Given the more extensive injuries in the later crimes, it would have been reasonable for contemporary investigators to consider, as they reviewed the series of crimes, whether the murderer had completed his mutilation of Polly Nichols or whether he had been interrupted. These are the same people as their ages and places of birth are consistent across the years. Then he touched her face, which felt warm. Her murder just a part of a very ordinary, working class Saturday night out. No other suspect is so strongly linked to these three murders. Nichols injuries were nowhere near as extensive as the other victims, suggesting that the killer was interrupted. Charles Cross was the man who found the body of Mary Nichols, who is widely believed to have been the first actual victim of Jack the Ripper. And he wasn't deliberately lying or using a false name. In another instance, the surname for a man and his wife is given as Cross, but, on turning the page, their children are named Crass. If we assume that this is our Cross, and that the age he gave was approximately correct, this would fit the Daily Telegraph claim in 1888 that he had worked for Pickfords for over twenty years. Lechmere then had an extraordinary stroke of luck. Lechmere knew this lie would facilitate his escape. Henrietta Owen, of 100, Aldenham Street, said that she was in Elizabeth Terrace on the day in question, and she saw the child run over. If the name Crass is correct then there do not seem to be any other previous census records for him. If he left at 3.30, he still had time for a blitz attack on Nichols before he was interrupted. What follows is an examination of Cross as a suspect and conjecture about how he There was nobody in Buck's Row when we left. Did Lechmere have the opportunity? In the online nineteenth century British census records it is noticeable that sometimes these names were confused. Other newspapers suggested Charles A., Charles Andrew or Charles Allen. If it was him, these were not careful and cunningly executed atrocities because he was murdering and carelessly littering his daily path with bodies. He had and when he arrived there was another man standing over it. Inspector Abberlines report, written after the Inquest, gave the time for Crosss finding of the body at about 3.40. WebCompelling Jack the Ripper evidence 30,008 views May 9, 2020 428 Dislike Nick's Shore Thing 488 subscribers Show The Missing Evidence : Jack the Ripper Show more In recent years, however, his name has turned up on the ever growing list of Jack the Ripper suspects.. WebMost Notorious 11.8K subscribers No historical true crime case is more hotly debated around the world than the one involving the near-mythical serial killer "Jack the Ripper". Cross, a poor workingman, was Nobody. Cross, with the exception of Kelly, is widely regarded as a murderer as a child, and he would have committed that crime in his own generation. Because Crass is an uncommon name, it is easier to trace an individual with that surname through the different census years. In the 1891 census Charles Crass may be the carman Charles Cross who lived in Doveton Street in 1888. In April of 1888, Emma Smith died as the result of an assault she was subjected to in Osborn and Wentworth Streets. WebPossible suspect : Charles Lechmere/ Cross. ", The Coroner:- "Did the other man tell you who he was? Dr Llewellyn, a local doctor who lived close by, was wakened by the police and came to the murder site. I believe he first presented himself in the morning. Eight days after Cross was discovered with the body of Nichols, another prostitute was murdered along one of his routes at a time when he was habitually (or could have been) in the vicinity. Charles Cross, carman, who appeared in Court with a rough sack apron on, said that he had been in the employment of Messrs. Pickford and Co. for some years. The Daily Mail also stated that it was possible Lechmere had been around the body for approximately nine minutes. Charles Cross is not the most romantic solution to the Jack the Ripper murders, but he may be the right one. As police struggled to keep pace with the continuing murders, Cross vanished from their investigation. According to Wikipedia "Jack the Ripper is the best known name given to an unidentified serial killer generally believed to have been active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888". That he might have been mutilating Nichols when interrupted by Robert Paul was never considered by the police conducting the investigation, but it should have been. After this 1891 recording, Charles Crass disappears from future census returns. On the morning of 31 August 1888 he was walking through Bucks Row on his way to Pickfords depot in Broad Street when he found the body of Polly Nichols. In part this may be due to the intellectual appeal of their far more complex theoriesand the ordinariness of Cross. If we assume that this is our Cross, and that the age he gave was approximately correct, this would fit the Daily Telegraph