The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-17
Was the Soft Murmur of Scis-
sOrs Clipping Hair
From the Heads of Many Young
Chicago Girls
TO DISORDERED BRAIN
Of J. w. JOrgensOn, Alias ''Jack
the Clipper.
Prisoner Weeps But Later
Talks of His Exploits.

Chicago, Feb. 17.-"Yes,'' said J. w.
Jorgenson, the hair clipper, proudly
last night at the central station, wh1th-
er he had been taken by Detective John
Elliott and Special officer John Evans
of The Fair, 81 am the original Jack the
Clipper. I am the man who has scared
dozens of big-eyed little girls nearly out
of their senses and cut their long, beau
tiful, silken locks from their heads: An!
L liked to hear the soft murmur OF the
scissors as they went through the
braids cutting a hair at a time. 1t was
the prettiest music in the Worlo' ten
YOU
Six girls are known to have suffered
at Jorgenson'S hands since Saturday.
Bauer, Charlotte, 744 Irving Park
boulevard, attacked in The Fair last
Bush, Minnie, 1896 West Congress
street, attacked in The Fair last Satur-
day.
Chamberlain, Milda, 418S North Ash
land avenue, Rogers Park; attacked IN
The Fair last Saturday.
Fransky, Erna, $50 Ogden avenue, at
tackled on the street yesterday.
Tuthill, Ella. 5466 Monroe i aVep II "a at L
store at 8 o'clock yesterday.
Unknown girl, hair clipped yesterday
afternoon in Siegel, Cooper & Co.'S
store; seen by Detective Evans, VINO
was following Jorgenson.
IS CAUGHT IN THE ACT.
Jorgenson, who lives at 4SS West
North avenue was caught in the act
of clipping the hair of Erna F'ransky,
the 13-year- daughter of Mrs. Elsie
Langmann, $50 ogden avenue. With the
scissors with which he attacked the III
tie girls long rich braid still in his hand
he was seized by Elliott and EVans,Who
had been following him all the a1ter-
Moons
The arrest took place near the ruins
of A. c. McClurg & Co.'S store, wabash
avenue and Madison street, at 8 O'CLOCK
and caused a sensation among the nun,
| dreds of persons, who were attracted
| to the scene of the recent fire by cur
| iosity.
Jorgenson made an attack on the de-
| tectiVes when they seized him ana
| stabbed Elliott in the right hand with
! the shears. The end of one of the de-
| tectives fingers was almost cut on a
| struggle between officers and prisoner
| followed and the trio rolled over ana
| over on the pavement. Several citizens,
who did not recognize the detectives be
| cause of their civilian attire, tried 70
! assist Jorgenson, and he was nearly
torn from his captOrs' hands Un1form-
| ed policemen prevented the rescue ana
[ explained the state of affairs.
| HOW ERNA BECAME A VICTIM.
| Erna Fransky was the third victim or
| the hair clipper within three hours. The
| tresses of one were found in Jorgenson's
| pocket when he was searched at the
central station.
| Miss Fransky was on the way to the
| elevated station at Madison street and
| wabash avenue when Jorgenson assaiI-
| ed her. The man saw the girl at Mon
roe and State streets ten minutes pc
| fore the arrest. The girl and her moth
| er were on the west side Of State street
| when JorgensOn was IN front or the
| Palmer house He hurried across the
| street and took his place five feet be
| hind his intended victim. Ten feet IN
| the rear of the clipper were Elliott and
! Evans, who had been on his track two
/ hours without seeing him use his ScfS-
Finally their chance came. In
| front of the McClurg fire ruins the pair
stopped to watch the work of the men
| who were clearing away the de6rls ana
| JOrgenSOn stopped just. behind them
He took one of the two long bra1dS or
| Erna's hair in his hand and attacked 1t
| with his scissors. Then the encounter
with the officers followed
When handouts were finally locked
on his wrists Jorgenson burst into tears
and begged the officers to kill him: He
declared the disgrace caused by his ar
| rest would kill his father, c. E. Jorgen-
| son, a wholesale furniture manufac-
| turer at 1922 Center avenue.
AZ am insane" he cried; please blow
my brains out. 1 can not stand to be
| put in a cell. I have not been respon-
| sible for my acts
At the station he struggled fiercely
| before he was locked up, and for hours
| his means were heard through the cell
| rooms Later he assumed a defiant
| mood, and it was then that he admitted
| his exploits.
! The braid found in Jorgenson's pos
| session was identified as that cut from
| the head of Ella Tuthill, 1856 Monroe
| avenue. Miss Tuthill, with her mother,
| was shopping during the afternoon and
| spent several minutes in The Fair. AS
| they left the place the hair clipper was
| close behind them. Detective Evans
| saw him and followed. Mrs. Tuthill and
| her daughter entered A. M. RothschildS
| &, Co.'S store and stopped to look at
| some pictures. A crowd stood around
! I1erl1 10iR
| He stopped few moments behind Miss
| Tuthll and when he passed on Evans
| saw that one of two bra1dS had been
| severed near the middle.
| Evans took the girls name and, with
| out giving an alarm, kept on in his pur-
| suit of JorgensOn- The latter walked
| to SiegeI, Cooper & Co.'s store and tried
| to cut a braid from a girl, who got away
| before Evans could question her. The
| hair was too thick and it was only
| partly cut, as in the case of Erna
| FranSky. A few feet from the scene
| of the assault Detective Elliott was
| watching for the hair clipper. With
Evans he took up the pursuit of Jorgen-
| son, which ended with his arrest.
| WATTS FOR HIS PREY.
In Saturdays cases Jorgenson stood
| near the main entrance of The Fair
| and as his victims passed he clipped
| their braids. The fact that he was not
| discovered, by the victim in any event
| of recent date, was due to change in
| his tactics. Instead of cutting the braid
| near the head, as in former cases, he
| held it loosely and cut IL midways, thus
| avoiding detection. He told the officers
| he did SO because he had had several
| narrow escapes from arrest. 1t was
| Saturdays depredationS which led to
| JorgenSOn's capture.
Jorgenson is "a years old and married
| He welded a widow last July and since
| that time has lived at 4SS West North
| avenue. He says he has been studying
| to become a draughtsman at the Co
lumbia Business and Trade college. His
father, he declares, has paid for his ed
| ucation in that line, and has supported
| him.