Weekly Herald
October 12th, 1888
BRUTAL ASSAULT ON A YOUNG WOMAN
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Considerable excitement was caused at Maryport on Tuesday by the
report that a young woman had been savagely attacked by "Jack the
Ripper." It appears that as a young woman, named Margaret
Dixon, living in Eaglefield Terrace, Maryport, arrived at her work at Watergate
Colliery about five o'clock in a most exhausted condition, with her hair
dishevelled and her garments torn. She was understood to say she had been
chased and attacked by a man, but before she could give any details she
fainted and lay unconscious for several hours. She was conveyed home, and
on examination it was found that her corsets had been almost torn from
the body. Dr. Spurgin was soon in attendance, when it was found the girl
was suffering from lockjaw, and was unable to speak. In answer to questions
put to her, however, she made signs that she had been attacked at the wood
near the pit by a man. She succeeded in freeing herself, and ran to the
colliery. The man wore a hard felt hat, and had whiskers. It is also stated
that another young woman was chased by a man near the same place. No arrests
have yet been made.
A FRENCH WHITECHAPEL MURDERER.
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Whether it be a case of history repeating itself or not, the discovery
has been made that many years ago one of the districts of Paris--corresponding
as regards its squalid character to Whitechapel--was infested with a wretch
who went about killing and multilating (sic) women of the "unfortunate"
class. For months this orge (sic) carried on his operations successfully,
but at last was caught, and in a somewhat remarkable manner. He had accosted
a young girl, who, struck by his repulsive look, felt convinced that he
must be the long-sought assassin, and promptly gave him into the custody
of a policeman. Her instinct proved right. All the various crimes were
traced to this particular man, and it was subsequently found that he was
suffering from a strange form of homicidal monomania. Nothing better could
happen than for the Whitechapel atrocities to have the same ending and
to be explained in the same way.
