The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1889. JACK THE RIPPER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2070, 22 February 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1889. JACK THE RIPPER.

The mysterious individual who, towards the end of last year, created such consternation m London by the terrible series of crimes known j»s " the Whitechapel murders," and who baffled the skill of the whole detective force of the metropolis, appears to have crossed the seas and to be pursuing a similar bloodstained career m America* His theatre of operations is now the West Indies and neighboring countries, v>here precisely similar crimes are now recorded. The cable reminds us that the last of the Whitcchapel victims was slain m November, and it is added that m the following month four negressos were killed m Jamaica, l'his was followed by news from Nicaragua where six similar atrocities were committed m January. As m London, so m Jamaica, the victims appears to have all belonged to the ranke of prostitution and were all similarly mutilated, to the body of the fourth victim being attached a paper bearing the words, " Jack the Ripper." As the Nicaraguan atrocities are said to have been of a similar nature, we infer that the similarity extended both to the class of the victims and to their treatment after death. If so, then, of all the suggestions which have been made as to the identity of the perpetrator of this frightful series of crimes that which indicated the probability of the offender being a Janatio Russian appears the most probable. It will be remembered Chat it was stated that some time ago a serieß of similar crimes had been committed m Russia by a man whose homicidal mania was directed against the very class from which " Jack the Ripper's " victims are selected, and who it was stated bad eluded capture m his own country. It begins to look exceedingly likely that this Russian maniac reached London and there followed his evil bent, and that, again eluding the officers of the law, ho has gone West to carry on , the same fell purpose. The cunning of insanity is proverbial, and it is that quality to which his immunity from detection and capture is doubtless due. But surely that immunity cannot be for ever continued, and sooner or later detection must follow. It is to be hoped that it may come soon, and that this terrible chapter of blood will be speedily closed.