The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1899-02-17

Joseph Vacher. tho French Jack the
Ripper" was guillotlned at Bourghon-
Brosse, capital OF the department OF
the Ain, the other morning. lie pro-
tested his innocence and simulated in
sanity TO the last. Vacher. who was
~ years old. was condemned at the
october asslzcs at Ain. He Is known
TO have brutally murdered four boys,
six young women and girls and an
aged widow.
The crimes OF Joseph vacher have
surpassed In number and atrocity those
OF the Whltechapel murder known as
Jack the Ripper" His homicidal
mania FIRST broke out In 1894. lie
claimed after his arrest that as every
action has an object and as his motive
was neither theft nor vengeance. his
irresponsiblllty was established. Phys
iologieally physicians have regarded
the case as interesting. git was shown
that Vacher had been confined In an
asylum for the insane and that while
doing military duty love affair caus-
ed him to attempt self-destructlon by
shooting.
The victims Of vacher were shep-
herds and shopherdesses, and his rage
was particularly directed against girls.
He hrst cut the throts OF his victims
with a knife aud afterward mutllated
them with razor. lie was arrested
last year after the police had searched
Tor him n Iona time In vain.
In defens, OF Vacher II was pointed
out that when n youth he was bitten
by mad dog and. that the village
herbalist gave him some medicine.
after drinking which he became lrrita-
bic and brutal whereas he had pre-
Viously been quiet and lnoffensive. II
also appears from these statements
that from that time he had developed
a passion for human blood. Referring
to his crimes, Vacher Is quoted as say
ing:
MY victims never suffered. for.whilo
throttled them with one hand. l sim
ply took their lives with sharp in
htrument In the other. l am an an
archist, and | am opposed TO society.
no matter what the form OF govern
ment may be-"
This desperate criminal was notorl-
ously vain and fancled himself n hero.
He refused to speak about his crimes.
except on two conditions. One was
that the full story OF his murders be
published in the leading French pa
pers and the other that he should be
tried separately for each crime in tho
district whore II was committed.
The exact number OF Vachers vic
Tins Will never be known. but II ia said
that twenty-three assassinatlons had
been brought home TO him In, October
last and the number was added TO as
time wore on. In fact. IT, is doubtful
whether the murderer himself knew
the real number OF his Victims. He
nonchalantly told the story OF some
fresh tragedy from time to time to
the examining magistrate as the de-
tails come back to his mind, and In
each case the investigation has fur
nlshed full confederation OF Vacher'a
narrative. The bodies In each case
were found in the places he Indicated
In lonely thickets or In unused wells.
He seems to have killed merely for
the sake OF killing.
Born near Lyons. vacher served his
military term In a regiment OF zouaves
and showed himself to be n good SOL
der. so that he was made n noncom-
missloned officer although there were
complaints against him OF being brut-
ally severe 10 recruits.
II was shortly after Vacher left the
service that he became III. owing to
disappointment in love affair, and
attempted to blow out his brains with
a revolver. The bullet was never ex-
tracted from his skull. and. according
TO one report, the wound produced re-
current fits OF insanity, and caused him
TO be confined for a time In an asylum
for the insane at Dole.
Since that time and until his arrest
Vacher appears to have wandered
through the country districts OF France
committing murders. He was undO-