Spring-Heeled Jack

It was the 19th century, and the city of London was under siege. Two Jack's were terrorizing the people of this great city, one gained notoriety as a serial killer and became infamous as Jack the Ripper.

The other, Spring-Heeled Jack, caused perhaps even more fear and terror. He was a hideous demonic looking entity. He may not even have been human.

To look at the facts in this bizarre case we have to return to September 1837. Four people, three women and a man, were attacked in separate incidents by a strange, supernatural leaping figure. He wore a cloak, had pointed ears and glowing, protruding eyes and appeared to be able to spit fire.

All attempts to apprehend him failed, partially due to reports of him being able to leap over tall walls and even houses in a single enormous jump.

It was the 18th of February 1838 when two teenage sisters were walking home. Margaret and Lucy Scales were startled in the Limehouse district by a tall cloaked phantom who leapt out at them silently. Upon opening his mouth a flame of blue sprayed out into Lucy's face.

He then bounded out of sight as she lay shaking with fear on the floor.

A couple of nights later 18 year old Jane Alsop answered he door after hearing the bell ring. Upon opening the door, she was confronted by a tall, thin man standing in the shadows. Clearly visible was the cape, less defined was perhaps a helmet of some kind. He looked like a policeman in the darkness. The man asked her to quickly bring him a candle as his colleagues had captured the infamous Spring-Heeled Jack. As she handed him the Candle she realised that this was no policeman.

The Times reported the follwing two days later:

"He threw off his outer garment, and applying the lighted candle to his breast, presented a most hideous and frightful appearance, and vomited forth a quantity of blue and white flame, and his eyes resembled red balls of fire...He wore a large helmet, and his dress [tunic], which appeared to fit him very tight, seemed to her to resemble a white oil skin."

As Jane fell back near blinded, he lunged at her with fingers as hard and sharp as metal, which tore her dress, scratched her skin and ripped at her hair. She screamed and pulled away, but as she ran to the door he was faster and caught her again. Finally her frantic cries for help were heard by her two sisters who ran to her aid and freed her.

They ran inside and locked the door tight, but Jack was not one to give up so easily. It was only when their desperate pleas for assistance roused a couple of passing real policemen that he fled in a series of massive leaps, dropping his cloak in his attempt to flee.

So far, none of his victims had been killed as a result of his deranged attacks. This was soon to change. Maria Davis, a 13 year old prostitute was struggling to make ends meet in a slum area called Jacobs' Island in Bermondsey.

She was last observed by several close passers by walking along a bridge crossing a horrid section of marsh called Folly Ditch. Spring-Heeled Jack appeared suddenly and grabbed her by her shoulders. As before, he seemed to breath fire into her face, and then casually threw her from the bridge. She quickly sank into the mire and suffocated before the astonished and terrified onlookers could respond. Jack was of course out of sight before anyone could apprehend him.

Jack was never identified. There were theories that he was in fact Henry, the Marquis of Waterford, due to a similar build, and upon his cloak opening, several witnesses claiming to see a large golden "W" and an elaborate crest. The problem is, none of this explains the fire breathing or the ability to leap in such a superhuman manner.

There is also the small fact that he died in 1859 and Spring-Heeled Jack was reported all over Britain until 1904...

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