Suggestion

[GUT]

I don't know what you guy's & gals think, but that small window always looked like an afterthought to me. Anyone designing a house with two windows in the same room, on the same wall is surely going to make them the same height.

So why is that smaller window so low down, in fact, when you compare the height of the small window it is parallel with the height of the door around the corner.




This house has been internally modified from when it was originally built, that much we know, so I had speculated that the small window at the rear was the original back door, and the door we see around the corner is another later renovation.
If the door was originally at the back, then it is possible that a partition, or wall, existed internally, to separate the back door from the room. Giving, if you like, a passage from the front of the house to the back yard.

Something has changed over the years, but then that's not very unusual. And passageways were it seems more normal than rooms opening directly into each other.

BUT was this built as housing or a shop with housing in the court.

[Wickerman]

Another factor to consider, according to Mrs Prater, she used the door inside the passage (the first door into No.26, Kelly's was the second door) to access the stairs. So the original floor plan of the house may have been very similar to this:



A passage under the stairs led to the original back door.
And, now we see the 'ghost' door which was the original entry to Kelly's room.
That 'ghost' door was fixed in place and wallpapered over because in Kelly's time that door was no longer necessary.

[Wickerman]

Looking at that same corner from inside Kelly's room, we see the original door covered over and the original passage entry (under the stairs), that has also been boarded up.



The passage wall (to go straight to the back door) has been removed in Kelly's day.

[Pierre]

Something has changed over the years, but then that's not very unusual. And passageways were it seems more normal than rooms opening directly into each other.

BUT was this built as housing or a shop with housing in the court.

In 1890 26 Dorset Street is defined as a shop (S).

[Wickerman]

The original passage to the back door is shown here (please ignore the wall with the zig-zag line).



Have I lost anyone with all this?

[Pierre]

Looking at that same corner from inside Kelly's room, we see the original door covered over and the original passage entry (under the stairs), that has also been boarded up.



The passage wall (to go straight to the back door) has been removed in Kelly's day.

Hi Wickerman,

I really like this drawing of yours, it is brilliant!

But the original passage is in the middle of the room, when you check the fire map.

Regards Pierre

[Pierre]

The original passage to the back door is shown here (please ignore the wall with the zig-zag line).



Have I lost anyone with all this?

Hi Wickerman,

Very interesting!

But why the two red doors?

Regards Pierre

[Michael W Richards]

In 1890 26 Dorset Street is defined as a shop (S).

In your drawing you will note that there was no door to access Millers Court from what became Marys room...the access to that room would have been from the door under the archway. That door was added when room 13 was closed off from #26 and became a room within Millers Court.

[Abby Normal]

while we have been delving the depths of interior design and architecture, I think we have missed an obvious implication of Pierres suggestion in terms of the suspect.

According to pierre, the killer was able to have access to the room enough to dissemble the door/partition come back later, kill mary and then assemble it again before he left again through number 26.

who would have had this kind of access to number 26?
Prater, her partner, Bowyer, McCarthy, police? Anyone else?


Am I on the right track with this one Pierre?

[Pierre]

Another factor to consider, according to Mrs Prater, she used the door inside the passage (the first door into No.26, Kelly's was the second door) to access the stairs. So the original floor plan of the house may have been very similar to this:



A passage under the stairs led to the original back door.
And, now we see the 'ghost' door which was the original entry to Kelly's room.
That 'ghost' door was fixed in place and wallpapered over because in Kelly's time that door was no longer necessary.

Very well drawn. I will have to think about this drawing for a while.

Regards Pierre

[Wickerman]

In your drawing you will note that there was no door to access Millers Court from what became Marys room..

There are no doors shown for any properties, front or back.
The door inside the passage, funny enough, is the only door we can see.
Not sure if that helps or hinders us.

[Pierre]

while we have been delving the depths of interior design and architecture, I think we have missed an obvious implication of Pierres suggestion in terms of the suspect.

According to pierre, the killer was able to have access to the room enough to dissemble the door/partition come back later, kill mary and then assemble it again before he left again through number 26.

who would have had this kind of access to number 26?
Prater, her partner, Bowyer, McCarthy, police? Anyone else?

Am I on the right track with this one Pierre?

Someone who knew Thomas Bowyer I believe.

Regards Pierre

[Abby Normal]

Someone who knew Thomas Bowyer I believe.

Regards Pierre

thanks Pierre
but why Bowyer? was it his connection as former military in India?

FYI-personally I believe that there is a good chance the ripper was former military of some sort.

[Michael W Richards]

There are no doors shown for any properties, front or back.
The door inside the passage, funny enough, is the only door we can see.
Not sure if that helps or hinders us.

What that confirms Jon is that the only access to the interior of 26 Dorset was the door in the archway.

[Pierre]

thanks Pierre
but why Bowyer? was it his connection as former military in India?

FYI-personally I believe that there is a good chance the ripper was former military of some sort.

He knew Bowyer from Whitechapel but it happened by coincidence. I am sorry I canīt tell you more about this right now.

Regards Pierre