Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-08-28
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The Mayfair
Mysteries.

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Mysteries.
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All Londoners were horror-stricken
and indignant when they learned
through the newspapers OF a series
OF extraordinary crimes, in some re-
1pects similar to- the notorious Jack
the Ripper murders.
The first Of the series was the MUIR
der OF q boy in the maze of news
and stables lying between Jermyn
street and st. James square; a week
lAher similar crime was committed
on the sonth side Of Oxford street.
This time the victim was an elderly
shape
In each case death had come swift
" and without a. struggle. In each
case the crime wass committed during
the earliest hours Of morning. All
the victims when found showed the
came external injuries.
They had been struck once, and
only once, heavy, crashing blow be-
hind the lett ear with some heavy,
blunt instrument, and 1t was on this
6act, first OF all, that the police placed
much reliance as likely clue. Yet
the fifth crime Of the series found
chem as much IN the dark as ever.
Marshall Third, the vigilant, had been
following VI, the cases in the papers
eagerly.
So far, In spite OF extra plain
clothes patrols and hastily organ
lied vigilance committee, the police
had only made one arrest to which
serious Importance could be attached.
Al one time 1t had seemed practically
certain that a conviction would have
been obtained, but two circumstances
placed the mans innocence beyond all
Doubt The first was the extremely
able and convincing defense set up
BY Lawson Hood, the great criminal
barrister; the second. which was con-
elusive, was the fact that the third
crime was committed on the evening
0c the police count proceedings.
lawson Hood was personally known
% the yigilant. and. the two had met
OF, several occasions in connection with
various causes celebres. He was the
author OF two standard works on GRIM
inology, and though comparatively a
young man, had already climbed to
the. top OF the tree. On the Yigilant's
desk lay a. note Tin his handwriting
accepting an Invitation to come around
that evening.
HE arrived punctually to the min.
ute. He was tail, slim-built man.
broad dl shoulder. with a keen. clean.
ahayen face.
Il was glad to get your note. Mr..
Third he said, taking seat. "I
particularly wanted to have a chat
With you. must confess these muir.
Aers utterly puzzle men, and want
to hear your theory. Needless to say,
child could have seen that the poor
wretch / got OF the other day was
innocent.
ut is a peculiar casa very necu-
4laar case" said Third. 81 think / am
not exaggerating II / say 1t is the most
peculiar which / have ever concerned
myself in.
.a.Now as to essential points. First
and foremost. all the crimes have
been confined to an area bordered on
the north by oxford street, on the
south by Pail Mall. Not one has been
committed east Of Piccadilly circus,
nor further west than Hail Moon street
that was the case Of the young Amer
cam returning from supper party
after the theatre, you will remember,
Lawson Hood nodded.
From that fact deduce that the
murderer is in all probability homi-
cidal maniac of good position, a fire.
quenter Of those parts. It is ,gion
particularly free from loafers and
ne'er-do-wells. We may reasonably
assume that the amurderers Is a man,
and since there is an absolute lack of
motive, a maniac with an occasional
Irresistible desire to kill.
''The next fact is that he is prob
ably a tail man, for, according to the
reports in the original case of the
messenger boy, the blow was struck
n q dfstinctly downward direction,
Enough he was tall for his age-fve
loot three, to be precise. The Amer
lean stood a shade over six foot, yet
according to the medical evidence. the
blow was circular sweep, indicating
e thar the murderer's shoulder must