Only one man would know

[Ben]

A few coins becomes 5 pounds in the retelling.

Potentially, Mike. Trouble is, it can also become 5 pounds in the inventing, with no original coins being involved at all.

All the best,
Ben

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Sam,

Good to know that the spirit of Humphrey Lyttleton lives on.

Indeed, Simon. "As the horseshoe pin of fate meets the black tie of destiny, and the spreeish unfortunate heads towards the post-mortem vomit of eternity..."

[DVV]

Many things are possible with a kernel of truth. I hear exaggeration on grander scales every day.
Cheers,
Mike

Yes Mike,
though at last, systematic exaggeration can also suggest fabrication.

Amitiés,
David

[Simon Wood]

Hi Sam,

Good to know that the spirit of Humphrey Lyttleton lives on.

Regards,

Simon

[The Good Michael]

A few coins becomes 5 pounds in the retelling. A lurking man becomes a toff after 3 days of telling one's mates. Many things are possible with a kernel of truth. I hear exaggeration on grander scales every day. Well, not with regards to murder, I'll grant you.

Cheers,

Mike

[Sam Flynn]

It isn't inconceivable that they slipped him a few coins in compensation for loss of work-seeking opportunitues

Quite so, Ben - and I wouldn't find it at all extraordinary if they did.

but certainly not to the tune of 105 shillings!

I'd agree with you there - however, as with much else related to Hutch, we must be wary of throwing out the baby of potential truth with the bathwater of exaggeration.

[DVV]

We know that Hutchinson took time out to accompany some police officers in a search for Mr Astrakhan - I can't see him being expected to do that without at least some remuneration.

Possible, why not ?
But it doesn't prove anything. If Reg's story is a fabricated one, the payment could easily be part of the fabrication. Hutch spent time with the police, and time being money...
According to Richard, the sum was equivalent to 5 weeks salary.
A bit too much, for a witness discredited after one week, and who, apparently, did accompany the police a couple of times.
Remember how low was a PC salary at that time.

Amitiés,
David

[Malcolm X]

Malcolm,

You mean 'idle' speculation, I think, unless Hutchinson is an idol of sorts.

There is nothing as bad as the Royal Conspiracy, thank you very much.

Mike

sorry my spelling is awfall i know........

this from Richard is like a ``Royal Conspiracy theory``
and no i dont mean you at all, just dont get suckered in.

Maybe they didn't have to insist-maybe he volunteered.

[Ben]

Hi Mike,

Don't give an inch, do you? Instead of "possibly" it's "phenomenally unlikely".

Fair enough, I'll settle with the middle-ground (between the two), which in this case would be; possibly, but not very likely, in my opinion.

Hi Gareth,

Can you see them (the police, that is) insisting on Hutchinson's abandoning the chance of a days' work for no compensation at all?

Not unless the police had adequate grounds for believing that he wouldn't have been earning at the time anyway. It's the same principle as jury service, I'd imagine; if you're unemployed at the time, you can't claim loss of earnings. It isn't inconceivable that they slipped him a few coins in compensation for loss of work-seeking opportunitues, but certainly not to the tune of 105 shillings!

All the best,
Ben

[Sam Flynn]

I can't see him saying "no" either, since a flat refusal would have equated to obstucting police business.

Can you see them (the police, that is) insisting on Hutchinson's abandoning the chance of a days' work for no compensation at all? I can't, Ben.

[The Good Michael]

Ben,

Don't give an inch, do you? Instead of "possibly" it's "phenomenally unlikely". That doesn't sound open-minded to me. What gives?

Cheers,

Mike

[Ben]

Hi Gareth,

I can't see him saying "no" either, since a flat refusal would have equated to obstucting police business.

Best regards,
Ben

[Sam Flynn]

We know that Hutchinson took time out to accompany some police officers in a search for Mr Astrakhan - I can't see him being expected to do that without at least some remuneration.

[Ben]

It's phenomenonly unlikely in this particular case, Mike, unless the police were in the business of courting opprobrium of the type they could easily avoid. Payment may well occur in the instances where the information has been proven to have created a postive, tangibile result, but paying someone just for coming forward and giving an unverified witness statement? Doesn't seem very plausible to me. It would be tantamount to a advertisement to bogus witnesses throughout the country.

Best regards,
Ben