RIPPER OUTRAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14133, 7 August 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

RIPPER OUTRAGES.

THREE WOMEN STABBED IN ONE

NIGHT.

The hunt for the author of the JackRipper outrages, which have caused something approaching a reign of terror among unhappy women in the Wast Derby district of Liverpool, saw & dramatic development in the arrest of a foreigner named Harry Rudolf Voight, aged 36, , who had been residing at a house in Brook s Road, Bootle. He was subsequently brought up at the City Police Court, and remanded. ■ The outrages, eight in number, have spread over some six weeks. All, with the exception of the last, have been committed between nine and 10 o'clock at night. What has generally happened is this: A woman, while walking the street, has been accosted by a man. Having gained her confidence, he has decoyed her into some dark place, and there, without the slightest warning, stabbed her in the body. Then ho has speedily vanished in the darkness. In some cases the victim has not realised that she was stabbed until she noticed blood upon her clothing. To a miscreant of this character the district where the outrages have been committed offers exceptional means of escape. Behind almost every row of houses there is an open passage, which sometimes branches off into as many as four or five exits. At night-time scarcely a ray of light can penetrate into these dark recesses. What wonder, then, that the police have found this Jack-the-Ripper to be so extremely elusive? Since the first outrage was committed, on May 3, they have been persistently at work trying to trap him. From time to time their zeal has been stimulated by some fresh instance of his activity. One night no fewer than three women were stabbed within the space of 55 minutes. CI.EVER DISGUISES. After that a large number of additional plain-clothes men were drafted into the district. Detective-Inspector Moore, who has had charge of the operations, showed the utmost ingenuity in his methods. He sent out a band of officers arrayed in all kinds of disguises. So well were they "got up' that, when mixing with the general public, they were unrecognisable even to their most intimate friends.

One or two of these detectives were dressed as navvies, even to the short clay pipe; some as chimney-sweeps; others as tram inspectors, gas inspectors, and railway porter®.

But the cleverest disguise of all was that of an extremely smart officer, who perambulated the pavements wearing a pair of blue spectables, and led by a little girl, in the character of "a blind man." The outrages, however, still continued. Public excitement grew. People wondered at the miscreant's audacity. Though the police had spread a very big net, they were unable to catch their man. However, they were working very much in the dark, as they lacked a really reliable description of him. So matters. stood "until the Friday night. About six o'clock a young woman, named Annie Parkinson, was in the vicinity of Lime-street railway station, when a man spoke'to her,. They had some conversation and then walked together to a. house in Kirby-street {which is situated in the district where the outrages occurred). ■ According to Parkinsons story, the man, who spoke with a French accent, told her of the way he could find employment for a number of girle in Pane. He explained what his mission was, and said that he had to disguise himself. Then, saying that- he would like her to come and see him, lie wrote an address on a card and gave it to her. She was on 110 account, he said, to show the card to anyone else. They afterwards fell to discussing the outrages.' Parkinson says that :he spoke slightingly of the police, remarking that the man was " staring, them in the eyes" all the time. The girl looked at him with surprise: thereupon he said, "You don't think I'm the man, do you?" She replied that "ghe; would not like to' think he was," and little more was said about the matter. TUB GIRLS STORT. On arriving at the house the man, according? to Parkin/ion, wanted her to induce a woman who was downstairs to go out. The girl would not do so. A few angry words passed between them upstairs. The next thing that happened was that the man, she said, pushed her down, and essayed to strike her with eome sharp instrument, which looked like a lance. .

The girl screamed. The woman downstairs ran up to see- what was the matter. The man, hearing: footsteps, took alarm, and, dashing out of the room, escaped from the house. Save that she was very much frightened, the girl was unhurt. Later in the evening the girl went to the police and told her story. She supported this by producing the card which ehe said the man had given her. Detective-Inspector Moore, accompanied by two other officers, went to the address given on the card. They continued their investigations until a late hour, and ultimately, as already recorded, they arrested the man Voight, who was charged with attempted murder. A well-built man with full, dark features, a thick brown moustache, and closely-cut hair, he was wearing a blue reefer jacket, and carried a cap. He showed little concern during his momentary stay in the dock. Parkinsona good-look-ing girl, with golden —sat on a side bench. Formal evidence was given by DetectiveSergeant Wliitley. Shortly after eight o'clopk the " previous night complainant made a statement to the police. At 12.30 he arrested the prisoner, who said, " You will find no instrument on me." "In his right-hand pocket I found this knife," said the officer, indicating an instrument, which lay on the ledge of the witness-box. That was all the evidence, and the prisoner was remanded.