely from the evidence that she was servicing her clients where she found them on the streets. Suffice to say, I'd urge strong caution when contemplating anything Hutchinson claimed to have heard.

Best regards,
Ben

[BillieHoliday]

I think a prostitute such as Mary who was selling a slightly more expensive service than the others, ie, she had her own place, would have kept the fire going for the benefit of her customers.

Did Hutchinson not hear her say to one of the punters: 'You will be comfortable."

She had to offer something a bit better than a knee trembler down an alley surely?

[Robert]

I suppose there was something or other covering the far window, or Bowyer would have looked through that one, instead of risking his hand by putting it between the broken glass and pushing back the coat covering the first window.

[Chava]

However, Gareth, it is necessary to factor in the accumulation of grime and dirt on Kelly's windows, which would doubtless interrupt the passage of some of the light. Therefore, Chava, you are excused window-cleaning for the next five years.

Oh, good!

However Cox seems to suggest that she saw light through the clouts in the window.

By the way, how was that pilot coat hung? I assume they banged nails into it above the window and just kind of draped it over. Talking of which, there were 2 windows, weren't there? If they put a coat over one, it wouldn't stretch to the second looking at the pix of the window wall. I wonder how they blocked that one? The clouts in the broken pane would be to stop the draft. They're still short of something to give them privacy.

[Robert]

However, Gareth, it is necessary to factor in the accumulation of grime and dirt on Kelly's windows, which would doubtless interrupt the passage of some of the light. Therefore, Chava, you are excused window-cleaning for the next five years.

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Chava,

If not stopped by an obstacle, light travels to infinity, although strictly that only applies in a vacuum. In an atmosphere, light particles will be scattered by molecules in the air, dust (etc.), and its apparent brightness diminishes as the square of the distance from the light source. As the light from even a small candle viewed from a distance of 1 metre would be reasonably bright - it might even hurt dark-adapted eyes - it would appear about a quarter as bright from 2 metres away, but would still be eminently visible. Even at a ninth of its brightness, the candle-light would have been sufficient to cast a shadow on the wall, or a coat hung up on a window, some 3 metres away - roughly the length of Kelly's room. If you picture the coat covering only part of the window, then it's clear that - if you can cast a shadow on that coat from the inside - the light would still be strong enough to be seen through the gaps in the coat from the outside of the room.

The same applies to any gaps in the door - such as chinks, keyholes and the draughty bit at the bottom/top of the door. If the "farthing-dip" were located on the bedside table, it would only have been about a metre from the door itself; thus a reasonable amount of light would have spilled out - potentially noticeable to someone passing the doorway. (Indeed, light from a candle ought to have been visible through the gaps in the partition wall as one climbed the stairs - as Mrs Prater seems to indicate.)

Not that I'm denying that an experiment would be a good idea - on the contrary, it's always worth checking things out. Please let us know how you get on

[Robert]

I'm just wondering whether Mary wore the pilot coat indoors, when she was just sitting or whatever, i.e. not actually in bed. Why not? It must have been bloody cold in there. So perhaps the window was more exposed when she was up.

I'm a bit surprised that she didn't wear the pilot coat when out looking for customers, but I've been told she wouldn't have done that. Still, it was cold and rainy. She must have been tempted.

[Robert]

Abberline showed the jury round Kelly's room (after the windows had been boarded up) with the aid of a farthing dip, so I should think the light was better than that of, say, a small electric torch.

[Chava]

The only point I'm making, Chava, is that the faintest light - irrespective of whether it came from a candle or a coal fire - really could have been visible through a gap in, or around, the improvised "blind".

I know. But the fact that the fire might have been burning all night occurred to me while I was reading your post and I think it's an interesting point. No, not to prove that McCarthy was bankrolling her, but to suggest that she may well have been a 'live for the moment' kind of woman who liked her creature comforts and to hell with tomorrow.

However, to get back to the candle, it's worth doing an experiment. If I recall correctly, there was a farthing dip kind of thing, and that was the only light in the room. Honestly, Gareth, I don't think that light would have gone very far at all. So I wonder if there was another candle or whatever that was there in the room and the killer took it with him for some reason.

[Sam Flynn]

The only point I'm making, Chava, is that the faintest light - irrespective of whether it came from a candle or a coal fire - really could have been visible through a gap in, or around, the improvised "blind".

[Chava]

If Kelly's fire was on then, it would have been on all night. She wouldn't have been able to light it quick enough for Cox to see the light as she went to her room. We know that Kelly was out boozing that night, she was seen in the pub. If she'd let the fire die down, it wouldn't have thrown any light by the time she came back. She must have banked it up before she went out. Keeping a fire lit when you're out is an extravagant thing to do if you're an indigent woman even if it's cold out. I remember the old days of Coronation Street, when Ena Sharples and her pals eked out a half of bitter in the snug to avoid going home and lighting their fires because they didn't have anything but their pensions. Kelly didn't even have that!

[Sam Flynn]

Now that having been said, if there was no other light in the court, you might see something glimmering.

The human eye is surprisingly sensitive, Chava. Even the light from a birthday candle, leeching out between the gaps in (or around) a thick, improvised "curtain" would have shown up by contrast alone. Plus, if Mary's fire had been lit at that point, its light would have been similarly visible.

[Chava]

What if there was a chink in them?

It's possible. But the light cast by a small candle doesn't radiate worth a damn! I light Shabbat candles every Friday night. I use 2 new candles. In a dark room, they really only cast light in a small circle around themselves. It wouldn't be nearly light enough, I think, to penetrate the windows unless the candle was held right up to the glass. Now that having been said, if there was no other light in the court, you might see something glimmering.

[Sam Flynn]

Either way, I don't think the inch or so of candle that was found in the room would have been sufficient to cast a light that could be seen through the 'blinds' (old clothes)...

What if there was a chink in them?

[Chava]

Small thing from Cox's testimony at the inquest:

By the Jury: There was a light in the window, but I saw nothing, as the blinds were down. I should know the man again, if I saw him.

Does that mean that there was a light burning in the room as she went in? Or did Kelly lit a candle or whatever when she got in the door? Either way, I don't think the inch or so of candle that was found in the room would have been sufficient to cast a light that could be seen through the 'blinds' (old clothes)...