The Washington times., 1906-01-31
STABBERO Of WOMEN
DARK MYSTERY TO
ST. LOUIS POLICE
Eighteen Victims of As
Sailant So Far Re-
ported.
WHOLE CITY IS EXCITED
Scores of Suspects Have
Already Been Taken
Into Custody.

ST. LOUIS. Jan. sl.-AH members of
the St Louis police department, includ-
ing fifty detectives and 200 special Of
ficers, are looking for a man who IN
one night stabbed fourteen women with
in a radius of four blocks in the busi-
est section Of the city.
Ehe whole community is excited, and
women fear to go out on the streets. as
other victims have felt the knife since.
eighteen women having SO suffered
William Desmond, chier or detectives.
has taken personal charge of the case,
and he and his men have worked night
and day in an effort to locate the head,
Several score of suspects have been ar
rested. examined. and then released.
Entire City Aroused.
Three women have been stabbed since
the attacks of a week ago last Monday.
The entire city Is aroused, and citizens
are doing ali they can 10 help the po-
lice.
It was about o'clock on the night Of
January p that report reached head
quarters that two women had been at
tackled and stabbed at Eleventh street
and Washington avenue. Police were
huTriedly sent TO the scene. but before
they arrived five other similar reports
had reached Chief Desmond's office.
The next day seven more women report
ed TO the police that they had been stab
bed the night before.
One OF the busiest corners in St. Louis
Is at Seventh and ave streets at 6
clock IN the evening" 1t was here that
the stabber started his campaign. one
woman was stabbed ia the hip at this I
corner. The stabber continued I'D Olive 4
street TO Eighth, where aaother woman 4
felt his blade. The third was cut at 4
Ninth and Olive streets. At Eleventh /
aad Locust streets Two more victims 4
were added. at Eleventh street and
Washington avenue one more, at
Twelfth street and Washington avenue
three wcmen.
Saved by Clothing.
At Eleventh and Olive streets the man
crept up behind Miss Maud Hall and
dealt her two blows in the back. The
thickness of her cloak saved her from
serious injury. There were two long
cuts in that garment. one near the
bips, the other under the right shoulder
At Twelfth street and Washington
avenue half a dozen boys saw the man
strike down Mrs. Martha Young. fifty
seven years old. The fellow ran away
and the boys gave chase, and after a
pursuit of two blocks captured him He
was taken back TO where Mrs Young
was standing. He was trembling vio-
lently. he held q knife in his hand |
but the boys did not suspect that ne
had used the weapon on the woman.
Mrs. Young did not know then that she
had been stabbed She thought a rude
man had knocked her down in his hurry
she said she would not prosecute. The
bows. after holding the fellow twenty
minutes while a policeman " As sought
let him go at the woman's request.
Mrs. Young walked .2a blocks before
she discovered that shs had been stab
bed In the right hip hea she notified
the police.
Vaudeville Actress Stabbed.
Two nights later Bonnie Maie. a vaude-
vile actress. was stabbed at Sixth
street and Washington avenue, within a
block OF the Columbia Theater. Last
Monday night. week following the first
attack. Miss Gertrude Lowell and Mrs
Esther Pollock were sdoad to the Hst
OF victims.
A week before the date of the four-
teen assault. Miss Adele Flahertv was
cut al Tenth street and Washington
avenue by man. II this was the same
man he has stabbed eighteen women
within three weeks in the downtown sec
ton OF the city. The youngest victim
Is an eieven-year-old schoolgirl. The
eldest Is Mrs, Young. fifty-seven years
OLD. Most Of them are from fifteen 10 |
twenty-five years old
Not one of the victims was sa-fo,,sY,, !
injured, ana not one knew that she had
been stabbed until the assassin had !
escaped.
A good description of the ma, hoe
1een furnished the police Scores of ar
rests nave been made. but no suspect |
has been positively identified. Mant of !
sentiai particulars.
since the stabbng letters have been
received evidently written by an Italian
eaylng ne IS the stabber. Threats are
sr saying in his last letter thst he MI
oloW up the home OF the chIef v,ith
dynamite, lie says he will not be satts-
neg until ne has stabbed 100 women
Every prominent corner IN 81 T,oris
Is now closely guarded by plaIn-clotbas
men, detectives. and officers in uniform