A closer look at George Hutchinson

[Herlock Sholmes]

When I saw Barn mention not being sure of the timetable of events (it’s easy to get a bit rusty on certain aspects over time) I remembered that a few years ago I’d done a basic timeline.


11.45 - Mary Ann Cox (who knew Mary) sees her in Dorset Street walking up ahead of her with Blotchy Man. Mary is ‘very much intoxicated.’ The couple go into Miller’s Court and then into Kelly’s room. Cox stays for 15 minutes before going out.

1.00 - Mary Ann Cox returns to her room and hears Kelly still singing.

1.00-1.20 - Elizabeth Prater (who lived above Kelly) stood by the entrance to the court.

1.20-1.30 - Elizabeth Prater goes to her room but sees no light from Kelly’s as she climbs the stairs.

2.30 - Sarah Lewis enters Miller’s Court and sees a man opposite the lodging house looking toward Miller’s Court. She also saw a man and woman going into Miller’s Court

3.00 - Mary Ann Cox returns to her room. Kelly’s room is in darkness and there’s no sound.

3.00 - Mrs Kennedy enters Dorset Street and sees three people on the corner near to The Britannia.

3.30-3.45 - Mrs Kennedy hears a cry of “murder.”

3.30-4.00 - Elizabeth Prater hears a cry of “oh murder,” which seemed to come from the court.

4.00 - Sarah Lewis hears a shout of “Murder.”

5.45 - Elizabeth Prater enters The Ten Bells

6.15 - Mary Ann Cox hears a man ‘go down the court.’

8.00-8.30 - Caroline Maxwell sees Mary Kelly outside Miller’s Court suffering from a hangover

8.45 - Caroline Maxwell sees Kelly talking to a man outside The Britannia.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I doubt Blotchy was the killer.

Unless he stayed the night, waited for her to stop singing, then went to bed with her, waited for her to sleep and then attacked her while she was sleeping.

I have to agree RD. It’s surely unlikely that if Blotchy Man was our killer he’d have sat around for an hour or more listening to Mary going through her entire repertoire of Irish songs until he decided to kill her. I’m not saying that it’s impossible of course but it does seem unlikely. With the added point that the ‘noise’ might have attracted some unwanted attention from some neighbour.

[Filby]

I doubt Blotchy was the killer.

Unless he stayed the night, waited for her to stop singing, then went to bed with her, waited for her to sleep and then attacked her while she was sleeping.

Otherwise, the time frame is too wide between Blotchy entering the room, to the point a cry of "oh murder!" is heard by 2 different women around 4am.

I think it's more likely that Sarah Lewis saw the killer standing opposite the court.

He spent the evening stalking his prey; perhaps after having seen her taking Blotchy man into her room.

He waited for his moment for the court to be clear, for the lights to go out in Mary's room and for the court to be in relative silence.

Then, sometime between 3.45-3.55am, he makes his move...

He casually walks down the passageway, turns the corner to stand by the broken window, slowly slips the coat/curtain covering the window and glances in to see Mary sleeping over at the far side of the bed. He then reaches through the window, lifts the latch and unlocks it. He then goes back around to the door, glances up through the alleyway back towards the street to check it's clear and then carefully opens the door and slips quietly into the room. He then closes the door, takes out his knife and then just stands for a few moments, just staring at her sleeping. He then approaches the bed. As he kneels on the bed, she stirs, and he instinctively grabs her and pushes her head down into the bed to muffle her calling out. He then lifts her head and just as she calls out "oh murder!" he savagely cuts her throat as she faces the partition wall.
After she bleeds out, he then takes his coat off, rolls up his shirt sleeves and then moves her body to the middle of the bed, before beginning his post mortem mutilations on her.
He was likely covered in her blood, but after spending around 10 minutes on her, he then stops, regains his senses from his meniacal slashing, stabbing and cutting, catches his breath and then throws some items into the fire. Before he leaves he puts his coat back on and then carefully opens the door to check the coast is clear. He goes around to the window and takes a quick peek through the window to check out his work, and then walks out the court and slips away into the night.

He is not seen and is not heard.

At least, that's what he thinks.

But Sarah Lewis saw him.

She sees him when he is first checking out the court.

