Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-08
Another Whltechapel Tragedy.

I.oSDON, Aug. Much excitement was
occasioued i'll Whitechapel district this
morning when the rumOr was rapidly
passed from mouth TO mouth that the
dreaded Jack the Ripper" had again ap-
peared ana committed one of the butcheries
that has made his name Il household word
IN this most ill-favOred portion of London.
That there was reason for excitement there
can be no denial. At an early hour this
morning, as one OF the deniZens of White
chapel an old woman named Wolfe. WAS
passing through one of the numerous dark al
leys with which tho region abouuds. she was
set upon by an unknown man armed with
sharp knife. The place where the assault
was made was L dark and dismal one. and
as the hour was early the usual prOwlerS
had sought refuge in the doorwayS or under
the arches where they lay III Il drunken
Slumber
As rows are of nightly, almost hourly oc-
cuIrence, III Whitechapel. no attention was
paid, II indeed any noise was heard as 10
what caused the CommOtiOn. for it WAS sup
posed TO be one of the usual drunken scuf-
fies. But for the old woman it was
scuffle for life. From what can be learned
from circumstances surrounding the attack,
II appears the man, who the people OF
" hltechapel are firmly convinced was the
famous Ripper" used his knife with
fiendish ferocity. He grasped the woman
by the head. and drawing her backward he,
with one hand across her mouth, silenced
the cries she would naturally have tried to
make. while with the other hand he drew
the keen-oladed knife across her tightly
drawn throat, intiicting 4 terrible wound.
Then using the knife as dagger, he plunged
il into her body again and again There is
deep wound on the woman's arm, which
1t Is believed was received while she was
attempting to ward of the ferOcious blows
aimed at her body. When released from
the grasp of her assailant, the woman drop
ped to the ground with the blood pouring
from her wounds, ana when shortly after
ward She was discovered by q passing
policeman she vas unconscious and in a
dying condition. She is seventy years old
The police are, as usual, hunting for some
clew that will lead to the Identification of
the murderer, but, as in all other White
chapel crimes, the assassin has disappeared,
leaving no trace save his mutilatcd victim.
The woman was taken 10 the hospital and
after a time she recovered sufficiently To
tell of the attack made upon her. She is
German, and unlike the other women mur-
dered and mutiiated IL. Nhitechapel. she
was not IN the company of the man who at
tackled her, but was passing along the street
when, without warning, Il man sprung upon
her She saw the glitter of the appraised
steel blade, but was unable to escape from
the grasp of her aSSailant. She threw up
her arm to defend her throat from the
sweeping blow aimed at it. and it was
through this movement that the wound in
her arm was inflicted. When her assailant
released her from his grasp, she fell upon
the doorstep. Despite her terrible wounds,
she still retained possession of her senses,
and though the wound in her throat was
bleeding profusely, she was able to articu-
late, the weapon not having reached the
windpipe Several persons passed while
she was lying on she doorstep, and though
they endeavored to ascertain what the
trouble was. she could not speak English
sufficiently well to make herself understood
that an attempt had been made to murder
her.
1t is understood that the police found
razor covered with blood near the scene
of the crime. The wound in the woman's
throat could have been made with Il razor,
rs could also the deep cut i'll her arm. but
from the nature of the other wounds it is
believed that they were caused by either a
knife or dagger. as they appear to be Il stab
wound, and not such as would be made
with razor.
One man has been taken into custody on
suspicion of being the assassin. but the evil
dence against him is very weak.