Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-05-08
JACK THE RIPPER
No Longer q Mystery to the Scientific
Men of London.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 26.-Doctor
Howard, London physician of con-
siderable prominence, was the guest of
William Greer Harrison at the Bohe-
main Club recently. The Englishman
told singular story to his host and
vouched for Its correctness in every
particular. 1t related to the mystery
of Jack the Ripper" which the ply
stefan declared was no longer a mys-
terry among the scientific men of Lon
don, nor the detectives of Scotland
Yard. He said that this assassin was a
medical man of high standing and ex-
tensive practice. He was married to a
beautiful and amiable wife and had q
family. Shortly before the beginning
of the white Chapel murders" he de-
veloped peculiar, and. to his wife, an
inexplicable MAINTAIN 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 and she
spoke to him about it, he laughed at
her fears. Then the White Chapel
murders filled London with horror
The suspicious of the wife were arous-
ed, and as one assassination succeeded
another, she noted 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 unbearable and
she went to some of her husbands
medical friends, stated the case and
asked their advice and assistance
They called the Scotland Yard force to
assist them and by adding one fact to
another, the chain of evidence point
ing to the doctor as the author of the
murders became complete. The ply
sicians visited the murderer and told
him they wished to consult him about
the remarkable case. They stated his
own case in detail and asked him what
should be done under the circum-
stances. He replied that while the
unmistakable insanity of the person
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 himself
was the maniac who had committed
these fearful acts. He declared the i'm
possibility of the accusation, but con-
fessed that of late years there were
gaps in the twenty four hours of which
he positively had no recollection. He
said he had awakened in his room as
if from a 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 as
sured him there could be no doubt of
his identity with the White Chapel as
sassinations. They made an exhaustive
search of the house, led by the accused.
found ample proofs of murder, and the
unhappy man whose mind at that time
was in its nominally clear condition,
begged to be removed from the world
as a guilty and dangerous monster.
The necessary papers were made out
and the irresponsible murderer was
committed to an asylum. In month
or two he lost all semblance to sanity.
and is now the most intractable and
dangerous man confined in the institu-
ton.