Who's talking Cobblers ? John Richardson ?

[GUT]

The key point to be taken from this is "suspicion COULD NOT rest upon him, although police specially directed their attention on him". To me that means, he was suspected of being the murderer but the investigation hit a brick wall.

Well to me it means we looked closely at him but found there was no reason to suspect him of anything, if the "investigation ht a brick wall" why wouldn't have Swanson sad something like "We liked the look of Richardson but couldn't pin t on him, but I suspect he was our man". Nope instead Swanson appears to pump of Koz.

[RockySullivan]

(Assuming Dr. Phillips was correct...)
"....it is difficult to understand how it was that Richardson did not see the body when he went into the yard at 4.45 am but as his clothes were examined, the house searched, and his statement taken in which there was not a shred of evidence, suspicion could not rest upon him, although police specially directed their attention to him."
Swanson, 19th Oct. 1888.
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p.68.

Which sounds to me like they put him through the wringer at the time.

The key point to be taken from this is "suspicion COULD NOT rest upon him, although police specially directed their attention on him". To me that means, he was suspected of being the murderer but the investigation hit a brick wall.

[RockySullivan]

But Jon don't you understand this is yet another theory that relies on the police not being able to fnd their backsides with a mirror on a stick.

That's not necessarily the case. If richardson stuck to his stories, what could they have on him, especially if his mom was covering for him. As long he didn't admit the body was there, all they'd had was suspicions and no evidence. If richardson had told chandler he was in the yard with with a knife like he testified at the inquest the investigation would have taken a different turn.

[RockySullivan]

(Assuming Dr. Phillips was correct...)
"....it is difficult to understand how it was that Richardson did not see the body when he went into the yard at 4.45 am but as his clothes were examined, the house searched, and his statement taken in which there was not a shred of evidence, suspicion could not rest upon him, although police specially directed their attention to him."
Swanson, 19th Oct. 1888.
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p.68.

Which sounds to me like they put him through the wringer at the time.

It sure sounds like he was a suspect at the time? I wonder if they searched the cellar or just his mother home and if they searched his john street home. If he was a suspect why weren't his three contradicting stories every straighten out? IMHO I am suspicious the wet leather apron had not been sitting for days as mrs richardson claimed was actually freshly cleaned.

[GUT]

(Assuming Dr. Phillips was correct...)
"....it is difficult to understand how it was that Richardson did not see the body when he went into the yard at 4.45 am but as his clothes were examined, the house searched, and his statement taken in which there was not a shred of evidence, suspicion could not rest upon him, although police specially directed their attention to him."
Swanson, 19th Oct. 1888.
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p.68.

Which sounds to me like they put him through the wringer at the time.

But Jon don't you understand this is yet another theory that relies on the police not being able to fnd their backsides with a mirror on a stick.

[Wickerman]

(Assuming Dr. Phillips was correct...)
"....it is difficult to understand how it was that Richardson did not see the body when he went into the yard at 4.45 am but as his clothes were examined, the house searched, and his statement taken in which there was not a shred of evidence, suspicion could not rest upon him, although police specially directed their attention to him."
Swanson, 19th Oct. 1888.
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p.68.

Which sounds to me like they put him through the wringer at the time.

[RockySullivan]

Is there anything about richardsons past that would indicate he had the knowledge to kill and remove organs? What are the details of his military service? What exactly does packing case making involve ? Did he help the catsmeat business growing up in the building ? We already know he walks the streets with a sharp knife in his pocket....that he changed his story once he produced the butter knife indicates to me that was not the actual knife....he hadn't thought out his lies and when he realized the butter knife was t sharp enough to cut his boot he had to change his story once again. Richardsons lies are much more damning than Lechmeres

[RockySullivan]

Here you are...
The canopy looking assembly by the steps, covering the entrance to the cellar.

Thanks wickerman for posting the photo. The cellar was the whole reason richardson went into the yard...to check if the padlock was still in place since some tools had been stolen from the cellar. So did richardson keep the cellar padlock before the robbery? Seems strange to leave te cellar unlocked if so many people were in the yard at night. Dark cellars, stolen tools....stolen tools were mentioned at the whitehall inquest I quotes a few pages back and I do think it's possible there is a connection.

[Wickerman]

There was a cellar belonging to the house,where the packing case business was carried on. It lay immediately to the right of the back door, through double wooden doors. I believe they can be seen in the James Mason film 'The London Nobody Knows', filmed before the whole house was demolished.

Here you are...
The canopy looking assembly by the steps, covering the entrance to the cellar.

[Rosella]

There was a cellar belonging to the house,where the packing case business was carried on. It lay immediately to the right of the back door, through double wooden doors. I believe they can be seen in the James Mason film 'The London Nobody Knows', filmed before the whole house was demolished.

[martin wilson]

Hi all

I'm not quite sure what is meant by cellar, Richardson mentioned a shed and a tool chest, perhaps he meant the tool chest. I couldn't find any mention of the police searching either, which is not to say they didn't but with the discrepancy over TOD it does offer a different scenario, even something as simple as waiting for better light.
All the best.

[Rosella]

Do we know specifically that they didn't? So much has disappeared, notebooks, witness statements, memos, documentation etc.

[RockySullivan]

Hi all

The Old Bailey Online, 27th February 1888, Benjamin Hewlett.

May be of interest from those earlier in the thread discussing epilepsy.

No idea about Richardson, although I find it very remiss of the police not to search that cellar.

All the best.

It's inexcusable if they didn't search the cellar, which I have a hard time believing they didn't....but if it's true they didn't it shows richardson was never fully looked into or cleared and was simply ruled out by his butter knife alone....they really didn't search the cellar?

[RockySullivan]

Cadosch's first thought, knowing that there were a lot of tenants in No 29, would naturally be that it was a couple of the neighbours having a discussion about something. His thoughts wouldn't immediately go to "Oh, that's an prostitute entertaining a bloke in the back yard". It's a very big jump from that to inferring that his neighbour's son had a knife and is a murderer, and in fact Cadosch doesn't make that leap.

Your right rosella , common sense would tell him it was neighbors in the yard...

[martin wilson]

Hi all

The Old Bailey Online, 27th February 1888, Benjamin Hewlett.

May be of interest from those earlier in the thread discussing epilepsy.

No idea about Richardson, although I find it very remiss of the police not to search that cellar.

All the best.