New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-31
SPRING-HEELED JACK.
STORIES OF CHASTITY PRACTICAL JOKER.
The Yr1y POund

slant state of terror by a man. who under various
DISCUSSES. would suddenly appear before the unsus-
pectlng pedestrian aud, after having nearly fright
ened the traveller out of his her senses, would
suddenly On appear with terrible bounds. leaving
the lmple'Si upon his alrghtcd victim that his
satanic Majesty had COndesCended 10 paw him a
VISIT IN person. Evening was the time generally
CHOSEN by tins eccentric character for his exploits
and doubtless there are many living who can
Tecolect the pang OF fear which shot through their
hearts when, ledpng from some dark corner, ont of
DOORWAY or over hedge. he stood before them.
VINO TINS singular beng was. or what the true OBJ
Jec, oi MS escapades. can only be LETT to conjecture
as ne was never captured certain IL Is, that rob
p'Iy was not the motive. for ne was never known
10 take a single com from his victims, even when
fright bad rendered them an easy prey nor did he
often practise any other degree ot cruelty beyond
soaring them. which. however was quito sufficient.
as IN some instances the sufferers never thoroughly
lr193'eI'i TIE shock to their nerves.
ne only sGrunse as To his identity that was ever
hazarIGu was that no was the Marquis of Water
iord-then famous as Tngl0adcT IN all that
sayored of fun and froic. but not "a shadow of
proof could ho over adduccd IN support Of
TINS THEORY: The more general belief appears to
nave been that there several prr'OnS concerned
IN tn' aUMr; that they were members OF high
families. and that tho Caueo of their prluls was a
pet OF thfre thousand pounds that they would pro
euro the death of not lpss than thirty human bouvs
appoltlonng them wish nice discrimination NJ ioi.
lows; eight old bachelors tea old maids, and ak
Lazy s-nald7, ana "a many servant girls ~ they
could, Trusting that by dcprlviup them of their
reason they would accelerate their deaths TINS ~.
0l course, incredible. but tho Chcl clerk tine
Mansion House polco-court ~ lottcr To- the nows
papers said 10 was 80 rupprtrd Co "A comm ttCo that
was iortucd 10y the Lord Mayor for the purpose OF
tracking and prosecuting the scoundrrlS
~ S dlhrut To assign the rNnct locality which
oi thn Thames claiming the distinction; some
avcrrlng that Il was NJ lnmmcrsmth, othcrg again
that u was Barnes. Tho most Trustworthy ac-
counts gNo the palm tu thr latter village.
IL was the latter end of 737, az Barnes, that tho
ghost made ltH first appearance ~ the shape Ot "a
large Whiie bull, attacking several persons. moro
me
severely from the fright. At East sheen IN the
form ot white bear, the alleged spirit carried on
similar gambols. lis gh0st>hlp thcn extended hls
operations 10 tho town renowned tor maids Of
honor. and IN the course of % few day, all Rich
mond was aohast at tho tales of women being
frightened to death and OF children being torn to
pieces by him. The search after the uncarthy
viSltant was here becoming too warm for HIM, and
he sLl ted the scene of liz labOrs 10 Ham, Kingston
and Hampton at which latter place he was seen,
clad m armor of brass, with spring shoes, and
.argc Claw-lIkc gloves, but being hOtlY puISucd he
sealed the walls of Bushoy Park aud vanished.
TcddugtOn, Twi.kenham and liOunSOw, all had
stories 20 tell of his appearance, and m sion PARK
the srt OF the Duke of NOrthumo trand many and
fearful were the injuries sad 10 have been inflicted
by him At lslcwoIth carpenter was seized al
o'clock al night, and most unmerciiulY beaten by
the ghost. who was attlred m polished steel
arm0r, with red shoes etc. IL must be noted what
an exceedingly varied wardrobe this ,prite must
have had. rendering 1t very difficult, one would
think, Ter hun to move. with such extensive proper
ties. with alacrlty from place 10 place.
