Circumstances

[Robert St Devil]

Are you sure he didn't really say "several men"?

Hello David.

This piece of an article appeared in Daily News on 10 November 1888.

It is well to trace back this recent history of crime in the East end. It began last Christmas week, when a woman was found bleeding and mangled in one of the poorest streets of Whitechapel. She was barbarously wounded, and in a manner somewhat like that which has characterised all the subsequent murders. She lived, if we are not mistaken, long enough to say that the crime was the work of several men. [The article does refute the idea of Jack the Ripper being "several men" later on.]

But the exact number is not important here, only what was in Mr Hunter's mind. He used the expression "several persons" in the House of Commons, although he wasn't fully on top of the facts because he referred to the murder having taken place "last Christmas" so he was getting confused with the supposed murder of Fairy Fay.

Is MP Hunter simply referencing an article that he had read 2 weeks prior?
Could he be forwarding some press agenda on the Home Secretary re: accomplices?

[David Orsam]

Hello David.

This piece of an article appeared in Daily News on 10 November 1888.

It is well to trace back this recent history of crime in the East end. It began last Christmas week, when a woman was found bleeding and mangled in one of the poorest streets of Whitechapel. She was barbarously wounded, and in a manner somewhat like that which has characterised all the subsequent murders. She lived, if we are not mistaken, long enough to say that the crime was the work of several men. [The article does refute the idea of Jack the Ripper being "several men" later on.]



Is MP Hunter simply referencing an article that he had read 2 weeks prior?
Could he be forwarding some press agenda on the Home Secretary re: accomplices?

Hi Robert,

Clearly the Daily News has intermingled the story of the murder of Emma Smith and the story of the murder of "Fairy Fay" which could easily have been the source of MP Hunter's confusion.

I don't understand what you mean when you suggest Hunter might be "forwarding some press agenda". As far as I'm concerned, it's just a mistake due to the lack of facts available regarding the early murder(s).

[Robert St Devil]

No worries, David. Some good discussions happening on the other threads lately.

I,ll abandon the second question since it is sophomore speculation on my part. Certain press publications were brutal on Mr. Matthews and Sir Ch. Warren, but i would clearly need more evidence to begin to even speculate that MP Hunter was lobbying for them.

I don,t think the Daily News intermingled the story. That same Nov 10 issue [same paragraph], they follow up on the above comment with:

About Easter time another murder was committed in the same region which appeared to belong to the newly invented order of assassination.

They were clear that there was a separate murder ,,last Christmas week,, from the Easter murder, but it never garnered much attention from the press or public.

Because of the nearness of the article to his Nov 24 appeal to broaden pardons for all accomplices AND for some of the similar verbiage that you posted that he used, yes, i could see this article being the source of his confusion.

[David Orsam]

They were clear that there was a separate murder ,,last Christmas week,, from the Easter murder, but it never garnered much attention from the press or public.

You mean a sort of secret murder that the Daily News found out about but which we know nothing of today?