24 November 1888
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.