Who do you credit as the most reliable witnesses?

[Abby Normal]

Hi Rippernoob,

Good “back to basics” thread.

I found the summary below on another site and have grouped it using Abby’s post.

While we all know witnesses are often wrong, the consistent theme from witnesses appears to be about 5’7’ tall; English, educated, 30 y.o (so bn 1858), moustache

PEAK CAP

William Marshall (Elizabeth Stride) 11:45 P.M.
Small, black coat, dark trousers, middle aged, round cap with a small sailor-like peak. 5’6″, stout, appearance of a clerk. No moustache, no gloves, with a cutaway coat.
“You would say anything but your prayers.” Spoken mildly, with an English accent, and in an educated manner.

P.C. William Smith (Elizabeth Stride) 12:30 A.M.
Aged 28, cleanshaven and respectable appearance, 5’7″, hard dark felt deerstalker hat, dark clothes. Carrying a newspaper parcel 18 x 7 inches.

Israel Schwartz (Elizabeth Stride) 12:45 A.M.
First man: Aged 30, 5’5″, brown haired, fair complexion, small brown moustache, full face, broad shoulders, dark jacket and trousers, black cap with peak. “Lipski!”

Joseph Lawende (Catharine Eddowes) 1:30 A.M.
Aged 30, 5’7″, fair complexion, brown moustache, salt-and-pepper coat, red neckerchief, grey peaked cloth cap. Sailor-like.

OTHER



Patrick Mulshaw (Polly Nichols) 4:00 A.M.
“Watchman, old man, I believe somebody is murdered down the street.”
Emily (Annie Chapman) 2:00 A.M.
Foreigner aged 37, dark beard and moustache. Wearing short dark jacket, dark vest and trousers, black scarf and black felt hat. Asked witness to enter the back-yard of 29 Hanbury Street.

Elizabeth Long (Annie Chapman) 5:30 A.M.
Dark complexion, brown deerstalker hat, possibly a dark overcoat. Aged over 40, somewhat taller than Chapman. A foreigner of “shabby genteel.” “Will you?”

J. Best and John Gardner (Elizabeth Stride) 11:00 P.M.
5’5″ tall, English, black moustache, sandy eyelashes, weak, wearing a morning suit and a billycock hat.

Matthew Packer (Elizabeth Stride) 12:00 – 12:30 P.M.
Aged 25-30, 5’7″, long black coat buttoned up, soft felt hawker hat, broad shoulders. Maybe a young clerk, frock coat, no gloves. Quiet in speaking, with a rough voice.

James Brown (Elizabeth Stride) 12:45 A.M.
5’7″, stout, long black diagonal coat which reached almost to his heels.

James Blenkinsop (Catharine Eddowes) 1:30 A.M.
Well-dressed. “Have you seen a man and a woman go through here?”

Mary Ann Cox (Mary Kelly) 11:45 P.M.
Short, stout man, shabbily dressed. Billycock hat, blotchy face, carroty moustache, holding quart can of beer

George Hutchinson (Mary Kelly) 2:00 A.M.
Aged 34-35, 5’6″, pale complexion, dark hair, slight moustached curled at each end, long dark coat, collar cuffs of astrakhan, dark jacket underneath. Light waistcoat, thick gold chain with a red stone seal, dark trousers and button boots, gaiters, white buttons. White shirt, black tie fastened with a horseshoe pin. Dark hat, turned down in middle. Red kerchief. Jewish and respectable in appear

Hi Craig
Thanks!!

While we all know witnesses are often wrong, the consistent theme from witnesses appears to be about 5’7’ tall; English, educated, 30 y.o (so bn 1858), moustache

I agree with this and would add below avg height, stout (powerfully built) and not dressed extremely wealthy or poor-somewhere inbetween.


Just minor points in regards to smith and marshall:

Marshall didn't get a clear view of the mans face-not the man had no mustache and PC smith (I beleive) just didn't describe the mans face/facial hair in his statement.

[Kattrup]

Hutchinson

[lynn cates]

Long

Hello RN. Try Mrs. Long.

Cheers.
LC

[John Wheat]

Lechmere.

[Pierre]

Of all the witnesses (let's go with witnesses of the 'Canonical Five'), who do you feel offered up the most credible testimony?

