The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-04-22
JACK, THE ACID
THR0WER, CAUGHT
Chas. Cooper, Arrested in Balti.
more, Says He Was Driven
by Irresistible Impulse
PERVERT USED A SYRINGE
po!ics Found Bottle OF Acid In His
Pockets--Accuced Railroad Fire
man SAID to Have Admitted He
Made Attacks on Fifty Women.

Made htldCkS on FhtJ VOHS''
Baltimore, Md.-That he Is con.
trolled By an irresistible impulse to go
among the women that throng Baltl-
more's fashionable shopping section
and that when he sees an attractive
Young woman he must squirt acid on
her is the confession of Jack the
Acid Thrower," captured by detectives
after a hunt lasting year.
The man is Charles Cooper, thirty
one years old, married, and railroad
locomotive fireman. When at work
Cooper is as good fireman as runs
on the Western Maryland making as
high as $50 a month, but he says he
spent every hour he had off where
women congregate. He says an I'M
pulse would seize him to dash sui
phuric acid on women or girls and he
was not content until he had done so.
Then he would forget all about 1t.
The police have reports from thirty
three victims. Cooper himself. ac-
oording to the police, acknowledges
the number may be fifty.
The favorite method of the man has
been to edge up to young woman In
a crowd and squirt the fluid on her
stockings or dress, burning holes in
the skirt or going through the hois-
er. and burning the limb. He had
two syringes and bottle Of acid on
him when arrested. Three bottles of
aciu were found in the cellar of his
home.
The police has had a description OF
the man from his many victims, but
never were able to come up with him.
He has terrorized the women OF the
Guy for a year. The mention of his
name would throw school children
int q panic
For over a week Captain of Detec
uves Pumphrey has had Detectives
Coughlin and Pohler at work in an at
tempt to round up the acid thrower.
With only a meager description of the
man the detectives were ordered to
drop all other cases and to work
night and day until they captured the
offender Since that time the pair
have loitered in all parts Of the city
in which the acid throwing crimes
have been committed until they
caught the man. AS the detectives
were nearing Howard street. on Lex.
ington, they spied a tall, slim man,
who seemed to be watching carefully
individual women in the crowd of
shoppers.
The man sauntered up to a woman
who stood in the doorway Of No. 223
West Lexington street inspecting a
show window. At the time the de.
tectives were on the north side of
Lexington street. and they watched
from their side of the street. Care
fully the man neared the woman, and
as he gained her side he dropped to
one knee as If to button his shoe The
alert eyes of the two watchers, how
ever. saw the man suddenly slip his
right hand into his trousers pocket
same time bringing his hand up near
the skirt of the unsuspecting woman.
who stood calmly gazing into the
store window. Both men realized
that it was their time to act, and
they dashed across the street as the
man rose to his full height again and
walked out of the doorway toward
Howard street, the woman SECOND
later moving down the street in an
easterly direction.
Detective Pohler seized the man
while Detective Coughlin slipped into
the crowd to call back the woman,
but she had disappeared in the throng.
AS Pohler seized the prisoner he let
out loud cry and attempted to throw
into the street something which he
held in his right hand. Pohler was
too quick for him, however and seiZ-
ing the man in grip of steel he
forced the hand open and found a
syringe Detective Coughlin had join
ed his comrade in the meantime, and
without giving the man chance to
reach his pockets again the detectives
hurried him down Lexington street to
Park avenue and thence to detective
headquarters. A bottle partially filled
with acid, a second syringe and the
metal portion of third instrument
were found in his pockets.
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