A leather apron belonging to John Richardson lay under a tap in the yard of 29 Hanbury Street. This apron had been placed there by his mother, who had washed it on 6 September. Richardson was investigated thoroughly by the police, but was eliminated from the enquiry. Nonetheless, press reports of the discovery of this apron fuelled local rumours which had first been published in "The Star" on 4 September following the murder of Mary Ann Nichols that a Jew from the district known as "Leather Apron" was responsible for the Whitechapel murders.