Footprints?

[kensei]

Yet again, I've been away for a day or two and come into a thread late. I'm one of those who think the Ripper was in the guise of the Astrakan Man when he killed Mary Jane, who was by all witness accounts pretty drunk at the time. I think he sweet-talked her into laying down on the bed to do their business, where her drunken state led her head to start spinning (and who among us can say we've never experienced that petcicular sensation?) And once she started to pass out, he attacked. The mutilations were done in as little time as possible- longer than some might think, shorter than others. I think the Ripper disrobed at least to being shirtless, both for sexual gratification and to do away with bloodstains on his outer clothing. And the cry of "OH MURDER" heard by Mrs. Prater at 4 a.m. was that of someone outside who saw the Ripper emerging from #13 after his work was done.

As for the topic of this thread- Footprints? Well, I guess I'm just now realizing this question as I write it, but did #13 have carpet or a wood floor? I'm guessing wood. Either way, there probably were footprints of some kind, but how useful would they have been unless they led all the way to the killer's lair?

[Chava]

kensei, they would have been very useful indeed if, for example, the police had a suspect whose boot soles matched the pattern of wear found on boot prints in the room. That would have nailed the killer. And I don't believe that the police didn't realize that sort of thing by 1888. Footprints were used to solve a case as early as 1816. And police were studying scenes of crime carefully even before that. It doesn't sound to me as if the police burst in on that room mob-handed. I imagine they took a great deal of notice of it. Footprints should have, and I believe would have been noted.

[dixon9]

kensei

the floorboards were bare at number 13.


Dixon9
still learning

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

The talk about foot prints seems to be as real as the "letters", "numbers", etc. in Miller's Court.

Kensei; if the cry "Oh, murder!" would have come out of a mouth of an outsider, why didn't he/she contact the authorities?!

There was a reward for the right lead, anyway...

All the best
Jukka