The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-04-25
JACK THE RIPPER
Said He Is Now lnCarcerated
in an English Lunatic
Asylum.
WAS A PROMINENT PHYSICIAN
Fears of His Wife Caused an
Observation-Disclosures
at His Own Request.

SAN Francisco, April 25.-Dr. How
ard, q London physician Of considerable
prominence, was the guest Of William
Greer Harrison at the Bohemian club
recently. The Englishman told a Pc
culiar story to his host and vouched for
it in every particular. It related to the
mystery Of Jack the Ripper" which
the physician declared was q mystery
no longer among the scientific men Of
London, nor the detectives of Scotland
Yard. He said that this assassin was q
medical man of high standing and ex-
tensive practice. He was married to .
beautiful and amiable wife and had a
family.
Developed = Peculiar Mania
Shortly before the beginning Of the
Whitechapel murders he developed .
peculiar, and to his wife, inexplicable
mania-an unnatural pleasure in caus-
ing pain. She grew SO alarmed that
she became afraid of him, and locked
havself and children up when she saw
the mood coming over him.
When he recovered from the par
oxysms and she spoke to him about it,
he laughed at her fears. When the
Whitechapel murders filed London
with horror, the suspicious Of the wife
were aroused. and as one assassination
succeeded another, she noted with
heart breaking dread, that at the Pc
riods when these murders were sup
posed to have been committed, her hus-
band was invariably absent from home.
At last the suspense and fear Of the
wretched wife became unbearable and
she went to a few Of her husbands med
ical friends, stated the case, and asked
their advice and assistance.
Completed the Chain.
They called the Scotland Yard force to
assist them, and by adding one fact to
another, the chain Of evidence pointing
to the doctor as the author of the mur.
ders became complete. The physicians
visited the murderer and told him they
wished to consult him about the re-
markable case. They stated his own
in detail and asked him what should be
done under the circumstances. He re-
piled that while the unmistakable in
sanity of the person who could commit
these crimes would save him from the
halter, he should certainly be confined
in o lunatic asylum. Then they told
him that he himself was the maniac
who had done these fearful acts. He
declared the impossibility Of the accu-
sation, but confessed that Of late years
there were gaps Of "a hours in which he
Positively Had No Recollection.
He said he had awakened in his
rooms, as if from stupor, and he found
blood upon his boots and stains Of blood
upon his hands.
He had also scratches upon his face,
and his amputating knives had shown
signs of use, though he could not recall
having assisted at any operation. These
doctors then assured him there could be
NO doubt of his identity with the White
chapel assassin. They made an ex.
haustive search of the house, led by the
accused, found ample proof Of the muir
ders and the unhappy man whose mind
at that moment was in its normal and
clear condition, begged to be removed
from the world as guilty and danger
ous monster. The necessary papers
were made out and the irresponsible
murderer was committed to an insane
asylum. In q month or 80 he lost all
semblance of sanity and is now the most
intractable and dangerous madman
confined in the institution.