What did Henry Matthews mean by this?

[Harry D]

Mr. HUNTER asked the Home Secretary whether he was prepared, in the case of the Whitechapel murders, other than that of the woman Kelly, to offer a free pardon to any person not being the actual perpetrator of the crimes.

Mr. MATTHEWS. - I should be quite prepared to offer a pardon in the cases of the earlier Whitechapel murders if the information before me led me to believe that it would assist in the detection of the murderer. In the case of the woman Kelly there were certain circumstances which were wanting in the earlier cases, which made it more probable that there were other persons, at any rate after the crime, who had assisted the murderer.

[DJA]

Hutchinson.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Could this have something to do with Maxwell’s testimony Harry? I don’t inow. I’m in danger of heading into conspiracy theorist territory here.

Its interesting though. I cant recall reading that before.

[Darryl Kenyon]

Yeah, I thought the police might have assumed that the man seen outside Crossinghams could have been a lookout. But Matthews says - after the crime.
So its possible it might be the old somebody must know something. Why this is different from the other crimes it is difficult to say. Maybe the period killing Mary, maybe they thought that the perpetrator might be excessively bloodstained. or maybe there was more than the heart missing from Mary and the police thought it might be difficult to conceal whatever he took. It's possible with the locked door fiasco and Mary being killed in her room they may have assumed the killer knew her.

[DJA]

Perhaps Hutchinson was originally a lookout for a blackmail payoff,not a murder.

Might have also set the meeting up as Blotchy.

Have a good look at Dr Phillips involvement in pardon negotiations.

[packers stem]

Lookout seen .... Hutchinson was the smokescreen

[Wickerman]

I thought I would look to see if any newspapers commented on that quotation of Mr Matthews.

The Sheffield Evening Telegraph, of 24th Nov. wrote:

[Wickerman]

This is a controversial opinion on the offer of a pardon by Matthews, published in a column devoted to the Whitechapel Murders.

From, The Taunton-Courier and Western Advertiser, 28th Nov. 1888.

[packers stem]

This is a controversial opinion on the offer of a pardon by Matthews, published in a column devoted to the Whitechapel Murders.

From, The Taunton-Courier and Western Advertiser, 28th Nov. 1888.

"A secret society is at work .... "
So conspiracy theories arose that very month

[DJA]

Pretty good chance Jack was a Freemason

Really doesn't have much to do with the case.

Prolly more Fabians than Fenians.