St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-18
THE RAZOR FIEND,
"Jack the Slasher" Is Run in in
New York.

NEW YORK, Jan. II. - "Jack the
Slasher." that mysterious individual
who since Dec. 20 has roamed about the
lower section of the city at night cut
ting the Threats of drunken men with
his razor, has been captured. The pris-
oner is Henry g. Dowd. an Englishman,
born in Liverpool. and came to this
country when a boy. Dowd was arrested
between 2and o'c clock this morning. He
has been confronted by John Clark, of
Elizabeth, n. j., whose throat was cut
on the 9th inst, and positively
identified by him as his assailant.
Dowd then confessed, admitting also
Baltimore lawyer, who was found on the
street last Thursday morning with his
throat cut from ear to ear. Then he re-
tracted this, and doggedly refused to
talk. The prisoner is now in q cell at
police headquarters.
The attention of the police was called
to the operations of the slasher when
John Helm had his throat cut on Dec.
20. Then followed the cases of Louis
Lawson, John Clark, of Elizabeth, n. j.,
George Williams and Edward Christian
son, a Swede. All of these were under
like circumstances cut. Then came the
Byrnes was thoroughly aroused. Twen-
ty of his most experienced detectives
aud twenty more regular policemen in
citizens dress have kept sharp watch
i'll the downtown section of the city,
where the slasher'S operations were con-
fined.
Policeman Masterson was standing in
plain clothing on the corner of New
Chambers and Roosevelt streets shortly
fter O'Clock this morning when he
saw strange man approach him from
the opposite side of the street. The
man had handkerchief tied around his
head. partially concealng bis features.
He came close to the policeman. peered
into his face, evidently to ascertain
whether he was intoxicated, and then
walked away. The policeman followed
unseen. The man walked up one street,
and down another. When the man
stopped the policeman halted. In few
minutes the policeman saw drunken
man approaching. The man he was
watching saw the drunken man at the
same time, and walked towards him.
The pair exchanged a few words and
moved together, followed by the police
man. G
Near James street the policeman saw
the stranger raise his arm. grabbing the
drunken man by the neck, and in a mo-
ment after saw the drunken man sink
to the sidewalk without a word. The
stranger darted away, with the police
man in hot pursuit. The latter was
joined by other officers, and the fellow
was run down. He at first showed fight.
but tap on the head with a club sub
dued him. In the mans hand was
razor covered with blood. The wounded
man, whose name is William Miller,
was in Semi-conSciOus condition, and
could not identify his aSsallant.
In ByrneS' private room the man con-
fessed to some of his crimes. He said
the impulse to kill under certain cir
cumStanceS was uncomfortable. He said
he wanted to kill all the Germans. A
German had once raviShed his mother
in her Brooklyn home. The face of the
ravisher still haunted him, and when.
ever he saw man who looked like the
one he was pursuing he tried to kill
him.
''Why did you kill Carson?" asked
Inspector Byrnes, "he was not Ger
man?"
II could not help it," was the reply.
Then SAID he quietly, "Oh, did not do
it at ALL"
He comes of good family. His
mothers sister married Samuel n.
Hoyt, brother of the late Jesse Royt,
the millionaire, whose will was stub
bornly contested by his daughter, Mary
Irene Hoyt. Samuel n. Hoyt resides in
Brooklyn. About fifteen years ago
Dowd was placed in Flatbush asylum
for insanity, but he escaped. These