The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-01-10
Women VICTIMS
Of JACK THE
SLASHER
Attacked on Street During
the Day by Fiend and
Skirts Cut With Razor
ALL POLICE FORCE
AFTER MISCREANT
Men Are Placed at Transfer
Points and the Safety
Stations to Catch Him


Every branch Of the Police Depart
ment was called upon yesterday 10 as
Eist I'm running down "JacIZ the slash
err who has been terrOrizinE young
women Of the city for the last week
by stealing up behind them and emitting
their skirts with a razOr. EIever
girls have already been attacked on
the streets, but in every case the mis-
creant has made his escape. None
has been seriously injured, but the pO-
lice fear that the nend may as readily
sIash n xvoman's fhrOat as her skirt.
Besides the orders TO all patrOlmen
Detectives Reagan, O'COnnelI, Braig
Taylor and Ed Gibson have been de-
tailed On the case. Policemen I'm plain
clothes were stationed at the safety
stations and all the impOrtant transfeI
points of the city yesterday, as these
are the places chosen by the wretch for
his attacks. IL Is HIS habit 10 aIighi
from a street car at crowded corner
aud WELD the razor among the women
as they step on and of the cars. He
PeneraIIy disappears into the thrOng
before he cnn he recognized.
The police, nevertheless. have a good
description Of the villain. furnished
by Miss RosenthaI and Miss Niessen,
two romeiy girls wiz. ar. employed at
the ONCE Of the California Electrical
Works at SO Folsom street Miss
Rosenthal and Miss Niessen were vic
tims OF the strange creature and re-
ported their experience to Harry Piper
Of the electrical company, who in turn
informed the police.
The two girls alighted from a Mis-
sion street car at Third street on their
way to work They had just turned
10 walk down Third street TO Folsom
when Miss Rosenthal felt a sharp
twinge. Turning quickly around she
saw a man hasten into the crowd.
Later she and Miss Niessen found that
their skirts had been cut with sharp
instrument.
The young women describe-rfe razor
wielder as short and stout. on his face
was a large piece OF plaster. Both
young women are confident they could
identify the man.
six Of US were on our way to work, /"
said Miss Rosenthal. in describing the
incident. 'and we were riding on the
Mission street car. ] noticed a man sit
ting alongside one Of the girls, but
paid no particular attention to him. We
got of the car at Third street to walk
- @l.o ,s.so, ~ Iro1eor,, ef-oof Tho mo ',
got Of at the same time. We started TO
walk down Folsom street. when the
man passed us and then slackened his
walk We passed him and a moment
later T felt a sharp twinge. At first I
thought IL was caused by a pin in my
skirt but in a second I realized that it
was something different and as /
turned about I saw the man who had
followed Us dodge into the crowd. I
had seen him on the car and could
easily identify him.
I put my hand on my skirt and was
surprised to find that Il had been cut in
FIVE places. They were long slashes
and could have been made only with a
razor One OF the girls then noticed
that Miss Niessen's skirt had also been
cut There were only two slashes in
hers and they were not SO large as in
mine. She did not feel it, as he did not
cut so deeply. We hastened TO the Of
Zee and there told Mr.. Piper"
Subsequent attacks have been report
Cd to the police. but in4very case the
slasher has made his escape before be-
ing recognized. Thoroughly aroused as
10 the danger TO the women Of the city
with such creature at large, orders
were issued yesterday instructing the
entire force 70 bend every effort to
capture him. Accordingly. policemen in
plain clothes were placed at all the
safety stations on Market street and
at the transfer points at Third and Fol-
som streets, Market and Kearny. Six
teenth and Folsom. Sixteenth and Mis-
sion. Third and Mission and Ellis and
Stockton streets
There has been such a striking SINH
larity in all the attacks that the police
are convinced that they were all made
-.