claim in 1888 that he had worked for Pickfords for over twenty years. There are places called Waterbeach and Wisbech. Not unreasonably, Cross, who claimed to have a stable work record, could be expected to be living at the same address or in the same area when the 1891 census took place. The killings were a very small part of Jack the Rippers life. He could flee or wait for the man to approach. The infamous graffito probably had nothing to do with him. It was dark, and I was hurrying along, when I saw a man standing where the woman was. In Peter Sutcliffes 1981 police statement he said that when he killed Patricia Atkinson, in her flat, it was the first time he had seen the blood: before it had always been dark but this time in the light I saw lots of blood on the bed and on the floor.2 This was the experience of Jack the Ripper when he killed Kelly. Given the more extensive injuries in the later crimes, it would have been reasonable for contemporary investigators to consider, as they reviewed the series of crimes, whether the murderer had completed his mutilation of Polly Nichols or whether he had been interrupted. Cross is a common name, but Crass is uncommon. The detail of Crosss involvement with the murders is fairly straightforward. Cross and Paul reported the finding of a body to PC Jonas Mizen (55H) and it was his evidence at the inquest that may have caused the newspaperss confusion over Crosss first name. On the night of the murder, a policeman had passed by the murder site 15 minutes before she was killed and seen nothing untoward. Charles Cross is not an uncommon name and though he has not previously been traced in any British census, he may be present in the 1891 records. The murders were opportunistic. In this account, Paul placed the man ahead of him standing where the woman was. London Hospital night-shift rosters and practices indicate that Stephenson was not able to leave on the nights of the murders and hence could not have been Jack the Ripper. [88] Proposed by later authors[edit] However, there is some doubt here because of uncertainty about what time the murder of Chapman took place. As a killer, Cross would have been murdering, with the obvious exception of Kelly, within his own generation. Holmgren further discovered that three of the victims were killed on the same routes that Lechmere walked to work. The body of Annie Chapman was found that morning in the backyard of 29 Hanbury Street. Who do you credit as the most reliable witnesses? Thomas Ede and Patrick Mulshaw do not give their addresses at the inquest. Both men claimed to have been in regular employment and possibly both owned alarm clocks and were giving approximately correct estimates of the time they metthough it is always possible that they were knocked up by local policemen on their beat and were making guesses at the time. Why not fabricate a whole new name to hide his true identity and keep his family say. Perhaps she was too befuddled to suggest a discreet place to go. The murders, so far, could have been done going to and from work. Kosminski was investigated and watched but never charged. If you do then Charles Cross, found beside the body of a victim and close by when others took place, is an obvious suspect. Later murders ascribed to the same killer would involve even greater mutilations. In the census there does not seem to be a woman named Crass who appears to be living apart from her husband in London. The generally accepted timing for the killing of Chapman is about 5.30am. The 1891 census, however, notes that Charles Crass was married, aged 45, employed as a labourer, and born at Cambridge West Beach. The text, photographs and videos on this page are the copyright of Richard Jones. Lechmere had claimed that Paul was 30 seconds behind him, yet Paul was clear he saw no one walking ahead of him in the alleyway. Required fields are marked *. Cross said that Paul appeared afraid of him. Charles Lechmere and the Curious Case of Henry John Holland - Casebook: Jack the Ripper Forums As for 1876, it was quite right to withhold the Old Boy's address in this Accept this timing and, as Vanderlinden suggested, we are left with [a] killer who murdered at a time consistent with the deaths of Martha Tabram and Polly Nichols.1, If the traditional time of about 5.30 is correct, though, then it is not impossible that Cross arrived at Pickfords at 4am and began his workday by driving to Spitalfields Market. He dropped or discarded the apron fragment in Goulston Street just before he turned into Wentworth Street on his way back to Doveton Street. In considering Charles Cross as a suspect, the time he left his home in Doveton Street is crucial, but the information given by the newspapers was contradictory. In the 1891 census Charles Crass may be the carman Charles Cross who lived in Doveton Street in 1888. The Ripper murders took place in 1888 in Londons Whitechapel district, although some believe the killer was active as late as 1891. The whole episode was forgotten until it was