THE TERROR OF DUSSELDORF

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1930, Page 8

THE TERROR OF DUSSELDORF

A HAUNTED CITY

DUSSELDORF, Nov 21

The murderer in their midst has destroyed the happiness of the entire population of Dussoldorf. People in Mayfair and Kensington who many years ago read the account of the “ Jack the Ripper ” murders shuddered. But they did not go in fear of their lives, for the prey the murderer limited was not to be found in the better parts of London. Here all go in the same terror, for the murderer has struck down his ten victims in the centre of the city as well as on the outskirts, and women, children, and men have been killed or wounded by him. v\ e are merry people here on the Rhine,” said a man to me to-night, “ and there are plenty of people here who go out night after night to sit and sip a glas sof beer and see the world and his wife. Now they stay at home. They are afraid to go cut unless they have a car—or have to go a few steps to their neighbours.

EVERY MOTHER’S FEAR.

Children wlio used to go to school and come home again by themselves are now attended by servants. Every mother feels that what happened to poor little iive-years-old Gertrude Albermann might happen to her own child. The work of the police is increased by the anxiety of parents who, if a child has gone out and dawdied and is late in returning home, alarm the police. And the police may not discover for hours whether the alarm was false or not. when Gertrude Alberniann’s mother appeared at the ipolice station a quarter of an hour after she had been n.l the ehild had gone off merrily with a strange man, they made nothing of her fears. More than two hours i hissed before a further appeal iui'ced the police to take action. But it was then too late. The murderer has poisoned the life of the city. Cue meets nobody who does not speak of him. “The whole thing haunts me,” said a woman. “I cannot drive it out of my mind. I think of it when I get up and when I go to hod and when 1 wake up it comes into my mind again and I cannot go £o sleep.” The position of the inhabitants is worse than it would he in an English city, for the English system, of police I patrolling the streets does not obtain, j Lute last night I went through street after street without seeing any policemen on duty, except two who came ( past in a lonely street on bicycles. Regular patrolling of the streets is unknown in Germany. The police are kept in barracks and sent out in squads when an emergency occurs. The citizens in the centre of Dusseldorf are obliged to employ night watchmen, supplied by two private companies. BEFORE THE ALTAR. To-day is a holiday in Prussia and is called ,a day of penitence and prayer. Here the people have taken advantage of it to go to the churches and pray for deliverance from the murderer. Even when the service was over there were people in silent •prayer before the altar to beg for mercy for their stricken city. The detectives from Berlin and the police authorities here seem to be no nearer to the solution of the mystery of tlie murders.

MAN-TIGERS

DOCTOR BLAMES LUST TO KILL ON DUCTLESS GLANDS.

“Man-tigers” is the name which Dr. Thomas Dutton uses to describe murderers of the type of the Dusseldorf criminals, whose apparently purposeless killings are terrorising a whole German province at the moment. Dr. Dutton has a double claim to speak upon this subject. He is a recognised authority on mental disease, and he was in practice in Whitechapel during the . reign of terror of the Jack the ltipper atrocities in that district 41 years ago. He said to hie: This form of blood-madness is probably commoner than is generally supposed. J believe it is quite possible that many people have the instinct to commit crimes of this type and are only deterred, by the fear of punishment. It is due, in my opinion, to an abnormal development of certain of the ductless glands whose secretions control many of our mental and bodily {processes. It is particulary liable to occur in the negro races.