eb. A gentleman named Alsop,
living between Bow and Old Ford, appeared before the police magistrate at
Lambeth Street (then the Thames Police Office) accompanied by his three
daughters, one of whom stated that at about a quarter to nine o'clock on
the evening of the 21st February, 1838, she heard a violent ringing at
the front gate of the house, and, on going to the door to see what was
the cause, she saw a man standing outside, of whom she enquired what was
the matter. The person instantly replied that he was a policeman, and
said, "For God's sake bring me a light, for we have caught Spring-heeled
Jack here in the lane." She returned to the house, and brought a candle,
and handed it to the man, who was enveloped in a large cloak: The instant
she had done so, he threw off his outer garments, and, applying the
lighted candle to his breast, presented a most hideous and frightful
appearance, vomiting forth a quantity of blue and white flame from his
mouth, his eyes resembling red balls of fire. From the hasty glance
which her fright enabled her to get at his person, she observed that he
wore a large helmet, and his dress, which appeared to fit him very
tightly, seemed to her to resemble white oilskin. Without uttering a
sentence, he darted at her, and catching her partly by her dress and the
back part of her neck, placed her head under one of his arms, and
commenced tearing her clothes with his claws, which she was certain were
made of some metallic substance. She screamed out as loud as she could
for assistance, and, by considerable exertion, got away from him, and ran
towards the house to get in. Her assailant followed, and caught her on
the doorstep, when he again used considerable violence, tore her neck and
arms with his claws, as well as a quantity of hair from her head; her
story was fully corroborated by her parents and sisters, and her
injuries, which were very considerable, bore unmistakable testimony to
the truth of the assault.

At the same police court, on 8 Mar., 1838, a Miss Scales deposed that as
she and her sister were walking in Limehouse, about half-past eight in
the evening, on coming to Green Dragon Alley, they observed some person
standing in an angle in the passage. She was in advance of her sister at
the time, and just as she came up to the person, who was enveloped in a
large cloak, he spirted a quantity of blue flame right in her face, which
deprived her of sight, and so alarmed her, that s