discovered by some amateur He was found very near to the boy. He may not have been the famous slayer, yet he brings life to the idea of the Ripper as a local, working-class killer. The mysteries may be no more than the usual problems encountered by genealogists doing family research, but this genealogical puzzle could be well worth solving. Conversely, accept Caroline Maxwells evidence and the murder took place sometime between 8 or 8.30 and 10.45am when the body was discovered. Cross gave the Inquest the impression that he had just arrived by the body when he was joined by Paul, but Paul said he left home about 3.45. But why use a pseudonym that many people already knew him by? On the morning of 31 August 1888 he was walking through Bucks Row on his way to Pickfords depot in Broad Street when he found the body of Polly Nichols. No. In reporting the inquest on 4 September, 1888, The Times gave Crosss first name as George. Dr Bond estimated her time of death between one and two oclock that morning. The Star (3 September) wrote: He [Cross] was employed by Pickfords. WebThe programme looks at the three decades of research conducted by journalist Christer Holmgren, whose focus eventually fell onto a witness known as Charles Cross, whose real name was Charles Allen Lechmere. The jury expressed the opinion that the driver was not to blame, and they returned a verdict of Accidental death. Born Charles Allen Lechmere in 1849, St Anne's, Soho, son of John Allen Lechmere and Maria Louisa (nee Roulson). Her bonnet was off, but was close to her head. If this is your first visit, be sure to Polly Nichols was murdered on his path to work in late August, but two other killings had already taken place along these routes and one of them could have been committed by him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Are you a social butterfly? WebWhat are the most plausible theories on who Jack the Ripper might be? On the way, he found a woman lying prone in the street, with her skirt raised above her waist. ", The Witness "No: because I did not see a policeman in Buck's Row.". The following day, outed by the newspaper interview the second man reluctantly appeared at the inquest. Charles Cross was a very common name. The Charles Cross who was in Bucks Row in 1888 was never a Ripper suspect. Charles Cross is not an uncommon name and though he has not previously been traced in any British census, he may be present in the 1891 records. She was in the usual age group for the victims, she was available, was probably still showing the effects of drink, and the place she took him to offered safety for what he wanted to do. As a killer, Cross would have been murdering, with the obvious exception of Kelly, within his own generation. He lived at 22 Doveton Street, Bethnal Green, and worked as a carman or cart driver for Pickfords. When Chapmans body was discovered some of the many market carts were in plain view at the nearby corner of Hanbury and Commercial Streets and The Times (11 September 1888) used their presence in recreating the murder scene for their readers: On Saturday morning, between half past 4 oclock and 6, several carts must have passed through Hanbury-street, and at 5 oclock, on the opening of the Spitalfields Market, the end of which the murder occurred was blocked with market vehicles, and the market attendants were busy regulating the traffic.. Charles Cross was the man who found the body of Jack the Ripper victim Mary Nichols at around 3.40am on August 31st, 1888. Martha Tabram was murdered on a route Cross could have taken to work at a time when he was in the area. Did he go overseas? Two weeks later, Paul gave his evidence to the resumed inquest. Charles Lechmere considerably less so. The cause of death was internal injuries and fracture of an arm. This page was generated at 06:54 PM. When they were murdered Tabram was 39, Nichols 43, Chapman 47, Stride 45, Eddowes 46, Kelly 25, and Alice McKenzie 40. In July 1889 Alice McKenzie, like Catharine Eddowes, could have been killed while Cross was returning home to Doveton Street, or the Victoria Home in Whitechapel Road. Would a Doctor or a Policeman participate in major crimes such as these? Both Sarah Lewis and Elizabeth Prater heard a cry of murder about 4amwhich would conveniently fit Crosss workday timetable. Of course, nothing is straightforward. Charles Cross was the man who found the body of Jack the Ripper victim Mary Nichols at around 3.40am on August 31st, 1888. The detail of Crosss involvement with the murders is fairly straightforward. It looked like a tarpaulin sheet, but walking to the middle of the road he saw that it was the figure of a woman. He came a little towards me, but as I knew the dangerous character of the locality I tried to give him a wide berth. The witness added, "She looks to me to be either dead or drunk," to which the other man replied, "I think she's dead." He was simply a carman on his way to work. Charles Cross's Fatal Accident, 1876 - A Jack The Ripper It would have