How useful are sources D and E in helping you to understand why the Ripper was able to avoid capture?

Other sources also agree with Elizabeth longs inquiry in source d such as Source J.  This is a photograph of the backyard of 29 Hanbury Street.  This is where John Richardson lived and where Annie Chapman’s body was found.  John Richardson evidence for the time of the murder; he entered the yard between 4.45am and 4.50am to make sure that the door of the cellar had not been tampered with.  He was certain that there was no body in the yard at this time.  John Richardson was another witness the police didn’t really listen to.  The significance of this photo is that the houses and yard were very close.  This means that the neighbours should have been able to hear and see everything that went on the night Annie Chapman was murder and it should have made it easier to catch Jack the Ripper.  The police failed, they did not listen to the strong evidence that was given to them instead they just listened to the coroner because of his higher education even though he admits that he is not sure.

Another factor that source d leads to is to consideration that Spittle fields Market opened nearby this yard it would have been opened at 5am, this means that there would have been people turning up long before that to prepare for the Market.  Unlike the neighbours of number 29 Hanbury Street, no one came forward and the police did not investigate.  If the police did investigate they would probably have found some strong evidence.

Another source that I can look at in helping me to understand why jack the riper was able to avoid capture is Source E; this is an article from a tabloid newspaper.  Like many tabloid newspapers there purpose is to sell newspapers. So they exaggerate, sensationalise and try to grab the public attention.  This tells us that the source may not be based on pure fact.  The newspaper uses language to sensationalise the article its starts with, “my informant” which makes it sound secretive, it describes the people that live there as bad scoundrels, “defiant ruffianism” and describes the area as “hideous”, “apocalypse of evil” and “infamy…crooked lanes…dark” This article may sensationalise but it also contains some fact, such as “crooked lanes” which could suggest reasons as to how Jack the Ripper was able to avoid capture.  We have to remember that even though the area had a few criminals there were not murderers and murder was not common at all.

 Overall I think that source e is not that effective in helping you to understand why jack the ripper was able to avoid capture because being a newspaper it sensationalises so it is hard to believe anything which is said. Although the article does use some fact, “crooked lanes”, I no this as we can look at many sources such as maps which shows this.

On the other hand I think that source d is effective when backed up with other sources in helping us understand why jack the ripper was able to avoid capture.  It tells us about how the police reacted to inquests which is vital to the capture of jack the ripper. Source d also expresses the bias between classes, for example Elizabeth long and Albert Cadosch both agreed in their inquiries that I heard or saw something 5.30, while the coroner said the death was at 4.30 but he couldn’t be sure.  The police investigated the coroner’s time of death because of his high status.