The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1889-07-20 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1889.  THE WEEK.  THERE has been a resumption of the Whitecliapel outrages, another woman having been found murdered in the streets. The crime was not attended by such diabolical atrocities as those which marked some of the previous murders, but there does not seem to have been any lack of intention on the part of the criminal. The body was gashed and cut in the old way, and there is no telling how far the outrages might not have proceeded if the murderer had not been disturbed. Everything seems to point to the conclusion that the crime was committed by the mysterious indi. vidual who is called "Jack the Ripper." The low character of the victim, the locality, the silent secrecy of the affair, the methods adopted, all point in this direction. And as in the old cases there is no clue to the murderer; the police are completely baffled— they are paralysed and powerless. While the special precautions were in force nothing happened, directly they were withdrawn the murderer began his work again. Where is it to stop? There seems no hope of detecting the criminal, short of taking him red-handed, and this does not seem likely to happen. Yet it ought not to be possible for a series of crimes to be committed in this way, and to go undiscovered.  REALLY, the generosity of the Government is astounding. They have made an offer of compensation to Thompson, the Coventry youth whom Captain Wood ward committed for ninety days for desertion from the Royal Navy, and who had never seen a ship in his life. And the compensation has been offered so graciously, and with such an evident desire to lessen the aggravation of recent events, that the difficulty is to see how it can be refused. The action of the Govern. ment is characterised by that feeling of justice which is an undoubted attribute of their policy, both in regard to such great questions as that affecting Ireland and to the comparatively small subject of Wtllarn Henry Thompson. But, seriously, would it L-21 k„g difficult to find a worse exhibition of despicable meanness than this case of Thompson dis. closes? After all that has transpired, Lord George Hamilton, speaking in the House of Commons, defended the action of Captain Woodward and the Admiralty, and argued that Thompson's imprisonment was due entirely to his own action and his own false statements. Thompson's affidavit flatly contradicts this assumption, but, of course, that does not matter the slightest. The First Lord himself did not think the case was one for compensation, but after consulting the law officers of the Crown, who knew better than he did, he announced that he had decided to give some recompense. The sum has since been mentioned, and it i 3-25 Twenty-five pounds for having been ar. rested for no offence, imprisoned at Darby, carried off to Portsmouth it is alleged with. out any preliminary magisterial enquiry, kept for some time in a " cage " on board ship, committed to Lewes Gaol for ninety days, thence taken back to Portsmouth and London and Derby, and so on. The contemplation of such munificence is too much for ordinary individuals; no doubt it will be overpowering to poor Tho upson—unnerved by the treatment he has received. But there are certain  " JOSH BILLINGS" Says all men who suffer from the follies of youth or motet A:y resulting in nervous debility, loss of energy, depression of bcirits, want of manly vigour, impoverished blood, and wish to regain their buoyancy of "JOSH BILLINGS" spirits should send for the " GIC M IRRO R," sent free to any part of the world on receipt of three stamps. Address—H.