John Richardson

[Herlock Sholmes]

Makes it hard to imagine how Richardson could fail to see her under any circumstances doesn't it?

- Jeff

Might thought exactly Jeff. I’d say ‘as close to impossible as could be.’

[Wickerman]

Coroner: Did you go into the yard at all?-Not at all, sir.

Correct, there was no need for him to go out into the yard, he stayed between the steps near to the house.

Richardson: I thought you went there to see that the cellar was all right?-Yes; but you don't need to go into the yard to see that. You can see the padlock of the cellar door from the back door steps.

The door would have been inset, and open inwards, the man on those steps (below) cannot see the cellar door, especially if the canopy was still in place.

Where exactly would the padlock have been?

You normally put padlocks on doors, right?

We don't have a photo of the cellar door.
Cellar doors are normally installed on the inside of a wide 6-8 inch?, door frame.
My cellar door is just the same, installed on the inside of the wide door frame, and opens inward.

[A P Tomlinson]

Inspector Chandler made that perfectly clear under oath didnt he ?.

Then why didn't Chandler object to Richardsons statement (also under oath) that he could see all around the place?

[Herlock Sholmes]

How could it be suggested that a body remained hidden? Look at the angle of the door in that photograph…..and the bloke is standing almost side on. Someone stepping down would have the door opened like that. It would have been difficult to have missed seeing a dead badger never mind a woman with her knees splayed outward. Her head 2 feet from the wall would have placed her feet 3 feet or more past the edge of the door in the photo. If it was there Richardson couldn’t have missed it….as he said…..because she clearly wasn’t there.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Then why didn't Chandler object to Richardsons statement (also under oath) that he could see all around the place?

Good point.

[Wickerman]

The stain on the bricks below the window in the previous pic. shows the outline of a curved canopy that covered the cellar steps - something like this.

[Trevor Marriott]

Then why didn't Chandler object to Richardsons statement (also under oath) that he could see all around the place?

There is a simple explanation Richardson gave his evidence on day 2 of the inquest after giving his evidence and his recovery of the knife he would no doubt have been released by the coroner which meant he could leave the proceedings

Chandler gave his evidence on day 3 and so would not have been privy to what Richardson had said on day two. That is why we have the question asked of him about Richardson's movements.

https://www.trevormarriott.co.uk

[Indian Harry]

The stain on the bricks below the window in the previous pic. shows the outline of a curved canopy that covered the cellar steps - something like this.

Very interesting photo. Do you know roughly the year it was taken?

In the photo I see a bunch of wood blocking off the recess leading down to the cellar. It reminds me that sometimes there are horizontal doors leading down to cellars. In tornado ally in the U.S. these types of doors are used to go underground to take refuge from the storm. I have not seen this in real life but in movies.

Suppose for a minute that the newspaper sketches are a red herring. If the door to the cellar is horizontal to the ground as opposed to one affixed vertically to the house as we envision then perphaps the lock would be very visible from the top step.

Do any of the press reports mention a canopy or the orientation of the door?

Please note, I am not offering this possibility in a desperate attempt to cling to a personal theory of my own. I am just putting it out there.

[Wickerman]

There is a simple explanation Richardson gave his evidence on day 2 of the inquest after giving his evidence and his recovery of the knife he would no doubt have been released by the coroner which meant he could leave the proceedings

Just a point of trivia - the fee for witnesses was 1 shilling per day. Richardson was paid three shillings for three days. He did claim to have lost four days work over this inquest, but nevertheless, he was only paid three shillings for three days.

I knew you were all anxious to know this.

[Wickerman]

Very interesting photo. Do you know roughly the year it was taken?

In the photo I see a bunch of wood blocking off the recess leading down to the cellar. It reminds me that sometimes there are horizontal doors leading down to cellars. In tornado ally in the U.S. these types of doors are used to go underground to take refuge from the storm. I have not seen this in real life but in movies.

Suppose for a minute that the newspaper sketches are a red herring. If the door to the cellar is horizontal to the ground as opposed to one affixed vertically to the house as we envision then perphaps the lock would be very visible from the top step.

Do any of the press reports mention a canopy or the orientation of the door?

Please note, I am not offering this possibility in a desperate attempt to cling to a personal theory of my own. I am just putting it out there.

I know what you mean, but that board with a round hole is what we find in a toilet, it's a toilet seat.
There was a toilet structure, or shed, at the end of the yard.
I would say it had been demolished, and the wood used to cover up the cellar steps as a safety measure.

[Indian Harry]

I know what you mean, but that board with a round hole is what we find in a toilet, it's a toilet seat.
There was a toilet structure, or shed, at the end of the yard.
I would say it had been demolished, and the wood used to cover up the cellar steps as a safety measure.

I am with you on seeing the toilet hole and agree that the wood was placed there as a safety measure. However, its mere presence in the photo made me think that at an earlier time there could have been an actual door laid out horizontally in a similar manner.

I live in Canada and I found out recently that, surprisingly, some of the old sections of Montreal didn't have indoor toilets as late as the 1930s. It makes me wonder how long the outhouse was used at 29 Hanbury Street.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Very interesting photo. Do you know roughly the year it was taken?

In the photo I see a bunch of wood blocking off the recess leading down to the cellar. It reminds me that sometimes there are horizontal doors leading down to cellars. In tornado ally in the U.S. these types of doors are used to go underground to take refuge from the storm. I have not seen this in real life but in movies.

Suppose for a minute that the newspaper sketches are a red herring. If the door to the cellar is horizontal to the ground as opposed to one affixed vertically to the house as we envision then perphaps the lock would be very visible from the top step.

Do any of the press reports mention a canopy or the orientation of the door?

Please note, I am not offering this possibility in a desperate attempt to cling to a personal theory of my own. I am just putting it out there.

The woman’s clothing looks 50’s/60’s to me Harry but that’s coming from someone whose top fashion item is a Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Just a point of trivia - the fee for witnesses was 1 shilling per day. Richardson was paid three shillings for three days. He did claim to have lost four days work over this inquest, but nevertheless, he was only paid three shillings for three days.

I knew you were all anxious to know this.

Good info Wick. Now tell us who killed Annie Chapman.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Do we think that the two holes just below the window sill could have been anything other than connected to the canopy?

[Indian Harry]

The woman’s clothing looks 50’s/60’s to me Harry but that’s coming from someone whose top fashion item is a Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

Now that I take a look at the woman more closely I think you may be spot on. The man's attire is a bit more timeless. Because he is an older gentleman perphaps he's had those clothes for many, many years.

I have a lot of Stones and AC/DC graphics' Tees so I think we share the same kind of 'sophistication' when it comes to fashion.