The morning call., 1891-06-28
A HUMAN TIGER.
The Manner in Which the Devil
Marked His Purchase.

The night of January II, 1853, was very
stormy one, the wind blowing the snow
into drifts that made the streets almost i'm
passable.
At this time the southeast co rner of Ninth
and Chestnut streets was occupied by
Weleh's Circus. and the front was divided
into small one-story buildings.
That nearest to Ninth street was toy
store kept by a pleasant little German
named Joseph Rink.
On this night lady, accompanied by her
little son, was just entering the place when
S be was almost overcome by the rush Of a
man through the door She got one glimpse
of his face, and the feeling Of horror inspired
by the terrible eyes that glared into her own
has not been eradicated by the interval of
thirty-eght years. In an instant Rink fol-
lowed tue man out, gave q gaSping cry and
dropped dead on the threshold. his life's
blood making crimson the snow on the side
walk. He had received a daggeT-thrust
through the heart
Wild with terror, the lady caught up her
little boy and fled away through the storm.
There was not the slightest cew to aid ia
tracking the assassin. For year the only
witness suffered from mental trouble that
seemed destined to be permanent; in dark
ness or la light in company or alone, the
demon eyes of the murderer were ever star
ing at her, and she believed that she was
under the influence of deadly and malig-
nant will that sought to do her evil.
At this time there lived at 200 Federal
street, Just above Seventh, two women,
sisters-Mrs. HonOra Shaw and Mrs Ellen
Lynch. On the morning of the 10th Of
March the neighbors were thrown into con-
sternaton by the screams of girl She
was standing in the door of Mrs. Shaw's
room, apparently paralyzed with fright.
Those who made their way upstairs saw a
horrible spectacle. On the floor, cut,
hacked and torn as ii by the teeth of wild
beast, lay the bodies of the sisters. Al
though both were large women. with
abundant strength and vigor, they seemed
to have made no resistance, and DR.. Duff
fee, in making minute investigation OF
the dead, described the eyes as indicating
intense fear.
A piece of lead pipe that had been used as
a billy, broken dirk-knife and series of
bloody hand-prints on the wall, curiously
following each other, as il done with de-
liberation and design, were the only traces
Of the murderer, save the bodies Of the un-
fortunate women. No noise had been heard
during the night by the family below.
No wonder many people doubted whether
il could have been the work OF n human be-
ing. The CHASTITY imagination of Edgar A.
Poe could not conceive q trageny more hor-
rible in all its details.
Early in March, 1853, a little man, accom-
panied by boy Of ii, came to lodge at a
small tavern on Market street. near the east
end Of the bridge across the Schuylkill. He
was very retlcent, but gave his name as
Arthur Spring and his trade that of shoe
maker. The boy was his son, and seemed
intensely afraid of his parent. Spring came
and went without attracting any attention
until one day. about the 18th of March, the
boy stealthily approached a policeman
named Mason. who was standing on the
Hid al fsvrc GsT
who killed the two women downtown last
Thursday. It's my father, Arthur Spring,
and I'm afraid he will kill me"
Mason was fortunately prompt aud intel
ligent. Accompanied by a citizen he went
at once to Springs room. The villain
played the part Of honest stupidity, but a
search among his goods proved his guilt
beyond a doubt and confirmed his sons
story, and after trying to incriminate the
boy he confessed all
In appearances he was small, but we'll
built, his hands being especially muscular,
like hooks of steel, but his head was marked
peculiar, being as fiat as a serpents The
writer had an opportunity of watching him
unobseryed In his cell in Moyamensing In
court he had affected a stupid nOnchaIance
and kept bis eyes closed, but alone he was
alert and vigilant and one could imagine
how his tiger spring would parayZe his vic
tim. Ordinarily his eyes were steel gray
ence Of murderous impulse they would
become dull red and glow in the deep re.
cesses under the shaggy brows like live
Goals. Bat no words can describe the demon
like glare that sEOt from the half-closed
eyelIds. His hands we're working conynl-
slvelv, and the strange hiss that accompa-
MED his fits of rage could be heard plainly
outside the CELL 1t was with feeling Of
horror and fear that the writer withdrew
from the hold OF this human tiger.
From the evidence given on the trial II ia
plain that Springs intensely evil and malig
nant nature affected and influenced others,
physically, after the manner of the hypnotic
manifestation OF to-day. On his own con-
fesSion and the evidence of his son, Spring
was convicted of killing Rink and the two
women. and hanged June 10, 1853. The only
wish he expressed before standing on the
gallows was that he might lay hands on the
child that had betrayed him-Phila. Record.