Graham guardian., 1895-05-04
WAS JACK The RIPPER.
THE WHITE CHAPEL FIEND A
DOCTOR.
He Was One of the Prominent Physicians
of London, and was Mae When
He Committed the Grimes
that Shocked the Civ
ilized World.

ilized World.
DR.. Howard, a London physic-
ian of considerable prominence,
was the guest Of William 6. Harri-
son at the Bohemian club, in San
Francisco, recently. The English
man told a singular story to his
host, and vouched for its correct
ness in every particular. 1t relat-
ed to the mystery of Jack the
Ripper" which the physician de-
clared was no longer a mystery
among the scientific men of Lon
don nor the detectives of Scotland
Yard. lie said that the assassin
was medical man of high stand
ing and extensive practice. He
was married to a beautiful and am
liable wife and had family.
Shortly before the beginning of the
White Chapel murders he develop
ed peculiar, and to his wife an
inexplicable mania-an unnatural
pleasure in causing pain. She
grew so alarmed that she became
afraid of him, and locked herself
and children up when she saw the
mood coming over him. When he
recovered from the paroxysms she
spoke to him about it and he
laughed at her fears. Then the
White Chapel murders filled Lon
don with horror. The suspicious
of the wife were aroused, and as
one assassination succeeded anoth-
er she noticed, with heart breaking
dread that at the periods when
these murders were supposed to
have been committed her husband
was invariably absent from home.
At last the suspense and fear OF
the wretched wife became unbear-
able, and she went to few of her
husbands medical friends, stated
the case and asked their advice and
assistance. They called the Scot
land 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 murders
became complete. The physicians
visited the murderer and told him
they wished to consult him about a
remarkable case. They stated his
own in detail, and asked him what
should be done under the circum-
stances. He replied that while the
unmistakable insanity of the per.
son who could commit these crimes
would save him from the halter, he
should certainly be confined in a
lunatic asylum.
Then they told him that he him
self was the maniac who had done
these fearful acts. He declared the
impossibility of the accusation, but
confessed that of late years there
were gaps in the twenty-four hours
of which he positively had no rec
objection. He said that he had
awakened in his rooms as if from
a stupor, and found blood upon his
boots and stains of blood upon his
hands. He also had scratches up
Oh his face, and his amputating
knives had shown signs of use,
but he could not recall having as
sisted at an operation. The doc
tors then told him that there could
be no doubt of his identity with
the White Chapel assassin. They
made an exhaustive search of the
house, led by the accused, found
ample proofs of the murder, and
the unhappy man, whose mind was
then in its normally clear condi-
ton, begged to be removed from
the world as guilty and danger
Gus monster.
The necessary papers were made
out and the irresponsible murderer
was committed to an insane asyl-
um. In month or so he lost all
semblance of sanity and is now the
most intractable and dangerous
madman confined in the asylum.