made sense to put on some of the mens clothes which Maria Harvey had left in the room and burn any of his own marked clothes. The Daily Telegraph claimed he had worked for Pickfords for more than twenty years. Though, his wife may have been dead or the marriage One Incontrovertible, Unequivocal, Undeniable Fact Which Refutes the Diary. On Monday, 3rd September, 1888, he appeared as a witness at the second day of the inquest and his testimony was reported by The East London Observer on Saturday, 8th September, 1888:-. Robert Paul was found by a reporter for Lloyds Weekly on the night of the murder and the interview was published on Sunday, the day before Cross gave evidence to the Coroner: It was exactly a quarter to four when I passed up Bucks-row to my work as a carman for Covent-garden market. Or was he one of the CCs who appear in census records as patients, prisoners or inmates? So unimportant was he that the Star did not even bother giving his namethough mentioning that at the inquest he wore a coarse sacking apron. Did he live on, perhaps into the 1920s? If he was not finished, he should have been disturbed by the arrival of Charles Cross in Bucks Row. Whatever lay hidden behind the sacking apron, or what he looked like without it, he belonged in Bethnal Green and Whitechapel. Believing it to be a tarpaulin, he went to inspect it, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw that it was, in fact, a woman lying on her back. There is no explanation for why a married man with a job was a lodger in a mens home. Cross was his stepfather's name which The possibility that the murderer was a local person was taken seriously: at the end of September the Metropolitan Police issued posters appealing for information on women murdered in or near Whitechapel, supposed by some one residing in the immediate neighbourhood. The answer would be no, if as suspected Nichols was already dead by strangulation when the stabbing began. He was not a gentleman, or a Mason, or a relative of a policeman, or a middleclass suicide, or a demented doctor, or a famous painter. The time she died is unknown and contemporary suggestions were contradictory. For example, a couple shown as Charles and Emma Crass in one census reappear in another as Charles and Emma Cross. He has worked as a content writer for various local and national news sites covering entertainment and tech. In the online nineteenth century British census records it is noticeable that sometimes these names were confused. Walter Williams, of 36, Cloudesley Road, a jeweller, and father of the deceased, said that on Thursday last he was told that his boy was run over and killed. Jack the Ripper may have been caught in the act, and have been allowed by a police officer to walk away from the crime in the company of a witnesssomeone who did not realise the importance of what he had seen. had collapsed or the claim was not true. On the night of the murder, when his memory should have been fresh and uncontaminated by reading newspaper accounts, Robert Paul told a reporter that when he walked into Bucks Row that morning, I saw a man standing where the woman was. The man was Charles Cross. The narrative given in the Morning Advertiser (4 September) explained what happened when Mizen referred to the carman who had spoken to him: The man, whose name is George Cross, was brought in and witness identified him as the man who spoke to him on the morning in question.. Charles Cross Involved In The Death Of A Boy - 1876. Charles Cross is a serious suspect for the Whitechapel murders. He made inquiries, and he had reason to blame the driver, as he believed that he had not exercised proper care. Identifying himself as Charles Allen Cross. Bucks Row was seven minutes into Lechmeres walk to work, he said he begun at 3:30am every morning yet Paul did not enter Bucks Row until 3:45am. At the murder scene Paul had suggested to a reluctant Lechmere they should find a policeman. Little is known of Charles Cross apart from the fact that he was the man Robert Paul found by the body of Polly Nichols. Most were quickly done in public places and victims were discarded where they were killed. When they were murdered Tabram was 39, Nichols 43, Chapman 47, Stride 45, Eddowes 46, Kelly 25, and Alice McKenzie 40. Between his home in Doveton Street and his work at Broad Street lay the area in which the murders took place. There are also excellent other suspects, namely Aaron Kosminski whose behavior, location and date of detention in an asylum fit perfectly into the Ripper timeline. Probably to a police station and they took him to the inquest after getting his statement which would have been provided to the Most of their suggestions cannot be taken seriously, and include English novelist George Gissing, Britis Wolf Vanderlinden in Considerable Doubt and the Death of Annie Chapman suggested serious problems with this assumption and drew attention to the contemporary claims of Dr Phillips who examined her body. The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper (London 2003) p. 667. Do you think Charles Cross was Jack the Ripper? The Coroner:- "Did you see Police Constable Neil in Buck's Row? He was the almost unknown local man who had not heard the retreating footfall of Jack the Ripper and was found beside a dead woman. Charles Cross is not the most romantic solution to the Jack the Ripper murders, but he may be the right one. On Charles Cross there is more to say, and more to discover. Most newspapers, like the Times (18 September), produced this in reported speech and simply wrote that he claimed to have first seen Cross standing in the middle of the road. Cross and another man named Robert Paul approached her and touched her head and hands, unable to decide if she was dead or merely unconscious. Nor does a Charles Crass or Cross appear to have been born at Waterbeach or Wisbech in 1845and in the previous ten years there does not seem to be a Charles Crass or Cross born in Cambridgeshire who may be the 1891 adult. This, if correct, would make Cross at least in his mid- to late-30s and possibly much older. Walking time between Doveton Street, where Cross lived, and Broad Street, where he worked for Pickfords, is about 40 minutes. Or was he one of the CCs who appear in census records as patients, prisoners or inmates? If it was indeed Charles Cross, then he too appears to be absent from future returns, although he may be hiding among the men with the same name. These thoughts would have drawn their attention to Charles Cross. Testimonies of Charles Cross and PC John Neil. That he might have been mutilating Nichols when interrupted by Robert Paul was never considered by the police conducting the investigation, but it should have been. Cross is a common name, but Crass is uncommon. In the Daily News story, Cross claimed that he was behind time. In recent years, he has also turned up on the ever-expanding list of suspects.You can read about his candidature in this article. He left home on Friday at twenty minutes past three, and got to Pickfords yard at Broad-street at four oclock. The Times agreed, reporting that Cross stated that he left home on Friday morning at 20 minutes past three, and he arrived at his work, at Broad-street, at four oclock. In 1888, Pickfords was a long-established British firm of carriers who are still in business today. Suspects proposed years after the murders include virtually anyone remotely connected to the case by contemporary documents, as well as many famous names, who were not considered in the police investigation at all. On reflection a man who appears to have been caught red-handed. Nor does a Charles Crass or Cross appear to have been born at Waterbeach or Wisbech in 1845and in the previous ten years there does not seem to be a Charles Crass or Cross born in Cambridgeshire who may be the 1891 adult. So where was Lechmere? As everyone alive at the time is now dead, modern authors are free to accuse anyone they can, "without any need for any supporting historical evidence". Every day other men walked these streets at similar times, but only Charles Cross was discovered beside a body. He was, in fact, on his way to work when he made his gruesome discovery in Buck's Row, Whitechapel. The driver called out, and the witness then saw the deceased reel against the near side shaft of the van, about two feet from the pavement. Even a relatively simple matter of cross-referencing these times and possible routes with the killings is impossible for, generally, we cant even be sure what time the murders occurred. The women offered themselves to him and set up their death scenes. The whole episode was forgotten until it was discovered by some amateur researchers in 2005 who determined that Cross had given a false name and that the mystery mans true identity was Charles Allen Lechmere. Earlier in August, on Tuesday the 7th, Cross could have murdered Martha Tabram in the George Yard Building, just off Wentworth Street, as he was going to work. If yes, chances are that you wont have to worry about watching movies while stepping Are you fond of movies? As the Morning Advertiser account continued, it dealt with Crosss own evidence but now referred to him as Charles Allen Cross. The man, who might be the witness Charles Cross, appears in the census as Charles Crass. He was part of the Nichols murder paperwork, pigeonholed as the carman witness who discovered her body. There is no place called West Beach in Cambridgeshire. What time was he called? Either the census taker made a slight mistake or his writing was wrongly transcribed when indexes were compiled. Consider some of the Whitechapel murders as morning killings committed by a local man on his way to work and the others as crimes that occurred on his return journey. Charles Cross is not the most romantic solution to the Jack the Ripper murders, but he may be the right one. If the name Crass is correct then there do not seem to be any other previous census records for him. Holmgren put Lechmeres version of that nights