Spring Heeled Jack

Spring Heeled Jack
The Terror of London
OUT of the enormous army of highwaymen, footpads, and
housebreakers, who have made themselves famous or infamous in the
annals of English crime, probably not one ever succeeded in gaining
such a large amount of notoriety in so short a space of time as the
subject of our present sketch, Spring-Heeled Jack.
This quickly acquired reputation was the result, probably, of the veil of
mystery which shrouded the identity of the man who was known on all
hands as the Terror of London.
It was at one time generally believed that Spring-Heeled Jack was no
less a personage than the then Marquis of Waterford.
This, however, was distinctly proved not to be the case, although the
manner of proving it does not redound to the noble marquis's credit.
That the Marquis of Waterford and Jack could not be identical is
proved conclusively by the fact that the terrible apparition showed itself
to many persons on the 4th, 5th, and 6th, of April, 1837.
At this time we find from an indictment which was tried at the Derby
assizes on Aug. 31st, 1837, that the Marquis of Waterford, Sir F.
Johnstone, Bart., the Hon. A. C. H. Villiers, and E. H. Reynard, Esq.,
were charged with having committed an assault on April 5th, 1837.
On that day it was proved that the defendants were at the Croxton Park
Races, about five miles from Melton Mowbray.
The whole of the four had been dining out at Melton on the evening of

that day, and about two in the morning of the following day the
watchmen on duty, hearing a noise, proceeded to the market place, and
near Lord Rosebery's place saw several gentlemen attempting to
overturn a caravan, a man being inside at the time.
The watchmen eventually succeeded in preventing this.
The marquis immediately challenged one of them to fight.
That worthy, however, having heard something about the nobleman's
proficiency in the "noble art," at once declined.
On this the four swells took their departure.
Subsequently the same watchmen heard a noise in the direction of the
toll bar.
They proceeded there at once, when they found that the gatekeeper had
been screwed up in his house, and had been for some time calling out--
"Murder! come and release me."
The watchmen released the toll-keeper and started in pursuit of the
roysterers.
When the "Charlies," as the guardians of the peace were called in those
days, came up with the marquis's party for the second time, the
watchman who had declined the challenge to fight observed that one of
the swells carried a pot of red paint while the other carried a paint
brush.
The man who had by this time grown a little more valorous, managed
to wrest the paint brush from the hand of the person who held it.
But his triumph was of short duration, the four swells surrounded him,
threw him on his back, stripped him, and ten minutes later the
unfortunate man was painted a bright red from head to foot.
They then continued their "lark," painting the doors and windows of

different houses red.
Some time later or rather earlier, Mr. Reynard was captured and put in
the lock up.
The marquis and his two remaining companions succeeded in making
an entrance to the constable's room.
Once there they had little difficulty in forcing him to give up his keys.
Once having obtained possession of these they had little difficulty in
releasing the prisoner.
This done they bore their living trophy back to their lodgings in state,
and the little town resumed its normal condition of quiet repose.
The jury found the defendants (who were all identified as having taken
part in the affray) guilty of a common assault, and they were sentenced
to pay a fine of £100 each, and to be imprisoned until such fine was
paid.
It is hardly necessary to add that the money was at once forthcoming.
So our readers will see that this disgraceful affair proves conclusively
that the Marquis of Waterford and Spring-Heeled Jack had a separate
existence, unless the marquis was gifted with the power of being in two
places at once.
In the Annual Register, Feb. 20th, 1837, we find the following--
"OUTRAGE ON A YOUNG LADY.--Frequent representations have of
late been made to the Lord Mayor, of the alarm excited by a miscreant,
who haunted the lanes and lonely places in the neighbourhood of the
metropolis for the purpose of terrifying women and children."
"For some time these statements were supposed to be greatly
exaggerated."
"However, the matter was put beyond a doubt by the following

circumstance:--"
"A Mr. Alsop, who resided in Bearbind-lane, a lonely spot between the
villages of Bow and Old Ford, attended at Lambeth-street Office, with
his