"JACK THE RIPPER" SCARE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8596, 11 September 1889, Page 3

"JACK THE RIPPER" SCARE.

The nei3hifonr,hood of Castle Alley, the scene of a recent murder,' w'& aga(a thrown into the wildest excitement on July Is, by an attack on another of the class of women who llafe been selected for the victims of the murders in this district. A woman waa heard crying in East Aldgatefor help. In the frame of mind that the populace were thenj it needed but little alarm to bring a thousand persons together in a remarkably afloi't tltq'e, especially in the main thoroughfare at 10 o'clock in' the evening. It was about a quarter to 10 when a woiikn—"one of those females whose attire is peculiar to the districtswas seen to approach with a man from a dark portion of the thoroughfare near the Aldgate East Station, Whitechapel. The pair did not remain long at the corner before the woman was heard to cry aloud; " No j I won't." The man then seized her, dragged her a short distance along the ground) and flung her upon the kerb. He seized her hair with one hand j and with the other produced a knife with which ha struck her. Her screams of "Jack the Ripper" and " Murder " soon attracted attention, and crowds of men and women ran from all directions to the spot whence the screams proceeded. The woman was struggling with her assailant, and the blood with which she was covered gave rise to the dreadful suspicion that she was in the hands of the dreaded and mysterious murderer. Amongst those who first arrived on the soene were several Inembers of the local Vigilance Association, who have only just reeumrnehcert tbeir work, and before the man bail timo to get far bfi iras P'-'sSed nn^ o struggle ensued! It was seen tliat the man had a long knife in his hand, and it was sofflo time before he could be deprived of it. It was eventually taken from him, but even then his fight for liberty was determined, and in the fray the woman crawled away. Police whistles were heard in all directions, and soon a great number of officers, both of the city and metropolitan force, were on the scene. When the police came up the man was cut and bleeding profusely from wounds inflicted by the mob, who had raised the cry of " Lynch him," and were throwing all kinds of missiles at him. Under a strong escort of City and Metropolitan police, he was got to Commercial street police station, where he was charged. When asked whether he had anything to say in reply to the charge, he replied, " The woman robbed me." When asked why he drew the dagger, he replied, " In self- defence." He said he was a sailor, and gave a Scotch name, and said he arrived from South Shields about a week previously. When asked where he was on the morning of July 17, he said he could not say. He did not know where he had stayed whilst in London. On being searched a smaller knife was found in his possession, together with a seaman's discharge. After careful inquiry into all the circumstances, the man was liberated, the woman having failed to come forward to prefer a charge.

a A D, BUT T R U .B. Pessimists generally, and tbe retailers of " cheap " Continental and English watches in particular, often go considerably out of their way to demonstrate that the " rage for the Waterbury is waning." Such is not the case, however, as the Waterbury Watch Factory is still unable with all its increased facilities to keep pace with the demand. Out of the 35,000 Waterburys imported into New Zealand during the last two years there is not a single case in the hands of the Company's representative, who has been obliged during the past week to repurchase a parcel from the New Zealand Hardware Company^ to temporarily supply the demand in Christchurch until the next shipment arrives. As an instance of the thirst for the correct time in the Cathedral City, we may mention that a gentleman who had not the necessary thirteen and sixpence to acquire one in the usual way, tried " burgling" as a substitute, and will have an opportunity of reflecting on the success of his enterprise during the three months of his " board and residence " in the comfortable gaol of that city. The watch is no doubt worth the sentence, but we do not publish this as a premium to burglarl