Topping Hutchinson - looking at his son's account

[Garry Wroe]

Here we have one of the very, very rare occasions in this case where we might actually have a promising lead - and concrete evidence to boot - only for it to be dismissed at all costs by those for whom a meek, mild, "normal" George Hutchinson jars with their internal image of the Ripper. Well, that's their loss, not mine. I'm not one to allow long-cherished beliefs, or bogeymen, to put me off the scent.

Then why, Sam, if the evidence is so utterly compelling, have neither of the two handwriting experts who have examined the signatures echoed your certainty over the issue?

From a personal perspective, my own reservations are driven by neither preconceptions nor wish fulfillment. They arise as a consequence of the samples under scrutiny. But since this subject is distinctly off-topic, I'll leave it there.

Best wishes.

Garry Wroe.

[Observer]

Hi Sam

Time for another bogus document examiner to toddle off to Kew methinks Any takers?

All the best

Observer

[Ben]

That’s an extremely unfair and illogical accusation, Gareth. My dismissal of Toppy as the witness has nothing whatsoever to do with the identity of Jack the Ripper. It has to do with what I believe to be mismatching signatures and equally mismatching biographical data, the extent of which is becoming more and more apparent as we debate as discuss this plumbing/apprenticeships issue. It’s your prerogative if you want to distance yourself, suddenly and dramatically, from any consideration that Hutchinson may have been responsible for the Kelly murder or the others, but if you’re doing so on the basis that Toppy was Hutch and Toppy was too “normal” to have killed anyone, then all I can say is that you’ve embraced a few of the fallacies that “The Good Michael” has been shamelessly espousing of late, such as the revelation that a family man with no history of violence can’t possibly be a serial killer, and that anyone who thinks otherwise must have an "agenda". Just consider Dennis Rader and other "normal" family-guy serial killers. Let me state, for the record, my belief that the real George Hutchinson would have proved perfectly capable of exuding a “meek and mild” exterior, whoever he was.

I realize I was only stating my opinion when I observed that there were a whole host of differences between the signatures provided in your montage, but in the same vein, it’s only your opinion that these were “easily countered by examples of real-life signatures”. As I’ve stated previously, I don’t think they were countered at all, and I certainly didn’t think there was any significant differences between your own handwriting samples.

Best regards,
Ben

[Sam Flynn]

There is never going to be any clear cut winner via the signatures, that's for sure, it's time to take them out of the equation for now I believe.

This is what genuinely saddens me. Here we have one of the very, very rare occasions in this case where we might actually have a promising lead - and concrete evidence to boot - only for it to be dismissed at all costs by those for whom a meek, mild, "normal" George Hutchinson jars with their internal image of the Ripper. Well, that's their loss, not mine. I'm not one to allow long-cherished beliefs, or bogeymen, to put me off the scent.

[Observer]

Hi Gary

I don’t dismiss anyone, Observer.

Thats the most productive procedure Gary.

I do, however, evaluate the evidence with an objectivity commensurate with my scientific training and arrive at a conclusion accordingly. And should you buy into the accusation that those conclusions are agenda-driven, I would suggest that you examine my posting history. If you do, you’ll discover that I have disagreed with Ben and other ‘anti-Toppyites’ on a number of occasions when I believed their arguments to be flawed.

There is never going to be any clear cut winner via the signatures, that's for sure, it's time to take them out of the equation for now I believe.

All the best

Observer