Schwartz, a fraud?

[Errata]

Precisely. Although the really poor people in Victorian Whitechapel didn't have home clocks. When we assume a slight variation between the different church clocks in the city, we're talking about a discrepancy of 5´-10´minutes max, but in the Stride case such a discrepancy is significant.

I don't know how applicable this is, but it sort of just occurred to me. I can think of a reason that a Jew might be more knowledgeable about the time than a non Jew of the same economic background. Jews have quite a lot of jewelers and pawn shops. By far more than any other community, for a series of very longstanding reasons. But even to this day people tend not to buy used engagement rings, or used timepieces. Engagement rings I understand, but I never understood the watch thing.

The thing about a pawn shop is, that if jewelry doesn't sell, you can sell it for scrap. You cannot sell a watch for scrap, unless you know a watchmaker who is looking for specific parts. So you get stuck with them. But if it's a family owned business, it's a bit less of a problem. Because what makes a better gift than a clock or a watch? You can just pull it out of your inventory and wrap it up. Today it's a traditional Jewish gift. Especially for Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, a bris. Its a way to save money on an item that is not selling. Give it away, and then you didn't have to buy a gift.

[Garza]

Hello Garza,
the Bromley piece I've heard been quoted a lot in the threads, but never found time to read it. Thanks so much for posting the link. I'll most definitely read it in the coming days. (Right now I should be checking the job announcements online, and tomorrow morning I'm taking a plane to Greece, so it's a bit tight right now.)

It must be so terrible to travel all over the world maria lol . Good luck with the job announcements!

[mariab]

Hello Garza,
the Bromley piece I've heard been quoted a lot in the threads, but never found time to read it. Thanks so much for posting the link. I'll most definitely read it in the coming days. (Right now I should be checking the job announcements online, and tomorrow morning I'm taking a plane to Greece, so it's a bit tight right now.)

[Garza]

Yes, I know. I want to consult all the good lit/all the sources before attempting to figure out a possible timetable for the Stride case.

Good job!

Have you read Gavin Bromley's excellent dissertation on PC Smith's beat? Quite a read, you will have to make some room for it lol.

http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/rip-smiths-beat.html

[mariab]

Garza wrote:
It is very significant, especially when you consider PC Smith probably seen Stride at 12.40-12.45am and not at 12.30-35am that is usually stated.
Yes, I know. I want to consult all the good lit/all the sources before attempting to figure out a possible timetable for the Stride case.

Errata, this is so funny! Last fall I was at a conference in Durham (Durham in the UK, not in South Carolina) where the historical cathedral's clock was supposed to ring every quarter of hour with different chords, but instead of that it frequently went bonkers for up to half an hour non stop – also in the middle of the night! The conference was held just behind the cathedral, and on the first day there was an unfortunate speaker who had to wait for 20'min., until the bell decided to stop, while we were laughing our heads off. Two days later I was supposed to speak about the “post traumatic stress syndrome“ experienced in Europe after the French Revolution and about a really amazing opera by Jewish composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Les Huguenots) which spots a historically authentic massacre on stage after the bell of Saint Germain d'Auxerrois in Paris starts ringing as a signal. I immediately knew I had to cut this part completely out of my paper. It's a totally cool, horrific and impressive scene/staging, but I knew that the minute I'd pronounce the words “bell ringing“ everybody would start cackling hysterically! So off it went.