The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-11-07
TIE LONDON MURDERS.
The Most Horrible Series OF
Crimes Of Modern Times.
Numerous Women Butcherea by
a Midnight Assassin.

Whitechapel is one of the eastern suburbs
of the metropolis Of London. 1t lies along
the river Thames and contains the Tower Of
London In this district there has lately
been committed a series Of crimes that rival
in enormity all that has ever been told be
fore, either in fact or in fiction
Since last April eight women have been
murdered under circumstances Of such pecu
liar atrocity that all seem to point to some
one person as the perpetrator. All were dis
solute women, and the mutilations of their
bodies were all Of similar character. Their
throats were cut, and they were stabbed and
cut otherwise in most horrible manner.
Three of these murders occurred between
the first week in August and the first week week
in September. and all England has been
aroused to a pitch Of excitement and trepida-
tion rarely seen in any community,
The whole police power of the king
dom has been brought to bear on
the detection of these crimes. Va
rious theories have been propounded
in respect to these horrors, some supposing
from their similarity that one person has
committed them all; others that several par
sons have been concerned in them together,
and others that the enormity of the first
crime has led to limitations of it. Since the
beginning of this century there have been
fifty mysterious murders in this country ana
in England the perpetrators of which have
never been discovered.
A late dispatch gives the following partlcu-
lars:
The eighth victim of the Whitechapel
fend has been found, and oil London is in a
state of frenzy. The butcher who gloats in
his ferocities and delights in the tiendish
mutilation of human bodies is still at large.
The latest victim discovered was evidently
murdered some weeks ago, and the frightfully
butchered and decomposed body was found
in different locality from any of the other
unfortunates who have fallen under the bane
of this mysterious fiend, who can with i'm
munity perpetrate his awfui crimes ana ter-
rorize class of London's citizens.
The newest revelation suggests the thought
that already he has executed bis awful threat.
Fifteen before STOP" was marked on the
body of the first victim, and already eight
have been found. Six Of them were
discovered in the Whitechapel district,
the seventh at New Castle on Tyne,
but the eighth, and that not recent
one, is found in a section not here.
tofnre invaded by this maniac, whose record
OF mutilation and butchery appals great
metropolis, battles the police and creates
CONSERVATION in government circles.
Early Tuesday morning the body was found
on the embankment OF the Thames where
the Grand Opera House was to be erected.
The person who discovered the eighth vic
tim recoiled in horror at the sight. A bead
less trunk of q woman, mutilated and gashed
beyond the conception of the most blood
thirsty, lay on the bank i'll an advanced
state of decomposition.
The scene of the murder is, in the day time,
one Of the busiest localities in London. Thou
sands pass there at all hours of the day,
hundreds of drays move in continuous pro-
cession, and many Of the large business
places Of the city are located there.
London is terror. stricken as it has not been
for generation, and demands that some
thing be done. So suspicious-looking char
jacters, and they can be found by the thou
sands in the East End, are taken into GUS
tody in a laundering way, held for an hour
then discharged.
The curious disposition to connect the
crimes with an American has been carried to
su absurd extreme. "An American hat, y
ian American medical student" an Ameri-
can what not!
Hordes of people rush to the dark, damp
quarters where the murders have been COM
mitted, by day and night. The wanderers,
men and women, who have always been
about those streets, are there yet, having
nowhere else to 60. Other people, drawn by
curiosity, 20 to see-whatf They see
nothing But now and again comes new
murder. It happened, perhaps, while the
crowd was still gaping about; yet no one saw
or knew Of it, and the assassin has vanished
as completely as one of the grotesque shadow
figures made in the fog by the uncertai.l
light from the street lamps.