During the past week much alarm has pervaded the neighbourhood of King’s-road, Camden-town, and caused as much terror in the minds of the female portion of the inhabitants as did the pranks and gambols of “Spring-heeled Jack”, on his first appearance about three years since; afraid to leave their houses after night fall, The cause of all this fear on the part of the females is a tall man, or brute, enveloped in a large blue cloak, with glasses of a dark colour over his eyes, which give him a most awful appearance. As soon as night comes on he patrols the above road, but, on the appearance of any male, he darts into a doorway, and hides until his disturber has passed. Here he will remain until he sees a female, when, he suddenly jumps from his hiding place, and assaults his helpless victim in the most shameful and indelicate manner. The spot generally selected by this vagabond for his assaults is College-grove, a dark and badly paved turning, leading from the above road to Camden High-street. This turning, in parts, is very narrow, and without a light all the way down, although the inhabitants are heavily taxed by the paving commissioners for that commodity. The way in which the females are frightened and assaulted in this place is as follows:—The miscreant jumps from his hiding place, and stretching out his arms under his cloak, makes that article of clothing have the appearance of a huge pair of black wings, which completely blocks up the thoroughfare. He then envelopes the frightened female in the folds of his cloak and commits the most disgusting assaults upon her. A few evenings back a lady, proceeding to her residence at Kentish-town, was met by this fellow, a few paces from St. Pancras work-house, who commenced taking the most indecent liberties with her. She made great resistance, and, disengaging herself from her assailant’s grasp, retraced her steps and entered the Elephant and Castle public house in the most agitated state, and after detailing the brutal way in which she had been treated, one of the inmates proferred his services to see her home, which was gladly accepted. A sharp look-out was kept by the man, but no traces of the miscreant could be aren. Since the above a young girl, named Cope, residing in College-grove, has been so maltreated and frightened by the same fellow that she is now in a very bad state of health. Information of the above and several other outrages on females in the above locality have been given to the police, who have their eye on the delinquent: and he has not only to try and avoid their vigilance, but that of the husbands of several females he has assaulted, who will take the law into their own hands, and cool his brutal propensities by ducking him in the canal, which is very near the spot. — Herald.
London Courier and Evening Gazette, London, England, April 8, 1841
