The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-02-03
THE RRooKLYN TERROR.
The Wretch With a Mania for Stab
bing School Girls. .. ~

From he NeB York Sun.
The women Of the Fifteenth and Six
teenth Wards ot Brooklyn have been in u
terrible state OF alarm tor the past six or
eight weeks over tho outrages committed
upon number Of young girls bya human
vampire. His mode Of operation has been
to come up behind tho girls unawares,
stab them in the face or back, and then,
before they have recovered from the
shock, make his escape in the darkness.
Four cases Of girls thus stabbed have been
reported to the police, but 1t Is said that
twenty or thirty other cases have occurred
of which no report has been made. These
outrages have all been committed early In
the evening, and in the most public places,
where people are constantly passing, Thus
fur every effort to catch the rascal have
proved futile. Naturally enough, the wo-
men arc learfully frightened, and the
streets that were once filled with girls on
their evening promenades arc now almost
wholly deserted. Parents will not allow
their daughters to go out of an evening,
unless accompanied by u male companion,
and few grown.up women are bold enough
to venture out unattended.
There are hundreds Of stories atoat in
rcgard 10 tho mysterious assassin. Some
Of the women, who arc really superstl-
tiOus, believe Him to be supernatural
bring-a vcritable imp OF the devil. They
say he has neverbGGn seen by mortal eyes,
except for an instant only that ho up.
pr0aChes his victims noiselessly, gives
them II stab, and then us noiselesly van.
ishes into the mir. Children listen TO these
stories with wondering eyes md batcd
breath, and they SO work upon their young
imaginatiOns TINT even their waking
dreams are peopled with images of the
demon. Many Of them arc so frightened
that they dare not venture into the street
after dnrk.
The Sun then details the interviews Of
its reporter with number oil tho victims
Of these assaults, and continues p,
But there are many other victims, II the
positive statements Of people can be be.
licvcd. One lady told the reporter yester-
day that one stormy night lust week q
daughter Of Mr.. Kenny, young married
woman, was assaulted nj North First and
Ninth Streets. Shelnd no premonition of
the assault hut suddenly felt sharp pain
in her shoulder. She put up her hand and
exclaimed, MY Gol! what's thal?" and
in doing 81 turned partially around, and
saw young mum running from her.
Some one who heard her exclamation
gave chase, but the rascal climbed over u
high board fence enclosing the wire facto.
nv works on North First street, and Sc
crcted himself, The, same evening an
other lady was assaulted on North.
Second street, just after getting
out OF u car. One lady said
she heard that there were seven Indies
stabbed on Saturday night, and as many
more on Sunday morning and evening.
Probably this is IN eXaggcrauon, but the
alarm Is so great now that the women be-.
lieve everything they hear about this ter.
rible demon. Girls seldom go upon the
street at night unaccompanied. Coming
down MOntrosc avenue list evening, the
Sun reporter met one only, and she shied
out to the curbstOnc rs II fearful that the
reporter might be the terrible vampire
seeking another victim. One evening last
week II Mrs. Smith, living on Lee avenue,
had Just left her house, when q man came
up to her, grsped her by the wrist, and
drew razor. The lady saw the weapon,
and gave wild cry Of alright. The man
then let 90 his hold and made his escape.