Originally posted by JeffHamm
View Post
Richardson said that he first repaired his boot the day before. Under your scenario that would have been the evening before, as had he been the morning before, he would have surely attended to later in that day. So he leaves home and sometime in his two minute walk to Hanbury St he notices the problem still exists. He could sit on a door stoop under a street lamp on his way to Hanbury St, but decides he can wait to get to Hanbury St to sit in far poorer light conditions, but can not wait an extra 3-4 minutes until he gets to his market stall. When he showed the coroner the knife he allegedly used it was immediately judged as not suitable for purpose by all, including Richardson.
I think his second attempt at repair was the successful attempt at the market with the borrowed knife. I think he realised that someone would question whether he could have missed the body had he just carried out his normal routine, as did Chandler and the foreman of the jury. He needed an addition to put his persistent contention that he could not have missed the body beyond doubt. So he adjusted the time of repair at the market forward a little to being in the yard. When the coroner asked to see the knife could have produced any knife. No-one would know the difference except him, and we have only his word that it was the rabbit knife that he had on him that morning.
While I acknowledge the possibility that your scenario could be what happened, I am not persuaded that it was what actually happened. I think there were many far more favourable times and places for the repair, so why would he resort to the least favourable option? JMO.
Best regards, George
Comment