He likely leaves and comes back, perhaps to collect his knife in preparation.

...


The killer then possibly attends the public inquest, to see how his work is talked about.

He is then furious that the coroner decides to wrap things up so quickly and make his efforts seems unimportant in comparison to previous murders.

He doesn't get the response he intended.

The inquest closes and then he leaves the building.

Feeling so aggrieved, he then walks straight to the police station and gives an account of standing outside the court.

He now wants to be seen, he demands it.

He gives a false name and presents himself as George Hutchinson.

A man who was supposedly on friendly terms with the victim and a man who gives the grandest description of the man he claims to have seen with the victim.

The man who came forward as George Hutchinson was likely the real killer.

Abberline fell for his BS, because as a psychopath the killer was able to fool even Abberline.

Think "The Usual Suspects" movie.

So who was George Hutchinson?

Another character adopted by a great actor no doubt.

I agree with the possibility, but put in context, you are implying Hutchinson had a motive to murder MJK other than mutilation. What about the other four since most agree on the canonical five? What was his motive with them?

[The Rookie Detective]

I doubt Blotchy was the killer.

Unless he stayed the night, waited for her to stop singing, then went to bed with her, waited for her to sleep and then attacked her while she was sleeping.

Otherwise, the time frame is too wide between Blotchy entering the room, to the point a cry of "oh murder!" is heard by 2 different women around 4am.

I think it's more likely that Sarah Lewis saw the killer standing opposite the court.

He spent the evening stalking his prey; perhaps after having seen her taking Blotchy man into her room.

He waited for his moment for the court to be clear, for the lights to go out in Mary's room and for the court to be in relative silence.

Then, sometime between 3.45-3.55am, he makes his move...

He casually walks down the passageway, turns the corner to stand by the broken window, slowly slips the coat/curtain covering the window and glances in to see Mary sleeping over at the far side of the bed. He then reaches through the window, lifts the latch and unlocks it. He then goes back around to the door, glances up through the alleyway back towards the street to check it's clear and then carefully opens the door and slips quietly into the room. He then closes the door, takes out his knife and then just stands for a few moments, just staring at her sleeping. He then approaches the bed. As he kneels on the bed, she stirs, and he instinctively grabs her and pushes her head down into the bed to muffle her calling out. He then lifts her head and just as she calls out "oh murder!" he savagely cuts her throat as she faces the partition wall.
After she bleeds out, he then takes his coat off, rolls up his shirt sleeves and then moves her body to the middle of the bed, before beginning his post mortem mutilations on her.
He was likely covered in her blood, but after spending around 10 minutes on her, he then stops, regains his senses from his meniacal slashing, stabbing and cutting, catches his breath and then throws some items into the fire. Before he leaves he puts his coat back on and then carefully opens the door to check the coast is clear. He goes around to the window and takes a quick peek through the window to check out his work, and then walks out the court and slips away into the night.

He is not seen and is not heard.

At least, that's what he thinks.

But Sarah Lewis saw him.

She sees him when he is first checking out the court.

He likely leaves and comes back, perhaps to collect his knife in preparation.

...


The killer then possibly attends the public inquest, to see how his work is talked about.

He is then furious that the coroner decides to wrap things up so quickly and make his efforts seems unimportant in comparison to previous murders.

He doesn't get the response he intended.

The inquest closes and then he leaves the building.

Feeling so aggrieved, he then walks straight to the police station and gives an account of standing outside the court.

He now wants to be seen, he demands it.

He gives a false name and presents himself as George Hutchinson.

A man who was supposedly on friendly terms with the victim and a man who gives the grandest description of the man he claims to have seen with the victim.

The man who came forward as George Hutchinson was likely the real killer.

Abberline fell for his BS, because as a psychopath the killer was able to fool even Abberline.

Think "The Usual Suspects" movie.

So who was George Hutchinson?

Another character adopted by a great actor no doubt.

[barnflatwyngarde]

You have to think that it would have been a fairly easy task for the police to go to nearby pubs in the area asking about a Blotchy Faced man who bought a pail of beer.

c.d.

Fair point c.d.

It's always puzzled me why we have no records of what must have been extensive enquiries, regarding statements from landlords, bar staff and pub drinkers.
Polly Nichols was also very intoxicated on the morning of her murder.

