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Some of the key ingredients of Hutchinson's story can be found, at least in embryo, in various newspapers published two whole days before Hutchinson gave his statement. It's worth noting in this regard that the Victoria Home, true to its philanthropic ethos, was known to provide its residents with a range of newspapers. These excerpts are taken from the Star, the Times, the Daily News and Morning Advertiser of 10th Nov:
I say "in embryo", because the details subtly differ, but please note:
* The sequence of events
* The meeting by a pub and/or the corner of Dorset St
* Kelly's asking a friend for money
* Kelly's admission that she was desperate for money and that she must get some soon
* The subsequent meeting with a man
* The appearance of being drunk (aka "spreeish"?)
* The man's moustache
* His hat
* The 18" inch bag he carried
* His being well-dressed
* His being 5'6" (direct hit there)
* The reference to his peculiar gait (he "walked very sharp", according to Hutch)
* His accompanying Kelly to her lodgings
It strikes me as eminently feasible that Hutchinson took elements from these reports, embellished them into an entirely fictitious story, perhaps hoping to earn a few bob from the press/police.
Their married daughter, a woman named Mrs. Kennedy [i.e. Sarah Lewis], came home, however, at a late hour. Passing the Britannia, commonly known as Ringer's, at the top of Dorset street, at three o'clock on the Friday morning, she saw the deceased talking to a respectably dressed man, whom she identified as having accosted her a night or two before. She passed them without taking any notice, and went home to bed.
In connection with Mrs. Kennedy, it may be mentioned that she and her sister, a widow, were, on Wednesday night last, accosted by a man when they were walking down the Bethnal Green road. It was about eight o'clock when this occurred. The man is described by Mrs. Kennedy as having on a pair of dark mixture trousers and a long dark overcoat. He wore a low crowned brown hat and carried a shiny black bag in his hand. Further, it was stated that he was a man of medium stature, with dark moustache, and that he had an extremely awkward gait, which could at once be recognised.
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Mrs. Paumier said the man had a black moustache, was about five feet six inches high, and wore a black silk hat, a black coat, and speckled trousers. He also carried a black shiny bag, about a foot in depth and a foot and a half in length. Mrs. Paumier stated further that the same man accosted three women [is this a version of the Kennedy/Lewis Wednesday encounter?] whom she knows on Thursday night... One of the three young women she named, Sarah Roney [Lewis?] a girl about 20 years of age, corroborates her statement.
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[A] young woman, an associate of the deceased, states that about half-past ten o'clock on Thursday night she met the murdered woman at the corner of Dorset-street, who said to her that she had no money and, if she could not get any, would never go out any more, but would do away with herself. Soon afterwards they parted, and a man, respectably dressed, came up and spoke to the murdered woman Kelly and offered her some money.
She noticed three persons at the corner of the street near the Britannia public house. There was a man - a young man, respectably dressed, and with a dark moustache - talking to a woman whom she did not know, and also a female poorly clad, and without any headgear. The man and woman appeared to be the worse for liquor, and she heard the man ask, "Are you coming." Whereupon the woman, who appeared to be obstinate, turned in an opposite direction to which the man apparently wished her to go.
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[A] young woman, an associate of the deceased, states that at about half-past 10 o'clock on Thursday night she met the murdered woman at the corner of Dorset-street, who said to her that she had no money and, if she could not get any, would never go out any more but would do away with herself. Soon afterwards they parted, and a man, who is described as respectably dressed, came up, and spoke to the murdered woman Kelly and offered her some money. The man then accompanied the woman to her lodgings
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In connection with Mrs. Kennedy, it may be mentioned that she and her sister, a widow, were, on Wednesday night last, accosted by a man when they were walking down the Bethnal Green road. It was about eight o'clock when this occurred. The man is described by Mrs. Kennedy as having on a pair of dark mixture trousers and a long dark overcoat. He wore a low crowned brown hat and carried a shiny black bag in his hand. Further, it was stated that he was a man of medium stature, with dark moustache, and that he had an extremely awkward gait, which could at once be recognised.
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Mrs. Paumier said the man had a black moustache, was about five feet six inches high, and wore a black silk hat, a black coat, and speckled trousers. He also carried a black shiny bag, about a foot in depth and a foot and a half in length. Mrs. Paumier stated further that the same man accosted three women [is this a version of the Kennedy/Lewis Wednesday encounter?] whom she knows on Thursday night... One of the three young women she named, Sarah Roney [Lewis?] a girl about 20 years of age, corroborates her statement.
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[A] young woman, an associate of the deceased, states that about half-past ten o'clock on Thursday night she met the murdered woman at the corner of Dorset-street, who said to her that she had no money and, if she could not get any, would never go out any more, but would do away with herself. Soon afterwards they parted, and a man, respectably dressed, came up and spoke to the murdered woman Kelly and offered her some money.
She noticed three persons at the corner of the street near the Britannia public house. There was a man - a young man, respectably dressed, and with a dark moustache - talking to a woman whom she did not know, and also a female poorly clad, and without any headgear. The man and woman appeared to be the worse for liquor, and she heard the man ask, "Are you coming." Whereupon the woman, who appeared to be obstinate, turned in an opposite direction to which the man apparently wished her to go.
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[A] young woman, an associate of the deceased, states that at about half-past 10 o'clock on Thursday night she met the murdered woman at the corner of Dorset-street, who said to her that she had no money and, if she could not get any, would never go out any more but would do away with herself. Soon afterwards they parted, and a man, who is described as respectably dressed, came up, and spoke to the murdered woman Kelly and offered her some money. The man then accompanied the woman to her lodgings
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I say "in embryo", because the details subtly differ, but please note:
* The sequence of events
* The meeting by a pub and/or the corner of Dorset St
* Kelly's asking a friend for money
* Kelly's admission that she was desperate for money and that she must get some soon
* The subsequent meeting with a man
* The appearance of being drunk (aka "spreeish"?)
* The man's moustache
* His hat
* The 18" inch bag he carried
* His being well-dressed
* His being 5'6" (direct hit there)
* The reference to his peculiar gait (he "walked very sharp", according to Hutch)
* His accompanying Kelly to her lodgings
It strikes me as eminently feasible that Hutchinson took elements from these reports, embellished them into an entirely fictitious story, perhaps hoping to earn a few bob from the press/police.
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