Lawende was silenced

[Pierre]

Coming late to this thread may I ask: is there a shred of evidence that Lawende's suspect was dressed like a police officer, or is that just a wild hypothesis?

It is a question. At the Eddowes inquest Lawende was about to testify about the dress of the man he saw together with Eddowes near the murder site.

But Lawende was silenced by the city solicitor.

The city solicitor said that for particular reasons evidence about the dress of the man should not be given.

The only thing Lawende was allowed to say was that the man had a peaked cap.

Why did they withhold the information about the dress of the man seen with Eddowes before the murder?

Source: Shields Daily Gazette - Thursday 11 October 1888
More sources with the same content:

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 11 October 1888
South Wales Echo - Thursday 11 October 1888
Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - Friday 12 October 1888

And in the original inquest sources Lawende states that he has given his description to the police (Evans & Skinner, p. 297).

Regards, Pierre

[Geddy2112]

Source:
Shields Daily Gazette - Thursday 11 October 1888
Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 11 October 1888
Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - Friday 12 October 1888

Interesting that those newspapers are from towns 30 or so miles apart, two being a lot closer but some 280 miles from London. Wonder if the reporting duties were divvied out?

[Kattrup]

Coming late to this thread may I ask: is there a shred of evidence that Lawende's suspect was dressed like a police officer, or is that just a wild hypothesis?

Since we have Lawende's description detailed in a report from Swanson, we know that Lawende's suspect was not dressed as a policeman.


Wild theory it may be, but it was a contemporary theory - speculation on how the killer could approach his victims and lead them to dark deserted places put forward the idea that the killer was either dressed as a woman or a police officer.

[Robert St Devil]

Hello Pierre et al.

At the inquest, Mr. Levy makes the following statement:

I should think he was three inches taller than the woman, who was, perhaps, 5ft high. I cannot give any further description of them.

Were the witnesses warned about how much information regarding the description that they could give?

[Elamarna]

Pierre in post #734 john asked:

Coming late to this thread may I ask: is there a shred of evidence that Lawende's suspect was dressed like a police officer, or is that just a wild hypothesis?

your reply:

It is a question. At the Eddowes inquest Lawende was about to testify about the dress of the man he saw together with Eddowes near the murder site.

But Lawende was silenced by the city solicitor.

The city solicitor said that for particular reasons evidence about the dress of the man should not be given.

The only thing Lawende was allowed to say was that the man had a peaked cap.

Why did they withhold the information about the dress of the man seen with Eddowes before the murder?

Source: Shields Daily Gazette - Thursday 11 October 1888
More sources with the same content:

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 11 October 1888
South Wales Echo - Thursday 11 October 1888
Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - Friday 12 October 1888

And in the original inquest sources Lawende states that he has given his description to the police (Evans & Skinner, p. 297).

Regards, Pierre

That seems clear there is no evidence what so ever that Lawende saw a man dressed as a Policeman, nothing at all.

It is pure speculation is it not?



Steve

[Simon Wood]

Hi Elamarna,

Lawende saw a policeman?

Perish the thought.

Regards,

Simon

[Elamarna]

Hi Elamarna,

Lawende saw a policeman?

Perish the thought.

Regards,

Simon

No documented evidence that he did that I am aware of

Steve

[Simon Wood]

Hi Elamara,

And none that I am aware of, either.

But there were certain ranks of police who wore peaked caps.

Regards,

Simon

[Elamarna]

Hi Elamara,

And none that I am aware of, either.

But there were certain ranks of police who wore peaked caps.

Regards,

Simon

Hi Simon

Yes Pierre has raised that already, however a "peaked cap", which is not a great description lets be honest, does not on its own amount to evidence for the description of a police officer.


Al least not to me.

regards


Steve

[Simon Wood]

Hi Elamara,

I agree.

But it is not something which can be completely disregarded.

Regards,

Simon

[Elamarna]

Hi Elamara,

I agree.

But it is not something which can be completely disregarded.

Regards,

Simon

Simon

I would tentatively agree, but the possibility must at present be regarded as low, until some other real data relating to it emerges or is publish.

Who knows maybe Pierre will soon, but i am not holding my breath.


As a matter of interest, what ranks are you aware of that would /could wear such headgear, both in London (city and met), and outside of London?

all the best


steve

[Simon Wood]

Hi Elamara,

There's a picture in the A-Z of Superintendent Foster [City Police] wearing a peaked cap.

Regards,

Simon

[Pierre]

Hi Elamara,

There's a picture in the A-Z of Superintendent Foster [City Police] wearing a peaked cap.

Regards,

Simon

Thanks Simon. And the Mounted Police also used it.

But not according to David Orsam.

And naturally, a serial killer did not have to follow any regulations when he killed.

[David Orsam]

*sighs*

I suppose I need to repeat something that I have already said repeatedly, over and over, in this thread.

Lawende stated in evidence at the Eddowes inquest that the man he saw "had a cloth cap on with a cloth peak".

That is in his deposition.

A cloth cap with a cloth peak was no part of any police uniform in the 1880s.

[Pierre]

*sighs*

I suppose I need to repeat something that I have already said repeatedly, over and over, in this thread.

Lawende stated in evidence at the Eddowes inquest that the man he saw "had a cloth cap on with a cloth peak".

That is in his deposition.

A cloth cap with a cloth peak was no part of any police uniform in the 1880s.

Lawande was not a camera.

The serial killer could wear what he wanted.

Why was Lawende silenced if the statement about the dress should not have been controversial?