Manitoba Daily Free Press
Winnipeg, Canada
16 November 1888

MAY BE THE RIPPER

George Hutchinson, an Escaped Lunatic, Connected with the Whitechapel Atrocities.

Elgin, Ill., Nov. 15.
Cable despatches of yesterday connected with the Whitechapel murders a man name Geo. Hutchinson. The name suggests something that may or may not be important in connection with the awful butcheries. Six or seven years ago a many (sic) named George Hutchsinson was a patient in the Elgin hospital for the insane. He was not considered dangerous and when convalescent was allowed a good deal of liberty. At such times he was very fond of visiting the asylum slaughterhouse and became a very skilful maker of tooth picks and other articles from bones of animals and he made a study of slaughtering. He escaped from the hospital and later turned up the Kankake hospital. He also escaped or was discharged from that institution and later murdered in Chicago a woman of low repute of the same class to which belonged the victims of the Whitechapel ghoul. Hutchinson was arrested, found to be insane and returned to Kaukakee (sic). Again he made his escape and for about four years has been at large.