Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-10-02

bjECl aELlOLs VIII LClA G-4OCDa Gu ~ l1LA5L
be noted what an exceedingly varied
wardrobe this sprite must have had, rem
dering 1t very difficult, one would think,
for him to move, with such extensive
properties, with alacrity from place to
place.
The neighborhood of Uxbridge was
/ the next scene of his pranks, and he ap-
preached the metropolis through Han
well, BrentfOrd and Ealing, IN which last
place he was seen IN steel armOr, strik-
ing terror into the inmates of the various
schools located there, and frightening
the blacksmith of the village so com
pletely as to force him to keep his bed In
consequence of the shock he sustained.
At Hammersmith he found a determined
opponent in the shape of a ValorOus
laundress, to whom he Appeared in the
form of an immense babOon, six feet
high, with enormous eyes, and arms of
an extensive length; and in strict keep
ing with his animal appearance, he
grunted like an hyena. This courageous
woman, after an Intellectual attempt to
avoid her uncanny visitor, determined
to give him battle, and flew at him with
such fury that ne was glad to give up the
contest. Even the royal precincts of
KensingtOn Palace did not escape from
his visits, children having seen the IN.
earthly being dancing by moonlight on
the Palace Green, and ever and anon
scaling the walls Of the royal forcing
houses.
In consequence of the panic attending
these exaggerated stories, the police had
strict orders to investigate their truth
but were unable, in the majority of cases,
to trace any person who had really seen
the apparitiOn. That there was mischief
afoOt, however, was clearly shown by
the applications at the Mansion House
and other Police Courts for protection.
At Peckham he caused the greatest
alarm Judging by a letter to the Lord
Mayor from a resident there, appearing
in a new character, as a spectre, and
soaring out Of her senses, amongst others,
and unfortunate servant girl who opened
a door to him and the writer also said
that seven ladies had been reduced to
the same unhappy state through fright
at the awful apparilOn. Letters poured
into the Mansion House from all parts
of London, showing how universal was
the terror which had been inspired by
this masqueTading miscreant. Several
| persons, more especially women, were
injured boldly in many instances by the
| claws with which he appears to have
armed his hands, and if one writer may
be believed, several deaths on the South
side of London had been caused by the
ter from st. Johns Wood stated that for
a whole fortnight that neighbOrhoOd
had been favored with Spring heeled
Jacks attentions; he sometimes appear
ing as a bear, and sometimes clad in
mail. This correspondent asserted that
the bet, which was supposed to be the
cause of these FRANKS, was that the mon
ster should kill six women in some given
time.
That his appearance was calculated to
( upset even the stOutest-hearted must be
admitted, for the Lord Mayor himself
! though much inclined to be skeptical,
acknowledged that he had been given to
understand on undOubted authority that
in the vicinity of Forest Hill, where he
resided, one of the female servants of a
gentleman who lived near his house had
been terrified into fits by the sudden
appearance Of a figure clad IN a bears
skin, which, upon being drawn aside,
exhibited the human body, with long
ns-emblematical of Satan himself
clad in a suit Of mail.
The "ghost" did not disdain to avail
himself of material means Of conveyance
occasionally as IS shown by a letter to
the Morning Herald, January 49, 1883,
| from "a Resident of PaddingtOn Green, ="
who stated that he had seen, close to his
/ house, a figure clad in white, closely pur-
sued by two men, and after asmart chase
this matter-Of-fact apparition jumped
/ into a cabriolet and was driven out of the
reach of his WOuld-be captOrs.
A committee was formed at the Man
/ sion House in January, 1888, for the pur-
! pose of receiving subscriptions, and to
| decide upon the. best means of capturing
! this uneasy spirit, and of visiting it with
/ the punishment which it so richly de-
! served.
| In sending donation OF 70 to the fund
! a gentleman residing at Dulwich wrote
that his daughter was lying in very
| dangerous state, having been nearly de-
prived of her senses by the sudden ap-
/ pearance of figure envelOped In white
| sheet and blue fire, which had met her
on her return from friends house.
/ Others equally testified to injuries re-
| ceived at the hands of the hObgOblin. A
reward was offered for the apprehension
of the heartless scOundrel, but unhappily
it completely failed in its object, and the
! perpetratOr Of this CHASTITY 'jOke" cOntin-
ued to be at large.
Thinking, perhaps, that he had done
as much harm as he desired in the other
parts of London, for a whole month
! Spring heeled Jack devoted himself to
disturbing the peace of mind Of the
jewellers in the East End of the metrOp-
oils, the neigh borhOod of Bow being par
ticularly patrOnized by him. One gross
outrage came before the Police Magis-
trate at Lambeth street, and caused con
siderable attention.
young lady named Alsop, living
with her parents in the vicinity of Bow
stated that at about 8:45 o'clock on the
evening of February q, 1888, she heard
a violent ringing at the front gate Of the
house, and on going to the door to SET
the cause, she saw man standing on thu
outside, of whom she inquired what wa
the matter. The person instantly re
piled that he was a policeman, and said
"For Gods sake bring me a light, for ",
have caught Spring heeled Jack in the