, 1907-08-01
MURDERER
MApMAN RIPS OPEN sToMAcHS
OF THREE BABES.
WHITE CHAPEL REPETITION
Berlin Mothers Go Wild With Excite
ment and Entire City Is UP
in Arms.

Berlin.-A series of cold-blooded
crimes. singularly resembling the
Jack the Ripper" murders of the
Whitechapel district in London, but
sor the fact that instead of women the
victims were little girls. followed one
another with remarkable celebrity al
most in the center of the city, and
aroused the most intense excitement
and Indignation. Within a short space
of time the assassin successfully en-
ticed three girl babies. the oldest only
Ave years, into doorways of houses.
and stabbed them several times in the
abdomen with a sharp instrument. AS
q result one of the children is dead,
another is dying m the third is dan
gerously wounded.
The first knowledge that the crimes
had been committed came when an oc-
cupant of the house at Ryke and Bel
forter streets found the body of Mar
garitha PrawitZ, aged four, lying In
the doorway, bathed in blood, the
lower part of the body horribly
gashed. This was Immediately re-
ported to the police, who were about
to investigate the case, when reports
came that Bertha Lenst, aged three,
and ELY Knispel, five years old. had
been found similarly on h ground,
but alive, in the PrinZhauer alley and
in Hensersdorfer street respectively.
Rumors Dol spread magnifying the
number of victims, and the inhabitants
of the ~neighborhood became intensely
excited. Mothers sought their children
In the streets and made them return
indoors for fear that they might meet
a similar fate. Crowds gathered about
the police station shouting vengeance
against h murderer.
In the meantime the W victims
who were still alive were sent to a
hospital. Their condition is precari-
Gus and they arc not expected to sur
vive.
The officials acted quickly in an en-
deavor to locate the murderer, and pub
lished an offer of a reward of S 1000
for his capture. No.
Shortly after the crimes were COM
mitted a slip of paper with a deaths
head sketched On 1t was found or a.
public seat in the square near the
scene. On it was scrubbed in a ram
bling hand:
Away, away! In five minutes
child murderer in the neighborhood.
'''S "a PoihsS. - hhSo
killed children in Belforter, Preinz-
hauer n H~ensersdorfer Streets"
The note was attached to the seat
by means of a sharp single scissor
blade, and 1t is assumed that the
crimes were committed with the other
half of the instrument.
All the available police and detec-
tives were ordered to scour the neigh
borhood. Some parents have reported
that their children had seen a bag
gard man., about 81 years old, well
dressed and wearing a cap, Offering
candy and fruit to little girls, whom
he asked to accompany him.
A man was arrested shortly after
ward who tailed somewhat with his
indefinite description. Later he was
confronted by the two wounded chill
dren, who, however, were too weak
to respond to the questions put 10
them. The man was then taken in u
cab. guarded by police, to the police
station. The crowd outside the sta
ton, believing him to be the MUIR
derer, attempted to drag him from
the vehicle and to lynch him. and he
was only saved by the policemen
drawing their swords and holding the
crowd ut bay. The people then at
tempted to storm the station, and the
prisoner was removed to the central
station for security.
Experts who have examined the
note found on the seat have come TO
the conclusion that it was written by
a mailman. They will secure sam
pies of writing from the prisoner and
compare these with the note.
The streets of the city and suburbs
are patroled by large numbers of po-
licemen. Intense excitement prevails
and h people are discussing the
question whether or not the murderer
is still at large and whether the
bloody deeds are to continue.