/ 1
OF ms prIhk-, and lac approached the metropolis
through Hauwcll Brcntiord and Ealing. 40 which
last place he was seen IN steel aIluor. striking
terror into the inmates of the various schools
located there and frightening the blacksmith of the
village 50 completely - 10 force HIM To keep ms bed
nm consequence of the shock he sustained At Ham
mcr,mlth he found determined opponent ~ the
shape OF vaiorous laundrc>s, 10 whom he Appeared
IN the form OF an immense h1bOon, SIX lcet hlGh,
with enormous eyes, and arms or an extensive
length; and IN strict keeping with IN, animal ap-
mo- lac
ous woman. after an Intellectual attempt toaVoid
her uucauuy visitor, determined 30 give HIM battle.
and flew at him with such Jury that he was glad 10
give mp the contest Even the royal precincts OF
keusugt0u Palace did not escape from IN, vlsl Is,
children having seen the uncartuy beng dancing
by moonlight on the Palace Green, and ever and
anon scaling the walls of the ROYAL forcing -hOuScs
In consequence of the panic attending these eXaS-
geracd stories the police had strict orders 70 lnYes-
tirate their tuth. but were unable, IN the majority
OF cases TO trace any person who bad really seen
the aDparitIon. That there was mischief atoot,
however was clearly shown by the applications at
the Mansion House and other police courts Tor pro-
lection.
At Pecl,ham he caused the greatest alarm Judging
nv a letter to the Lord Mayor. from resident
thcrcl appearing in n new character. as spectre,
aud soaring ont of her senses, amongst Others. an
1uf,rtun.t, pt-grl who opened Il door To HIM
aud the writer also said that seven ladies' had heen
reduced to the same unhappy state through fright
at the awful apparItOn. Letters poured INTO the
Mansion House from all parts of London, showing
how universal was the terror which hal been m
spired By this incorporating mScreant ScYora!
npr-ous more c,ucclaly women. were injured
bod IL in many instances by the claws with winch
hc appears to have armed his hands. and n one
writer may he believed several deaths on the south
side of London had been caused by the shock his APP
pcarancc had given. letter from 81. Johns Wood
stated that for a whole fortnight that ueghbOrhood
had been favored with Sprlue-hcrlcd Jack dtten-
tons; he sometimes Appearing as "a hcar anu some
times clad in mail This core -poudont assert Ell
that the bet which was supposed to be the caus" OF
thes. FRANKS. was that the monster should XIII SIX
women m some gwen time.
That In, appearance was calculated to upset even
the stout-. helr ted must be- admitted for the Lord
MAYOR himself though much inclined 10 ne scel-
teal acknowledged that he had been gwen 10
understand on uudOnhtcd authority, that III IN"
vicinity of Forest Hill where he resided one of the
female servants of a gentleman who lived near his
house uad been terrified into fits by the Sudden ap-
pcaranco of figure clad m bears SKIN winch
upon being drawn aside. exhibited the humi hoIy'
with long horns-rmb omatical oil satan himself
clad 10 suit OF mail.
The ghost dId not disdain to ay himself of
material means of conveyance ocaToulIlN, rs Il
shown by letter to The Morning HefdId. January
Is 1888. from 4 Resident on Paldlugion Ireen
who stated that he had seen. close ~ ms mouse q
figure clad IN white closely pursued by two men,
and after a smart chase this mattcrol-lact APP
partition Jumped into a cabrI0let and was driven
ont of the reach of his woud-b. clptnrS
A committee was formed nj the Madison lionse m
January 1888, for the purpose ot receiving sun
scripton, and to decide upon the best means OF
capturing this uneasy spirit aud of visiting IL with
the punishment which 1t 50 richly deserved. "
IA sending donation of five pounds to the iHnd'
gentleman iesdlng az DulNl;h wrote lhaI ms
daughter wa. living i'm very dangerous STATE nav
ing been nearly deprived of her senses by the sud
den appearance oi figure cuNclopeI III WHO
sheet and blue fire, which had met Der on her re-
turn home from % frcud'- house: Others equally
testified 10 Injuries received at the hands OF me non
goblin. reward of ten pounds was oiierc' lot the
apprehension of tie hcartlc,s ScoundreL but uu-
happily il completely failed in ITS object. and the
perpetrators of this gasy joke continued to be al
large
Thinking perhaps that lac had lone rs mnch haTn
As he desired i'm the other parts Of London. for
whole month Sprng-hcccd Jack devote hmsci! to
disturbing the peace of mind Of the dWcller' IN the
East End OF the metropolis, the ncighGorhOou 'l
gross outrage came before the pollce-mag,tiatc dt
Lambeth-~t.. ana caused considerable attention
young lIdl named Al-op. living win heI
parent, M the vicinity of Bow stated that at ap"uJ
a quarter to O'Clock on the evening OF february
Il. le;i-, she heard violent ringing al tle iiout
nntn OIL LLLn Lnu.n aul unLmE " the uunL ~ ~