Hutch Photo

[Garry Wroe]

That sketch might only have been a generic "East End geezer", Garry, rather than a faithful portrait based on the Penny Illustrated's chap actually meeting Hutchinson.

That’s always a possibility, Sam, but unlikely in my view. Since illustrations increased unit sales, it was in the best interest of newspaper editors to maintain standards of accuracy. I certainly don’t recall Abberline, Barnett, McCarthy or anyone else other than Pizer registering anything in the way of dissatisfaction with regard to their pen portraits. So unless there emerges evidence to the contrary, I see no reason to doubt that the Penny Illustrated’s sketch of Hutchinson captured at least a passable likeness of the man himself.

All the best.

Garry Wroe.

[Sam Flynn]

Thanks, Mike - it's good to be back.

Have a "topping" Christmas, y'all

Great to see you back Gareth,...youve been missed. My best regards to you and yours Sam, hope you have a great Christsmas!!

Good Cheer to you and all,
Michael

[Sam Flynn]

one thing sure, the guy never met Mary.

I agree.

Nadolig Llawen,
David

Ac i chithau, Dave... et Joyeux Noël!

[DVV]

Hi Sam,

one thing sure, the guy never met Mary.

Nadolig Llawen,
David

[Sam Flynn]

And this, Kat, is a contemporaneous sketch of Hutchinson made shortly after he submitted his police statement.

[ATTACH]7434[/ATTACH]

That sketch might only have been a generic "East End geezer", Garry, rather than a faithful portrait based on the Penny Illustrated's chap actually meeting Hutchinson.

[DVV]

"My father was a very down-to-earth bones player and slaughterhouse voyeur..."
Who-you-know

[Simon Wood]

Hi Michael,

I certainly wasn't going far with it, as there's nowhere to go. I thought it was an interesting example of LVP transatlantic Chinese whispers; also how GH's brief moment in the gaslight prompted a story involving an insane asylum, an escaped lunatic still at large and a woman mutilated in Chicago in true "Whitechapel style".

"George Hutchinson" was in fact Billy Hutchinson who in June 1885 shot Kittie Hall in Chicago. Committed to an asylum, he escaped on 15th May 1888 and was recaptured the following day.

The New York Herald story was patently false but bought into and reinforced many of the popular myths and misconceptions about the WM which people were not being discouraged from believing.

Regards,

Simon

Hi All,

A few days after George Hutchinson's appearance following the MJK inquest the story below appeared in half-a-dozen or so American and Canadian newspapers, and, in January 1889, the Pall Mall Gazette.

New York Herald, 16th November 1888
AN ILLINOIS "RIPPER

George Hutchinson Murdered a Woman in Whitechapel Style
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD]

Chicago, Nov. 15, 1888:
"A dispatch from Elgin, Illinois, says that seven or eight years ago a man named George Hutchinson, an inmate of the asylum there, delighted to visit the hospital slaughter house, making many peculiar toys from bones. He was an expert with the knife. After escaping from Elgin he was captured at Kankakee and placed in the insane asylum there.

"He escaped from that place and afterward murdered a disreputable woman in Chicago, mutilating her body in a way similar to the Whitechapel cases. He was returned to Kankakee, but afterward escaped, and has been at large three or four years. It is thought by some that he may be the Whitechapel fiend.

"The police here do not remember him."

Which isn't surprising. More later.

Regards,

Simon

I was actually aware of that article Simon....although I am curious as to where you might be going with it...

The only viable way to look at Hutch is as a potential suspect as Ive said all along....we already know he was discreditted as a witness.

Best regards Simon

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

A few days after George Hutchinson's appearance following the MJK inquest the story below appeared in half-a-dozen or so American and Canadian newspapers, and, in January 1889, the Pall Mall Gazette.

New York Herald, 16th November 1888
AN ILLINOIS "RIPPER

George Hutchinson Murdered a Woman in Whitechapel Style
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD]

Chicago, Nov. 15, 1888:
"A dispatch from Elgin, Illinois, says that seven or eight years ago a man named George Hutchinson, an inmate of the asylum there, delighted to visit the hospital slaughter house, making many peculiar toys from bones. He was an expert with the knife. After escaping from Elgin he was captured at Kankakee and placed in the insane asylum there.

"He escaped from that place and afterward murdered a disreputable woman in Chicago, mutilating her body in a way similar to the Whitechapel cases. He was returned to Kankakee, but afterward escaped, and has been at large three or four years. It is thought by some that he may be the Whitechapel fiend.

"The police here do not remember him."

Which isn't surprising. More later.

Regards,

Simon

[DVV]

Ah no, Mike!
It makes a huge difference...And he could have been discredited for various reasons.
Perhaps: "he hasn't watched the man so carefully, and therefore can't know him again".
Or : "he wasn't there, he doesn't match Lewis loiterer, he hasn't seen Kelly at such a time."
Or: "He's even not a friend of Kelly".
Or simply: "He talks to the press too much. Leave him."

What I can't understand is that they never suspected him.

Amitiés,
David

In fact, Mike, we don't know clearly on which point, and why, the police ceased to believe Hutch.
It was not, imo, something strong, definitve and general...
They started to have doubts...We can't say how and why precisely...

As to me, I don't believe anything from Hutch, except that he knew Mary for about 3 years and used to give her money at times.

Bourgogne!

It would be nice to know why they said his story was "discredited"...that they said that at all however is good enough for me.

Au revoir pour maintenant....

[DVV]

In fact, Mike, we don't know clearly on which point, and why, the police ceased to believe Hutch.
It was not, imo, something strong, definitve and general...
They started to have doubts...We can't say how and why precisely...

As to me, I don't believe anything from Hutch, except that he knew Mary for about 3 years and used to give her money at times.

Bourgogne!

We have far too many witnesses whose statements are strongly considered without any proof or corroboration validating their claims....Packer, Israel, Hutch, Cross, ......

Im just saying David that no burden of proof has been met in any of their stories....and in this one, we have the Police statements saying that they didnt believe it after they investigated it,.... with his help.

Cheers mate

Come one, Mike, why the world did that man go to the station on Monday?

Amitiés,
David

Because Sarah Lewis saw someone loitering around that area he thought could have been him. I never would suggest that he wasnt hanging around Dorset....he may well have been, or not.....although no-one else sees him....

Im not saying that we dont have reason to suspect his possible complicity in the murders by the fact he places himself in the shoes of Sarahs suspicious man....I am saying we have no reason to believe the story he tells that includes Mary Kelly.

Does anyone from Kellys inner circle later state that they knew Hutch too after hearing this tale....or that they could attest to Mary knowing him? Nope.

My best David