The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-05-31
NOT JACK, THE RIPPER. /"
A Mysterious Masked Man
Creates a Sensation
AMONGEAST WHEELING FOLKS
by Hiding In the Shadow aud
Flourishlng an Alleged Cheese
Knlle.-Arrested and Released,
no Is Disposed to "KlcE,"

In the early hours Of yesterday morn
ing there was a funny scene on EoG
street south Of Eighteenth, Shortly
after midnight a man took up his
position in the alley opposite the row Of
double houses whose owner has ocCas-
sionally to pay q fine for renting them
out The man had white mask over
his luce from the eyes down, aud wore q
peculiar shaped light hat which In tho
shadow made him much resemble q
white cap" He had stood there per.
haps an hour, and had attracted general
attention, when q man crossed over
from one OF the houses and asked him II
he wanted anything in particular,
The only answer was to pull some
long object which looked like u knife,
and flourish 1t In the air,
This argument was conclusive and the
inQuisitor left,
The women Of the vicinity were
frightened by this time. Memories Of
Jack, the Ripper" came wildly back,
At length another bold man crossed
over and invited the statute to "get a
move on ITSELF"
The statute moved, and tho man
swears big butcher knife flashed in the
shadow, The first glance satisfied him
it was q butcher knife; he did not wait
for further demonstration,
Then q well known night hack driver
aCcoated him, and remarked that he
might get hurt II no kept up the ghost
act.
"You go back on your hack, or III
Just slice YOU" is tho answer he Is
alleged to have made in sepulChral
tones.
When another man requested the
mystery to get off the earth; peoples
tired OF youW the man requested him
10 keep away or he would viviseCt him.
All these people say he had u butcher
knife or q cheese knife,
Finally workman who passed, and
had his attention attracted by a crowd
Of forty or fifty people huddled in
alright on tho opposite side Of the
street, observed the ghostly masqueradel
awhile, and then coming on down town,
told Officer West about 1t. West went
up and told Lieutenant GOus, and the
two went out to the locality.
Seeing hecrowd still there, the officers
slipped around into the alley in the real
Of the figure, and then stopped,
II was leaning against the wall.
The police Ind m experience once
witha wooden soldier.
"Ilist," said West. "Wait till he
moves, Gausy, + it's a dummy, they'll
have the big laugh on u.s."
Pretty quick 1t leaned over upon
the other leg, and spit.
"That settles It," said Gaus. "He's
our man."
They arrested him and brought him
TO the City Building. Both knew him,
He said he ".was just standin' there
and so many people came up and looked
in his face to SEQ who he was, that he
covered his faCo with his handkerchief
He denied having q knife, and the OIL
GERS found none on him,
After consideration, the officers lot
him 20, Yesterday he came to police
headquarters and wanted Lieut.. Gaus
investigated" saying he had done
nothing to warrant police interference.
II he know when he was well of, he
would be glad nobody had taken him
for a highWayman and inserted some
cold led In his person, or that the Mayor
had notinvited him 10 contribute twenty
and costs toward cleaning the streets
this summer.