The Portland daily press., 1892-01-18

tence for that Murder--The "slasher''
Identified by Victim.
NEW YORK, January IA mysterious
parsonage known to the police of this
city as tt'Jack, the Slasher," was arrested
at 2.30 this morning. The police have
been agitated since December over Sc
ries of peculiar assaults, five having oc-
Cured up to date and at least one re
sulting fatally. The victims have, with
out exception, been under the influence
Of liquor and walking along the street,
when some one noiselessly approached
from behind and slashed their throats
with a razor, making his escape before
being identified. One of the supposed
victims of the slasher was Lawyer James
Carson of Baltimore, whose dead body
was found on Chrystie street, Friday
morning with the throat cut.
Early this morning, Detective Master
son of the Oak street precinct, in which
most of the assaults were committed,
was standing on. the corner of New Bow
cry and Roosevelt streets, when a roughly
dressed man approached close to him and
stared into his face. This action
Aroused the Officers Suspicious
and he determined to shadow the man.
The stranger led the officer a tortuous
trip up and down the streets of the East
side until finally a drunken man came
along. The stranger aecosted the inebri-
ate and the two walked together short
distance. Then the stranger fell behind.
The drunken man had proceeded 20 feet
in advance when the stranger suddenly
flashed some glittering object from his
pocket and sprang upon the other. The
latter fell In an instant the detective
with the officer in hot pursuit. Patrol
men joined in the chase. The fugitive
was quickly overhauled and taken to the
Oak street station.
Blood-stained Razor
was found in the pocket of his coat.
The victim, whose throat was serious
ly though not fatally. slashed, was also
taken to the station. He said he was
William Miller of 326 Cherry street. He
had been drinking heavily, and was go
ing homeward when ,accosted by his as
sailant The latter is wellformed,
middle-aged. man, of medium height,
with dark blue, restless eyes. He gave
the name of Henry G. Dowd, 81 New
Chambers street. He denied having as
saulted the man, although he told the Of
ficers when arrested that he acted in
self defence He subsequently, denied
having told the officers this. A force of
detectives was sent out to investigate
Iro,, n
prove conclusively that Dowd and
'Jaclk, the slasher''
were one and the same. 1t is limited
that it will be shown that he is identical
with "Jack, the Ripper and that he
murdered Annie Brown, known as
Shakespeare" for the killing of whom
a poor Algerian, "Frenchy," is serving
life sentence.
Dowd was born in Liverpool 45 years
ago and came to this country while an
infant. His father was one of the original
Central Park engineers. Dowd has been
adiudged insane and at one time was an
inmate of the Flatbush insane asylum.
He long seemed to have mania for
slashing people, and served two years of
a five years sentence for cutting a man.
The Influence of Wealthy Relatives,
upon whose bounty he has since subsist-
ed. He has brother, James j. Dowd,
now in custody as a religious crank.
Another brother, William D. Dowd, is
fancy goods merchant in Boston. To
the latter Dowd has been source of an
noyance for a long time. His brother
and other relatives paid his board at d
lodging house here. Dowd was taken
before Miller today at the hospital, but
Miller said he was so dunk at the time
of the assault that he could not identity
Dowd.
Another of the slasher's victims is
John Clark of Elizabeth, N. J. He is in
the hospital. Today Dowd was taken toS
Clark's ward. Clark at once said:
..'There's the man
Who Tried to Murder Me-"
and became greatly excited. Clark's
Identification is regarded as complete
Dcwd admitted today to Inspector
Byrnes that he had cut the throats of a
dozen different people. In the next
breath, he denied that he had ever been
guilty of any such action. He then con-
tinued in his admission. He knew the
names of the people who had been cut
and had record of every case. Subse-
auently he told the Inspector that when
he was boy, big man entered his
home in Brooklyn and forcibly assaulted
his mother before his eyes. He vowed
vengence on all Dutchmen and, as soon
as he attained manhood, he executed his
tbreat, npon every one whose face resem-
bled that of his mothers assailant
The woman at whose house Dowd
boarded said today he was dangerous
man. He frequently came in collision
with the law and wasi feared by those
who kne " him.
His Favorite Pastime
was to sit in the window and discharge
AZ calibre revolver into the crowded
thoroughfare. He wasainally persuaded
to desist from this peculiar sport.
Dowd's crank brotherealled on him to-
day and to an officer said: "My brother
has been in an asylum, and he is a
damned fool, utterly damned He will
NOT ,,,.av for himself, and when | get on