events to the test. Even on the basis of this modern timing, if he left home on that morning about 3.30 then he would have been in Bucks Row about 3.36. The killing that does not fit this hypothesis is that of Nichols. If the crime was incomplete, Charles Cross should have found a man beside the body. George Porter, a traveller, said that on Thursday, at about four oclock in the afternoon, he was outside his brothers shop, 3 Elizabeth Terrace, when he witnessed the accident. It's not a bad theory, but I wish you'd stopped short of using the "p" word. Had it be known that Lechmere found the body, PC Mizen would surely have detained him. George Morris said that he worked at Kearley and Tonge, but does he give his adress? Charles Cross has not been identified in other census records because there are so many people with that name that it has proved impossible, so far, to positively identify the correct man. On census night this person lodged at the Victoria Home in Whitechapel Road, very close to Doveton Street. Does the killing of Mary Kelly fit this template or was it an adventurous change in the killers modus operandi? Her killing occurred on streets he knew well, and the murderers had walked safely into the morning. He didn't give his 'correct' name. check out the. Not unreasonably, Cross, who claimed to have a stable work record, could be expected to be living at the same address or in the same area when the 1891 census took place. If yes, chances are that you want to watch all the new releases without any Willy Woo is an on-chain analyst and investor with an estimated net worth of $10 million. If we knew with absolute certainty what time Chapman was killed the case for or against Cross would become clearer. Learning from this, the future murders took place in relatively safer environments. The following day, his Inquest evidence was less precise: On Friday morning I was called to Bucks Row about four oclock. (Daily Telegraph, 3 September 1888.) William Warner, of 25, Henry Street, deposed to seeing the accident, and said that he heard the driver shout, but the horse was then on the child. The hands were cold and limp, and the witness said to the other man, "I believe she's dead." His companion that morning, Charles Cross, is worth considering as a suspect for the Whitechapel murders. I saw no one after leaving home, except the man that overtook me, the Constable in Baker's Row, and the deceased. He was only classed as a witness after claiming he must have disturbed the killer. James is the SEO Manager here at Patty360. Further investigation revealed that that was far from the only lie he told. Lechmere told the policeman that another policeman had found a woman and was requesting assistance. If he had chosen Wentworth Street that morning, he would have walked right past her. Put together the minutes it took to do the killings in 1888 and they add up to only a few hours in a mans life, and the life they belonged to may have been that of Charles Cross. On Friday morning he left home about half-past-three to go to work, and passing through Buck's Row he saw on the opposite sound something lying against a gateway. What differentiates him from any other anonymous shadow is that he was found in Bucks Row beside the body of Polly Nichols, when he should have been far away on his way to work. Still, assuming that Crass was Charles Cross, then in 1888 he would have been about 43. Cross neither saw anyone nor heard anything, but perhaps there was a witness. An even more important question may be, what time did he arrive in Bucks Row? There are places called Waterbeach and Wisbech. This ordinary carman in his ordinary apron at the Nichols inquest may have been a 43-year-old local working man, married, in a settled position, simply on his way to work when he found a body. The Bell Club incident, and the 1887 attack on Aaron Abrahams, "Momfluencers" Force Children into "Correction Helmets" That Reshape Their Skulls, Photo Story - Hermit Who Lived Alone in Maine Woods for Over 30 Years Arrested, Testimonies of Charles Cross and PC John Neil. Taken to her room, it was the first time he saw clearly what he was doing, and he also saw the bloodstains on his own clothes. The evidence is of course circumstantial but it raises real suspicions that Lechmere was in fact Jack the Ripper. Lechmere lived to the 71, its unlikely that Jack the Ripper could have suppressed his urges with killing again which could undermine the case for him being the Ripper. But new research 124 years later shows Cross gave a false name to police. Crosss connection with at least three murder sites should have brought him to their attention. Cross neither saw anyone nor heard anything, but perhaps there was a witness. The other man left the witness soon afterwards. Copyright 2021 Patty360 | All Content Rights Reserved. In July 1889 Alice McKenzie, like Catharine Eddowes, could have been killed while Cross was returning home to Doveton Street, or the Victoria Home in Whitechapel Road. On August 31st, 1888, Charles Cross was on his way to his place of employment, Pickfords, near Liverpool Street, where he worked as a carman, or van driver, when he discovered the boy of Mary Nichols in a dark gateway on Bucks Row, In Whitechapel. In this account Paul was less specific: As I was passing up Bucks-row I saw a man standing in the roadway. No one bothered to establish exactly how close Cross was to the body when Paul saw him on that dark morning. With only these few pieces of information, however, Charles Cross should be considered as a suspect for the Whitechapel murders. Cross may have told Coroner Wynne Baxter that he usually left home at 3.20 and arrived at Broad Street at four oclock, but on Friday he was late and left home at 3.30. 