Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1888-09-22 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

FRENCII MURDERER.  At a time when public attention is fixed upon the weird series of murders in Whitechapel, it might be of interest (says a correspondent) to recall the singular case of Philippe, who was guillotined some 25 years ago in Paris, convicted of no less than 10 murders of women, committed in Paris and other parts of France. This wretched being was a clerk in a well-known firm of chemists, and greatly respected. He was about 35 years of age, and fairly good looking. His manners were agreeable, and he was industrious and decidedly intelligent. He was frequently sent to different parts of Europe and the East as a commercial traveller. A series of mysterious murders in Paris and its neighbourhood having attracted a great deal of attention, it seems that on one occasion Philippe dropped a razor enveloped in tissue paper at the feet of one of his mistresses. The woman picked it up, and, being suspicious, made a pretext to leave the room, and immediately summoned the police. Philippe, on seeing the police enter the chamber, at once and without any hesitation gave himself up. "It is of no use," he said, this horrible mania has caused me so much agony that my life is unbearable. Yes," he said, "I am guilty not only of the murder of which everybody is speaking, but of many others." In the course of his trial he was found guilty of ten different murders of women, all of them of the same unfortunate class, and he confessed himself guilty of seven others, which he had perpetrated in foreign countries. He was evidently the victim of a horrible mania, and it is said that so great was his cunning he was never suspected by his employer or by any of his most intimate friends of being otherwise than a most inoffensive person. He even on occasions disguised himself in the pursuit of his awful pleasure, if no it can be caned, as an organ grinder, and it was by his extraordinary dexterity that he evaded the police for no long a time.  A LARGE elephant, belonging to a circus temporarily stationed at St. Ives, Hunts, broke out of its quarters the other morning and committed a great deal of damage. It broke down two or three gates and some fencing, demolished a brick wall, and entered the premises of the St. Ives Gas Company, where, by pulling out a plug, it wasted about 2000 feet of gas. Finding its way to the retort-house, it gave the man in charge a tremendous scare, and he lost no time in placing a good distance between himself and the unwelcome visitor. The elephant afterwards scoured the gardens in the neighbourhood, and consumed and destroyed an immense quantity of vegetables and fruit, and helped itself liberally from a wheat stack. It was captured with some difficulty, and taken back to the circus by three men employed there. In Theobalds Woods, Bulls-cross, Enfield, the other morning, the body of a well-dressed man, of gentlemanly appearance, was discovered hanging to a tree by a pocket-handkerchief and waist strap. The deceased, who was apparently between 40 and 50 years of age, was wearing a dark check tweed suit and spring boots, a silver watch, and gold chain. The body was removed and examined by Dr. Collyer, who expressed the opinion that it had been hanging for at least eight weeks. It was much decomposed.  ALFRED JOAN BCRNETT describes himself as a clergyman. He was arrested at the Manchester Central Station, after having behaved in an exceedingly objectionable manner, and made use of offensive language to ladies. For which he has had to pay a fine of Sc. and costa.