[c.d.]

You have to think that it would have been a fairly easy task for the police to go to nearby pubs in the area asking about a Blotchy Faced man who bought a pail of beer.

c.d.

[c.d.]

Thanks. But then that begs the question why would he go on to kill Mary after having been so clearly seen?

c.d.

[barnflatwyngarde]

Kelly was seen entering her room with Blotchy about 11:45 pm (Cox)

Did Cox indicate in any way that Blotchy had seen her? That would be significant.

c.d.

Mrs Cox said that Mary Jane and Blotchy went up the court in front of her.

Later in her statement she describes Blotchy's face in detail.
She also says that she would recognise him again.

This would seem to imply that at some point Blotchy and Mrs Cox were facing, or very nearly, facing one another.
It is difficult to imagine a scenario where Blotchy was not aware of Mrs Cox's presence.

[c.d.]

Kelly was seen entering her room with Blotchy about 11:45 pm (Cox)

Did Cox indicate in any way that Blotchy had seen her? That would be significant.

c.d.

[c.d.]

For no reason other than just a gut feeling, Blotchy always seemed rather harmless to me and comes across as one of those poor guys who wants sex but also wants to delude himself that he is also getting the girlfriend experience along with it. Kelly seemed rather comfortable with him which makes it seem like maybe he was a regular client.

c.d.

[Wickerman]

[B] . . .

I was simply asking people to consider what the case looked like if we discount Hutchinson's evidence. . .

Perhaps I'm one of the few, but from my perspective:
Kelly was seen entering her room with Blotchy about 11:45 pm (Cox), Kelly was singing, she was still heard singing about one o'clock (Cox), her room was quiet and dark by 1:30 am (Prater), Kelly was seen outside the Britannia about 3:00 am.

We could write Hutchinson out altogether, it would have no effect on the above events that night.

[barnflatwyngarde]

Ok. Thanks for the clarification. And no, I didn't think you were trying to be smart.

c.d.

Cheers c.d.

[c.d.]

Ok. Thanks for the clarification. And no, I didn't think you were trying to be smart.

c.d.

[barnflatwyngarde]

Well I for one am not connecting the dots here. Can you be a little more specific to help out the slow witted among us?

c.d.

Hi c.d. I wasn't trying to be smart, I was only reluctant to post, again, the points which throw doubt on Hutchinson's statement.
They have been discussed on these boards on many occasions.

I was simply asking people to consider what the case looked like if we discount Hutchinson's evidence.

With regard to why I personally reject Hutchinson's evidence, I list some points below:

• Mary Jane was "very much intoxicated" and was with a "short stout man" who had a carry out, so they were clearly intent on consuming more alcohol.
• If Mary Jane was very drunk at 11.45pm and intent on drinking more alcohol, is it likely that she was wandering the streets at 1.45am?
• Hutchinson is hardly mentioned in any of the memoirs or memoranda of officers involved in the case, although Abberline did take his statement seriously.
• Walter Dew discounted Hutchinson's evidence and suggested that he was mistaken, just like Mrs Maxwell.
• It was raining heavily in the early hours of 9th November, so why did Hutchinson lean against a lampost getting soaked? Why not shelter in a doorway?
• Hutchinson also says that after talking to Mary Jane he "walked about all night", in the rain! Why would he?
• The "Echo" of 13th November reported that "a very reduced importance" was given to evidence "by a person last night that he saw a man with the deceased on the night of her murder".

So in essence, I think that Blotchy killed Mary Jane, and was responsible for the other canonical murders.

Nothing spectacular here!
No famous person, no conspiracy, no cover up, just a short, stout, anonymous, murdering, psychopath.

I think that the killer was Blotchy, and that he died fairly soon after the final murder, and I think that his name will be registered among residents of Whitechapel who died in late 1888 or 1889.

Bujt I could be wrong c.d., I've been wrong before.

[c.d.]

If George Hutchinson's story regarding what he saw in the early hours of the 9th of November is not true, what does the case look like?

I think that this one very specific exercise takes us tantalisingly close to solving this case.

Well I for one am not connecting the dots here. Can you be a little more specific to help out the slow witted among us?

c.d.