Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-05-11
RIPPER" FEAR
STILL ACUTE
IN THE CITY
Many Children Remain Away
from School Because of
Scare.
TWO ARRESTS TODAY;
GEARY GETS SIXTY DAYS
Police Guard All Schools and
Truant Officers Go After
Children.

The Jack the Ripper" scare, which
caused the closing of the Seventh
Avenue School yesterday afternoon
because so many pupils absented
themselves and caused great excite
ment at many other schools all over
The city. was still acute this morn
Ing and many children, especially Of
foreign parentage. remained away
from school
Two Suspicious characters were ar
rested during the forenoon and others
were complained of in different neigh
borhoods, but nothing like the ex-
citement of yesterday was to be
found in any neighborhood.
Charles A. Mccall, supervisor of at
tendance, had all of his truant Off
GERS out rounding up the school abb
sentees. The school authorities are
convinced that the Jack the Ripper
rumor is groundless, and that the
children are in no danger. Mr.. Nc
Call said that if necessary he will
centre ali of his officers in one dis
trict in an attempt to restore con-
fidence among the parents of school
tricts in regular order in the same
way.
Since the arrest of the Jack the
Ripper suspect yesterday afternoon,
police headquarters and various pre-
cincts have been flooded with COM
plants of supposed suspicious char
acters lettering on streets in all sec
tions of the city. Many of the COM
plants have been Immediately in
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without foundation.
Geary to BE Watched.
Joseph Geary, the man with the
mask in his hat, who was arrested
by Policeman Merck, of the Fifth
precinct, yesterday afternoon near
st. Joseph's Parochial School, in Wal
lace place, was sentenced to sixty
days for lettering by Judge Mancusi-
Ungaro in the Second Precinct Court
today. Then he was turned over to
the police at headquarters, to permit
further investigation, especially with
regard to his sanity.
Whether the man is harmless or
crafty has not yet been determined by
the police to their own satisfaction.
When arraigned this forenoon he was
evasive in his answers and more than
once contradicted himself.
Boys Caught Geary.
Policeman Merck, who made the ar
rest, told the court that Ladderman
Dominick Murray, of Truck Company
SO. Q, on Plane street, and Joseph Far
rell of 39 Newton street, a pupil In
ST Joseph's Commercial High School,
had caught the man and turned him
over to him.
Geary was seen by young Farrell
first shortly after II o'clock. He then
had the mask pulled over his eyes and
was chasing little girls coming from
the Bruce Street School. Later, when
young Farrell was returning to school,
lust before / o'clock, he saw the man
again, this time near the st. Joseph
School.
AT the same time Fireman Murray
came along with his young daughter
who had come home telling about the
man with the mask. Farrell pointed
out Geary as the man with the mask,
and Fireman Murray engaged the
man in conversation and persuaded
him to walk along the street until
Policeman Merck was found.
When arrested Geary said that he
was an iron moulder and lived in
Pompton. In court today he said he
lived most of the time in New York,
but when at home lived in Trenton.
He said that the mask in his pocket
eyes when he went automobiling, but
his shabby clothes and general un
kempt appearance made the state
ment sound ridiculous.
Mask Hid Features.
Judge Mancusi- -Ungaro insisted
that he place the mask over cis eyes,
and il was found to answer the pur-
pose. hiding his features completely.
Geary answered all questions readily
enough. although not frankly, and
sometimes changed his answers His
oueerest answer was in reply to a
question by the court as to how long
he had been in Newark, when he
said: "I have been here sseven AFTER
moons and seven mornings"
He was sentenced to sixty days on
the charge of lettering. and will
undergo sanity tests before being re-
leased even if no other evidence Is
discovr3d.
Another suspect arrested yesterday
was arraigned in the Fourth Pre-
cinct Court before Judge Wolf by
Detective George kaas, OF the Fourth
nrecil ct. He said he was Michael
Talab brese. twenty-five years old, of
2O0 Parner street.
detective Kaas found MN yester-
dav afternoon hanging around the
vard of the Camden Street School,
and when searched at the station
number Of obscene pictures were
found in his possession. Judge Wolf
said. looking at the pictures, ANY
one who carries s1ch pictures in his
rockets and hangs around a school
building is a menace" He then fined
the prisoner $50.
ryaIabrese had about SO In his
nocket and was unable to pay the
fine. He was turned over to the
headauarters men for further investi-
cation and very soon after said that
he wanted to pay his fine. He was
held. however, as he did not have the
money with him.
Children Chase Suspect.
A crowd of children from the Lafay-
cite Street School chased a man from
the school building, at Lafayette and
Congress streets. to Cedar and
Broad streets, today, where the man
was placed under arrest by Patrolman
Fahey. of the First precinct.
The man is said to have been loiter-
inv about the school shortly before
the morning session started. He
smoke to two of the children, and inn
mediately several boys standing near
started the cry of Jack the Ripper!'
The man Immediately fed up Lafay-
atte street. A crowd of nearly a hum
dred children ran in pursuit. AS ths
IL rskr- - 49,