Proof of identity

[richardnunweek]

Hi JD,
I also welcome you to this site, you may, or may not know, that I have voiced the opinion for many years that Reg Hutchinson was telling the truth about his fathers recollections, infact I stand alone on Casebook, in believing the whole story.
I would be forever grateful if you can shed any light on this matter,and lets give your father in laws father a fair deal for once.
Best Regards
Richard.

[David Knott]

Reg has a younger brother, contrary to what it says in The Ripper and The Royals. GWTH and Mrs GWTH would have been in their 50s when he was born.

When I contacted the family last year, I had only been looking for descendents of Reg's older siblings, as I thought Reg was the youngest.

They did tell me about Reg's younger brother, but were not aware that he had also heard the Ripper story from GWTH. I didn't contact the family of Reg's younger brother so it is great to have 'JD' post here ... I would love to know if there is anything further that can be added to the story.

[Bob Hinton]

Question for JD

Sorry I’m not quite sure what you are saying here. Are you saying that your effective grandfather (two generations back) was the last person to see MJK? Can you give us the timeline for this?

If I go back two generations the DOB of my grandfather is 1894 for one and 1892 for the other.

[David Knott]

Hi JD, fantastic to have you on the boards. Your post is very exciting (although slightly at odds with what I managed to find out when I contacted some members of the family last year)
Is there anything else you can tell us? Independent corroboration of Reg's story would be very valuable.

Thanks
David

[JDHutchinson]

Just wanted to add that GWT Hutchinson had more than one son and a number of daughters as well. My father in law, who is the youngest son has also always told us that his father was the last person to see Mary Kelly alive.

[DVV]

Absolutely right, Diana,
nobody actually doubts Richard's word.
Even Reg himself must have been honest.
But his father...

Amitiés,
David

[Ben]

Hi Diana,

It's not Richard's memory that's in doubt so much as Toppy's original story. Even if Richard did hear a 1970s interview, I'm afraid it wouldn't lend weight to the story that appeared in the "Ripper and the Royals".

Just for the record, I've only ever addressed Richard by his christian name.

Best regards,
Ben

[diana]

One thing that is almost universally agreed upon is that Hutchinson's tale is improbable. Nobody would have witnessed that many details, etc.

Assuming for the sake of argument that Richard's memory is correct, we now have a plausible reason for Hutchinson coming forward and spinning this yarn.

Incidentally, in reading earlier posts I noticed that he politely asked that other posters stop truncating his last name. It is one thing to disagree with someone and to present your points. It is quite another to try to trivialize someone by ridiculing their surname. This is something children do.

I'm not saying Richard is correct or incorrect or partially correct. If possible we should keep an open mind and go on looking.

[DVV]

According to Reg, his father said something like: "I tried my best to help the police, and I regret that we failed to catch the murderer."
Ironically enough, such a statement sounds like Hutch's ordinary lies!
Why didn't Reg's father say: "I regret that I did not catch him myself on Sunday morning in Petticoat Lane"?
Whether: "I shouldn't have talked to the press. Maybe JtR shaved his moustache because of my mistake..." ?

[Normy]

Hi Richardnunweek
Erm this might a bit of a spanner and I honestly haven't had a drop today...well not yet.
But, I do remember in the 70's a tv programme advetising an interview with the man who's dad saw the ripper.
I'm sure it was Reg, I've always thought it was a tv show like Nationwide or someting like that.
You could have heard it on the radio but it might not have been a radio show. I used to tune my radio in to listen to shows that were on channels my parents weren't watching I distinctly heard Bilko many times even taped it for my dad while he was at work once.

Hope this helps!

[joelhall]

Joel & Richard,

There were no major revelations from the family.

Without posting specific details, I would say that the biographical information about GWTH tends to support the notion that he could have been the witness, but other information provided casts doubt on the story.

After contacting them, I am a bit less inclined to accept GTWH as the witness than I was before, but there remains room for argument on both sides. Not sure we're any further forward to be honest.

David

thanks david

joel

[Ben]

Sleuthing efforts greatly appreciated, David!

Hi Richard,

'Why is it out of the question , that Gwth was not that witness.?

It's not out of the question, just unlikely considering that the signature and personal circumstances don't match.

Best regards,
Ben

[richardnunweek]

Hi David,
Thanks for being so honest, the whole crux of the matter is , we as Ripper folk, at least in the past few years, have on the whole looked upon Hutchinsons statement as suspicious, but that in general has been since 1998 when 'From Hell' was published.
Before that George Hutchinson was merely a witness that came forth in 1888, a couple of days after the Millers court bloodbath, and seemed to have been the observant type.
To the late Reg Hutchinson, it was no big deal that his old man knew one of the victims, after all he was around at the time, and was similiar age to Mjk.
My question has always been.
'Why is it out of the question , that Gwth was not that witness.?
Regards Richard.

[David Knott]

Joel & Richard,

There were no major revelations from the family.

Without posting specific details, I would say that the biographical information about GWTH tends to support the notion that he could have been the witness, but other information provided casts doubt on the story.

After contacting them, I am a bit less inclined to accept GTWH as the witness than I was before, but there remains room for argument on both sides. Not sure we're any further forward to be honest.

David

[richardnunweek]

Hi David,
As I started the 'Proof' thread, may I thank you for your research in this matter,we must of course respect the relations wishes, but at least Gwt was pictured in 'The Ripper and the Royals' and that same picture was hanging on the wall of Regs Flat when interviewed by Ivor a few years after that publication, making it crystal clear that the picture of the said gentleman we are all familiar with is authentic.
It in hindsight is regretable that George Hutchinson was not considered anything more then a witness for much of the twentieth century, it was only after Bobs excellent book that he became looked upon as 'mayby more'
Not that I consider him as any thing more then a observant witness. but as GH has been labled as all kind of undesirables in the last few years, its a great shame that the late Reg Hutchinson is not able to shed more light on the matter.
Regards Richard.