Mister Astrakhan's Moustache

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Simon,

I spotted this discrepancy a couple of years ago, when I commented on Sugden's observation that the press and police versions differed in only a few details. I felt (and still do) that Sugden understates quite a significant point - namely, that the descriptions of the man's face are practically polar opposites!

True, the moustache and complexion are only two details amongst many, but the discrepancy between the two descriptions is huge.

My take on it is that Hutchinson slipped up and fell in his own bullsh*t.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

George Hutchinson made his statement at Commercial Street police station on the evening of Monday 12th November.

Signed by four police officers (Abberline, Arnold, Ellisdon and Badham) and entered into the record as official evidence, Hutchinson’s statement reported that Mister Astrakhan had "a pale complexion and a slight moustache . . .”

But the following morning, Tuesday 13th November, in a report ‘furnished by the police’, the press reported:

“He (Mister Astrakhan) had a dark complexion and a dark moustache turned up at the ends . . .”

Did Hutchinson go out with the police until three in the morning looking for a man with a pale complexion and a slight moustache, or a man with a dark complexion and dark moustache turned up at the ends?

Big difference. Small wonder they didn’t find Mister Astrakhan.

The police's mishandling of GH’s story is baffling. Why should they blab such a potentially valuable piece of evidence before investigating it?

The press asked a similar question.

THE STAR 13th November 1888

“Why this statement has been made public at this particular juncture is one of those mysteries in the police management of the case which no one out[side?] of Scotland-yard can understand.”

After reporting Hutchinson’s revised statement, The Times (14-11-88) remarked:

“The description of the murderer given by Hutchinson agrees in every particular with that already furnished by the police and published yesterday morning.”

Of course it did. The two basic descriptions were word-for-word.

But, unbeknownst to The Times, "the description of the murderer" didn’t fully agree with that in GH’s original statement (of which we have a signed copy).

Who changed Mister Astrakhan's complexion and moustache from pale to dark? Why didn’t the police release Hutchinson’s original description?

Regards,

Simon.