1849 - Born Charles Lechmere in Soho, London. Every day, going to and from work, Charles Cross walked backwards and forwards through the killing area. The Charles Cross who was in Bucks Row in 1888 was never a Ripper suspect. Following his daily timetable he was present in the area about the time Martha Tabram was murdered; he was discovered beside the body of Polly Nichols, and Annie Chapman was murdered along his route to work. In the census there does not seem to be a woman named Crass who appears to be living apart from her husband in London. The other two victims were killed on a Saturday night Lechmeres night off not far from his mothers house. Charles Cross was never a suspect in Jack the Rippers murder. Possibly the wrong name was spoken by Mizen, or a court officer, and noted by journalists. Most were quickly done in public places and victims were discarded where they were killed. For 130 years no murder case has gripped the history of crime quite like Jack the Ripper. You can cast your vote for Charles Cross in our online poll of Jack the Ripper suspects. The Daily News and the Evening News (1 September 1888) published a statement by the doctor in which he gave the time as about five minutes to four this morning. A lot of thought went into this. He was the almost unknown local man who had not heard the retreating footfall of Jack the Ripper and was found beside a dead woman. Ripper books have maps of the murder sites that end just beyond the place where Nichols was murdered. The witness replied, "I am not going to touch her.". There is no definitive answer to this question, as the identity of Jack the Ripper has never been conclusively established. The statement in the Star and Times are incorrect. Look about after the death of Annie Chapman and your view of a suspicious foreigner is obscured by the carts blocking Commercial Street. The van was going slowly. Employment as a labourer may mean that he had left Pickfords, or perhaps that the type of work he did for them had changed. Mary Ann Nichols was thought to be the Rippers second victim. Cross is worth serious consideration as a suspect. Because Crass is an uncommon name, it is easier to trace an individual with that surname through the different census years. Crosss connection with at least three murder sites should have brought him to their attention. If they continued only a few streets further to the east, they would have included Doveton Street. A re-enactment, including the policemen walking their beats, would be helpful. The other man placed his hand on her heart, saying, "I think she's breathing, but it's very little if she is.". Swedish journalist Christer Holmgren picked up the story and as he delved deeper his suspicions were raised. In that census there is a man of interest in the expected geographic setting. Few people like to come up and down here without being on their guard, for there are such terrible gangs about. - Jack These are the same people as their ages and places of birth are consistent across the years. The man, who might be the witness Charles Cross, appears in the census as Charles Crass. Identifying himself as Charles Allen Cross. In 1858, Charles' mother remarried, to Thomas Cross, a policeman and Did he go overseas? They took up little time, they earned him no money, and he otherwise went on living his normal life. When Robert Paul walked into Bucks Row on the morning of 31 August, 1888, he may have disturbed Jack the Ripper and then spent the next thirty minutes walking with him through the streets of Whitechapel. Paul was also clear that there was no visible blood at the scene, he didnt even realize Nichols was dead yet when PC Neil found the body two minutes after the man had left, blood had pooled. Only the confusion is clear. If Cross was the killer, he had two choices when he heard and then saw Robert Paul coming into Bucks Row. However, some people believe that Charles Cross may have been the notorious serial killer. Why did Lechmere lie at the inquest? Still, assuming that Crass was Charles Cross, then in 1888 he would have been about 43. What follows is an examination of Cross as a suspect and conjecture about how he might have carried out the Whitechapel murders. 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