Lechmere.

[Craig H]

Hi Rippernoob,

Good “back to basics” thread.

I found the summary below on another site and have grouped it using Abby’s post.

While we all know witnesses are often wrong, the consistent theme from witnesses appears to be about 5’7’ tall; English, educated, 30 y.o (so bn 1858), moustache

PEAK CAP

William Marshall (Elizabeth Stride) 11:45 P.M.
Small, black coat, dark trousers, middle aged, round cap with a small sailor-like peak. 5’6″, stout, appearance of a clerk. No moustache, no gloves, with a cutaway coat.
“You would say anything but your prayers.” Spoken mildly, with an English accent, and in an educated manner.

P.C. William Smith (Elizabeth Stride) 12:30 A.M.
Aged 28, cleanshaven and respectable appearance, 5’7″, hard dark felt deerstalker hat, dark clothes. Carrying a newspaper parcel 18 x 7 inches.

Israel Schwartz (Elizabeth Stride) 12:45 A.M.
First man: Aged 30, 5’5″, brown haired, fair complexion, small brown moustache, full face, broad shoulders, dark jacket and trousers, black cap with peak. “Lipski!”

Joseph Lawende (Catharine Eddowes) 1:30 A.M.
Aged 30, 5’7″, fair complexion, brown moustache, salt-and-pepper coat, red neckerchief, grey peaked cloth cap. Sailor-like.

OTHER



Patrick Mulshaw (Polly Nichols) 4:00 A.M.
“Watchman, old man, I believe somebody is murdered down the street.”
Emily (Annie Chapman) 2:00 A.M.
Foreigner aged 37, dark beard and moustache. Wearing short dark jacket, dark vest and trousers, black scarf and black felt hat. Asked witness to enter the back-yard of 29 Hanbury Street.

Elizabeth Long (Annie Chapman) 5:30 A.M.
Dark complexion, brown deerstalker hat, possibly a dark overcoat. Aged over 40, somewhat taller than Chapman. A foreigner of “shabby genteel.” “Will you?”

J. Best and John Gardner (Elizabeth Stride) 11:00 P.M.
5’5″ tall, English, black moustache, sandy eyelashes, weak, wearing a morning suit and a billycock hat.

Matthew Packer (Elizabeth Stride) 12:00 – 12:30 P.M.
Aged 25-30, 5’7″, long black coat buttoned up, soft felt hawker hat, broad shoulders. Maybe a young clerk, frock coat, no gloves. Quiet in speaking, with a rough voice.

James Brown (Elizabeth Stride) 12:45 A.M.
5’7″, stout, long black diagonal coat which reached almost to his heels.

James Blenkinsop (Catharine Eddowes) 1:30 A.M.
Well-dressed. “Have you seen a man and a woman go through here?”

Mary Ann Cox (Mary Kelly) 11:45 P.M.
Short, stout man, shabbily dressed. Billycock hat, blotchy face, carroty moustache, holding quart can of beer

George Hutchinson (Mary Kelly) 2:00 A.M.
Aged 34-35, 5’6″, pale complexion, dark hair, slight moustached curled at each end, long dark coat, collar cuffs of astrakhan, dark jacket underneath. Light waistcoat, thick gold chain with a red stone seal, dark trousers and button boots, gaiters, white buttons. White shirt, black tie fastened with a horseshoe pin. Dark hat, turned down in middle. Red kerchief. Jewish and respectable in appear

[GUT]

Mainly, the sightings of JTR.

In that case none.

I'm far from persuaded that any of them saw Jack.

[Abby Normal]

Of all the witnesses (let's go with witnesses of the 'Canonical Five'), who do you feel offered up the most credible testimony?

peaked cap man witnesses-PC smith, lawende, marshall, Israel Schwartz.

cox and sarah lewis.

[Scott Nelson]

P.C. Smith and/or Israel Schwartz.

[RipperNoob]

About what issue(s)?

Mainly, the sightings of JTR.

[GUT]

Of all the witnesses (let's go with witnesses of the 'Canonical Five'), who do you feel offered up the most credible testimony?

About what issue(s)?

[RipperNoob]

Of all the witnesses (let's go with witnesses of the 'Canonical Five'), who do you feel offered up the most credible testimony?