Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-13
"oNE-ARMED LIZ" RECITEs.

OF Wnlch smoked suHOcatlDgly, brandlShlng
a long, crooked -pronged fork In her thin, bony
hand. A fish sizzled uneasily in skillet.
Occasionally she slapped it over, first on one
side, then on the other. The atmosphere of
the place reeked with stale tobacco and GIN
soaked, fetid breaths, for Liz was not alone!
Her neighbors had dropped in to keep her
company. Huddled in a heap together,
they represented poverty in its every stage |!
She was telling what she knew Of the MUIR
dered woman, and her eloquent discourse
was eagerly drunk in by her morbid
listeners.
Il know'd er in life, I'm mornin' 'er in
death, said Liz pathetically ,as she slapped
the fish over on its side, 'an'I could pint
my finger on the blarsted CHAP that done 'er
ef'e wus ERE. But e aint! 'E's walkin' up
and down In the crowd out there and 'e's
cool un, e his. But know'd 'er as soon
es see 'er! Its Dark Annie 1 sed and l
stopped and kissed 'er poor cowld face!'
A halo of vapor arose from the fry-pan
and incircled Liz's head ,as she delivered the
last words of her harangue, and her hearers
gazed spell bound and awe-struck at the
spectacle while the inspired prophecies con-
tinued turning the fish! The scene was at
once gruesome and ludicrous but strongly
suggestive of the people and the place!
The inhabitants of Whitechapel do not
seem to have any particular occupation.
The men loaf in the public houses, and the
women parade up and down the streets.
Most of them are known to each other by
nickname only. Little heed is given their
comings and goings. They may disappear
from their accustomary haunts without
being missed. The taking off of one, more
or less, is matter Of little importance. The
women are, if possible, more depraved than
the men. If they have 4 pence they pur-
chase bed at night, if not they sleep in
doorways or sheds. The thorough;ares of
this district are infested with drunken ruf-
fans and thieves, but the shops are bril-
liantly lighted and the passersby careless
to degree. Police in uniform and plain
clothes patrol the beats; churches throw
open their doors and ring out welcome in
vitation, to which those invited do not re-
spond. No one LAYS any claim to being better
than his neighbor. All are waits Of the same
streets; frequenters Of the same vile resorts;
companions of the same malefactors; living
the same dissolute lives, dying the same
horrible deaths. The ignorance among this
herd of humanity is almost savage-even
the higher instincts and sensibilities of the
brute are lacking. Superstitious, untaught.
evil-minded, they attribute their ups and
downs in life largely to supernatural agen-
cies, and nothing could induce them to
"pal in" with one who had the "evil eye,"
even though Ito express it in their own YER
nacular), he was spending the "swag" of
successful bust" which, I take it, means
we'll supplied with ill-gotten gains.
THE wHITEcHAPEL SENSATION.
The frequency of crime in this vicinity is
such that no particular sensation was caused
when the first, second, third, and even
fourth, of the "Great Whitechapel Muir
ders" came to light. While the world at
large stood appalled, with horror. the people
OF East London shrugged their shoulders,
heavily burdened with their iron cares, and
went unh eedingly on their way. The mur-
ders they assumed to have been the freak Of
some gang of cut-throats known to infest in
great numbers the neighborhood. As for
the victims, who were they that honest
folks should waste pity upon? Some such
reasoning must have passed through the
minds of the callous multitudes to render it
so calmly imperyious to the fate of the poor
unfortunates who, even though the off
scourings of the streets, still deserved some
for their terrible deaths
Astsor the attempts OF the police to trace
the criminals, they fell so far below the
standard of foreign countries, and even be-
low the level usually attained in such cases
by the authorities of provincial towns, that
a perfect hue and cry was raised against
the force from all quarters, when another
and still another ghastly murder was un-
earthedi "We have no clews, no basis to
start from, no link to connect the women with
any known characters in the district" said
the police. don't know how it impresses
other people, but it occurred to me, that with
all the necessary facilities placed at their
disposal they might, had they been endowed
with the skill of the Partisan or Ameri-
can detectives, have succeeded in tracing q
possible connection between the victims and
thus supplied the missing links and brought
to light the hidden motive. The cause of a
murder is not likely to be found floating
upon the surface, nor the ingenuity Of the
average English detective of that originality
which would lead him to dive under for it.
The continuation of the butcheries, of |
course, aroused the sluggish emotions of the
people of Whitechspel. Then they went to
The other extreme, and became trenzied,
even forming themselves into bands and |
organizing clubs for their better protection.
Finally reign Of terror settled down in the |
community.
spent considerable time in Whitechapel |
Turing my sojourn in London. AS result
came to the just conclusion that much is
% be said tor its homeless outcasts. In
many cases no avenue by which they can
honestly earn their bread is open to them.
they are driven to earn it on
he streets. They are indeed children of |
adverse circumstances and unhappy des.
my, and it is no fault of theirs ii they swell
he population of the great city, one and all |
IN the downward path, and a a dizzy, pre-
,ipitory path it is. Impossible to go down
'nly on a run! They tell US "There is a
oul of goodness in things evil" that 'sout
II evil comes good" and that sour poor
bleeding humanity is cropping its way over
sn.smitten world to sublime destinies."
let US hope this is the truth, particularly
where such unfortunate beings are con-
erned. LILLIAN SPENCER.