Mr. George Lusk, president of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, has received the following communication from the Home Office, in answer to a request that a free pardon should be proclaimed to an accomplice or accomplices of the murderer:
"Oct. 12, 1888. Sir, - I am desired by the Secretary of State to thank you for the suggestions in your letter of the 7th inst. on the subject of the recent Whitechapel murders, and to say in reply that, from the first, the Secretary of State has had under consideration the question of granting a pardon to accomplices. It is obvious that not only must such a grant be limited to persons who have not been concerned in contriving or in actually committing the murders, but the expediency and propriety of making the offer must largely depend on the nature of the information received from day to day, which is being carefully watched, with a view to determining that question. With regard to the offer of a reward, Mr. Matthews has, under the existing circumstances, nothing to add to his former letter. - I am, sir, your obedient servant, GODFREY LUSHINGTON."
Sir Charles Warren wishes to say that the marked desire evinced by the inhabitants of the Whitechapel district to aid the police in the pursuit of the author of the recent crimes has enabled him to direct that, subject to the consent of the occupiers, a thorough house-to-house search should be made within a defined area. With few exceptions, the inhabitants, of all classes and creeds, have freely fallen in with the proposal, and have materially assisted the officers engaged in carrying it out. Sir Charles feels that some acknowledgement is due on all sides for the cordial co-operation of the inhabitants, and he is much gratified that the police-officers have carried out so delicate a duty with the marked goodwill of all those with whom they have come in contact. He further takes this opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of an immense volume of correspondence, of a semi-private character, on the subject of the Whitechapel murders, which he has been quite unable to respond to in a great number of instances, and he trusts that the writers will accept this acknowledgement in lieu of individual replies. They may be assured that their letters have received every consideration.
