George Hitchinson: a simple question

[GregBaron]

Hutch Details

Thanks for the link Joel and yes I had already read that one...still appears we don't know much about old Hutch.........except that he most likely lied.....I guess many scenarios now present themselves.........

Thanks also Ben for the lodging house stuff, I think I had read that as well, doesn't sound like a warm, comfy bed & breakfast does it? I guess blood and guts and God knows what else wouldn 't have caused much of a stir...

Is the implication of that Hutch link that he lied to protect red mustache? I think it is.........wonder how much that cost? I guess now we could surmise he was a lookout on all the murders! Why not?

Sincerely,

Greg

[Ben]

Hi Greg,

...What David said.

Just a quick observation about the lodging houses. They enabled their occupants to become proverbial needles in a haystack. They were popular with the criminal fraternity for precisely that reason. When Thomas Sadler was robbed and beaten, the offenders bolted straight into a lodging house, apparently regarding it as an immediate sanctuary. The reality of the situation was that sheer numbers precluded the possibility of any lodger homing in on another, 28 beds to the left.

You also had lots of butchers and slaughterers lodging in these establishments, as well as casual patrons bringing home their dodgy meat victuals to cook and eat alongside many others in the large kitchen. The Victoria Home even boasted private cubiles and reading rooms for keeping abrest of the latest press reports.

Regards,
Ben

[joelhall]

his address is given as the victoria home, commercial street.

however you may find this interesting...

http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/ripperoo-hutch.html

joel

[DVV]

about Mr Astrakhan...

I wonder how many people here believe in Mr Astrakhan... the man seen twice by Hutchinson... and by Hutchinson only...
I recall one James Hadley Chase: "Believe this, you believe everything"...

Amitiés,
David

[DVV]

Hi Greg,
several "GH" have been revealed in the census, but none of them really matches "our" GH. That's why there is a possibility for "GH" to be an alias, in our case.

Amitiés,
David

[GregBaron]

Hutch?

Sorry to ask this as I'm too lazy to go back and research but what do we really know of Hutchison? I can't remember, do we know what he did for a living? Would he have been off on weekends? Any description? Would his job have made him physically strong as a profiler suggested the ripper was? Did he live in the flop houses? I think it would have been hard to come barreling into a crowded tenement house after a murder with knife, blood and kidney handy without arousing suspicion. Did he ever have a wife or kids? When did he die? From what I remember of my reading we don't know much about him. I assume someone has done the leg work...........?

Sincerely,

Greg

[Ben]

Oh, true.

But the press tended to sensationalize existing evidence, and "standing on the corner of Dorset Street" was a pretty mundane and non-sensational detail. As I mentioned, any closer to the couple than that and we're left with an even more patently bogus proposal; Hutchinson following them at extremely close quarters and both Kelly and "Astrakhan" turning a blind eye!

[joelhall]

Hi Joel,



It was in the newspapers that Hutchinson elaborated on his position at the time of his alleged "continued" sighting.

unfortunately with this case, the papers and journalists tended to 'elaborate' quite a bit.

[Ben]

Hi Joel,

unfortunately he does not give us his position exactly, but we can reasonably assume he was close enough to see them just inside the entrance, rather than on the corner of dorset street (as he states he followed them).

It was in the newspapers that Hutchinson elaborated on his position at the time of his alleged "continued" sighting. He stood on the corner of Dorset Street as the couple allegedly conversed at the entrance to Miller's Court. Realistically, he could not have been any closer anyway, or else Kelly and Astrakhan would certainly have noticed him tailing them from behind at such close quarters. If he wanted to notice anything more about the man's appearance, he would have to have stood right next to him again in Dorset Street. Hutchinson only moved forward from his position at the corner of Dorset Street after the pair ventured through the passage leading to the court.

There was a light in Miller's Court but it was located inside the court, facing Kelly's room. There was no light, gas-generated or otherwise, at the entrance to the court itself. Not as far as I'm aware.

