The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-18
Captured BY One of Inspector Byrness De-
tectives While in the Act of Cutting the
Throat of His Seventh Known Victim.
Disliked Germans,and When He Saw One
Was Seized with Desire to Kill.
His Crimes Committed with q Razor, Which
Was Found Blood-Stained in His Pocket
Partial Confession TO the officers.
sLAsHED MEN WITH .JAGs."

epecini 10 the ln0lanap0i,S Journal
NEW YORK. Jan. 17.-The mysterious per-
son knowd as Jack, the Slasher,n who has
penchant for cutting the throats of
drunken men, and who has been for some
time the terror of the Fourth ward, was
captured red-handed at an early hour this
morning. He had inveigled drunken man
into a secluded spot, and. throwing his arm
around his neck. had slashed his throat
with q razor. At the door of the ''slasher'
is laid the murder of ex-lawyer Carson, of
Baltimore, who was found dead on Friday,
and the wounding of six other men.
His name is Henry G. Dowd. and he is
evidently insane He is well connected,
but his habits for long time have been
such as to make him q social outcast. For
two years past he has had no other home
than the cheap lodging houses of the Bow
cry afford. Tne wounded man attacked by
Dowd gave his name rs William Miller. of
West Third street. Dowd is now in the
keeping of Inspector Byrnes, and the OFF,
Ger thinks he has the right man.
For some time Inspector Byrnes has had
two-score detectives on duty about the
boundaries of the infested district, and
gave them orders to follow and watch all
suspected persons. Last night detective
Masterson, one of these men, was standing.
about o'clock. on the corner of Chambers
and Roosevelt streets. when he saw
strange man approaching him from the op-
posite side of the street. The stranger had
q handkerchief tied over his face. which
partially concealed his features. The
stranger came close to the officer
and peered In his face, apparently
to ascertain If he was drunk.
The man haunted oil the lonely
thoroughfares, and when belated travel
or approached, scanned him closely. He
finally stood in a dark doorway at the cor
ner of Roosevelt and Oak streets, while
the officer concealed himself little fur
ther down the street. Soon man, who.
from his staggering condition. was evil
IDENTIFY intoxicated, came along. The
stranger in the doorway Immediately
joined the drunken man. and after q mo-
ments conversation the two walked on to-
gether. with the officer. as before. follow
ing some distance behind
HOW HE sLAsHED HIM.
The stranger led the drunken man
through solitary streets and finally into
James street, which appeared to be de-
serted. In front of No. Sc Of this street the
pair stopped and the officer darted into q
doorway, and he was not @ moment too
soon. for the stranger. after giving furtive
glances mp and down the street. put one
arm around the drunken mans neck and
with the other drew razor across his
throat. The drunken man dropped to the
sidewalk without struggle while the
sassin darted away. The officer was. by
this time in close pursuit md a lively
chase followed. Other officers were sig
nailed on the way and they responded so
quickly that at the corner of James and
New Chambers streets. they captured their
man. The man struggled some. but tap
from an officers night stick put an end to
his struggles.
When caught. the prisoner had one hand
in his overcoat pocket and in this hand he
had razor covered with blood. The pris.
oner was taken to the Oak k-street station
house. where Inspector Byrnes had made
his headquarters during the night. In the
meantime an ambulance had been called
and the wounded man was taken to the
hospital. He had sn ngly wound in his
throat and was in O sec,i- conscious condi-
tIon, but he managed to give his name and
address.
At the station-house the prisoner was
closely questioned by Inspector Byrnes.
He told very little and this little was con-
flicting. He at first admitted the cutting,
which. he said. was done in self-defense,
but afterwards contradicted this and said
he knew nothing of the affair and that he
did not do the cutting He was then locked
up for the night. After his preliminary ex-
animation in the Police Court this morn
ing, he was taken to Bellevue Hospital,
where Clark. the man who was cut on Jan.
9, is being treated for the injuries which
were inflicted by the slasher. Clark posi-
lively identified Dowd as the man who had
assaulted him.
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR "DUTCHMEN."
The prisoner was then conveyed to police
headquarters, where he made confession
of his crimes or some of them. He said
the impulse to Kill under some circum-
stances was uncomfortable. He never saw
Dutchman but he wanted to kill him. and
he was always seeking for one. The reason
for this was that q German had assaulted
lle HOtQ6r dI QcI uOulo III DIOOhlyu. uo
face of the ravisher still haunted him and
when he saw a man who looked like him he
wanted to kill him.
"Why did you kill Carsonf He was not
q German" the INSPECTOR asked.
81 could not help it," was the reply. and
then, seeing his error. he quickly correct
ed himself. saying he did not kill Carson
at all.
Dowd's room was searched by the police,
who found blood-stained clothing therein.
The sleeves of the prisoners shirt were
also stained with blood. The stains were
not new. and could not have come from
the victim of this morning. The razor. how
ever, Is the strongest link connecting him
with the murder of ex-iawyer Carson,
of Baltimore, who was found on Christie
street, Friday morning. with his throat
cut As no weapon was found
near the body, the police presumed
that 1t was q case of murder. At the
autopsy on Carson's body the physicians
stated that the wounds had been made by
knife or razor. whose edge was slightly
ragged. The weapon found in the prison
er's pocket to-day has q Jagged edge. and
the physicians who examined Carson's