Regards,
Ben

[joelhall]

If Hutch - as the murderer - would have been so stupid to inject himself, then why did the police never suspected him???
As a fact, Hutch - murderer or not - did inject himself, and Abberline did not suspect him. Barnett, in comparison, was more carefully questioned.
Maybe Hutch was an alias: his real name was Fleming, and he decided to go to the police after two witnesses had revealed his relationship with Mary.

Amitiés,
David

perhaps they put it down to the serial killings rather than an individual murder after suspecting barnett as the most likely suspect for this due to his recent relationship. hutch gives no indication of a close relationship of this nature, so this might be what drew attention away.

having said that we cannot tell at present if they did suspect him at one point.

[joelhall]

Are you kidding?

Hutchinson claimed to have been standing at the corner of Dorset Street when the couple stood at the entrance to Miller's Court. Already that's quite a distance in the dark, and with no light above the entance to Miller's Court (none that I'm aware of anyway). He could have observed nothing but dark figures conversing from that distance and in those lighting conditions. If Hutchinson had any opportunity to observe the man's garb, it could only have occured on Commerical Street.

im not sure this is accurate. in his statement, hutchinson states:

'they both went into dorset street i followed them. they stood on the corner of the court for about 3 minutes... they both then went up the court together. i then went to the court to see if i could see them'

unfortunately he does not give us his position exactly, but we can reasonably assume he was close enough to see them just inside the entrance, rather than on the corner of dorset street (as he states he followed them). the point about light is a tricky one, though i do wonder if the landlord would not have put some type of light inside the passage for those going to & from home at night?

[Ben]

Hello Joel,

Here's an interesting exchange from the Eddowes inquest:

[Coroner] What sort of man was this? - He had on a cloth cap with a peak of the same.
Mr. Crawford: Unless the jury wish it, I do not think further particulars should be given as to the appearance of this man.
The Foreman: The jury do not desire it.
Mr. Crawford (to witness): You have given a description of the man to the police? - Yes.

If the killer was keeping abrest of police "progress" and had read this extract from the Daily Telegraph, he would undoubtedly have been alarmed. "Special reason"? Withheld descriptions? Unsettling at best, especially when the full description was published much further down the line on 19th October.

If I had read that article at the time, I'd be thinking: what if they tried that naughty trick again with another witness at the next murder?

Best regards,
Ben

[joelhall]

Out of curiosity - Dorset Street, that has about the worst reputation of them all, seems to have been very well lit at some stretches, at least judging from Joels photo.
How about the maps? We have lighting points established on them, but do we only have the lamps provided by the city of London accounted for? Commercial lamps, like the ones outside pubs and boarding houses and shops - are they represented in the maps?

The best, all!
Fisherman

good point, im curious too. one would expect that only those public owned would be on an official/public map. however, if lighting was so few & far between (comparatively speaking), then perhaps they would include those on large or communal building, such as factories, pubs, tenements, etc.

[DVV]

If Hutch - as the murderer - would have been so stupid to inject himself, then why did the police never suspected him???
As a fact, Hutch - murderer or not - did inject himself, and Abberline did not suspect him. Barnett, in comparison, was more carefully questioned.
Maybe Hutch was an alias: his real name was Fleming, and he decided to go to the police after two witnesses had revealed his relationship with Mary.

Amitiés,
David

[Ben]

You're very welcome, Greg.

I wonder if people passed out in doorways on nights without doss money?

Oh, I've no doubt they did, but where this impacts upon the "alibi" issue is that even "dossing in doorways" could be either verified of contradicted by one of the residents of the building in question. The only thing that couldn't be verified or contradicted is "walking about all night", at least not in those pre-CCTV days.

I respect your differing opinion. I cannot, after all, argue against an intuition. I would point out, though, that we only have it Hutchinson's questionable authority that he was friends with Mary Kelly.

Best regards,
Ben