The whole of the east end was in a complete state of panic on Sunday last owing to the two latest murders. "Jack the Ripper" has achieved notoriety by the swiftness and deadly certainty with which he goes about his fearful work of slaughter. The women of Hackney and Homerton are panic stricken and very few of the unfortunates remain out after midnight. It would be very easy for the murderer to carry on his butchering at Hackney as so many opportunities are offered for concealment. St. John's Churchyard is a favourite hiding place for many of that unfortunate class of individuals, and it is no uncommon sight to see as many as a dozen unfortunates at one time prowling about there at night. It is quite possible for a murder to be committed at the back of Hackney police station and the murderer to escape by half-a-dozen different routes without any one seeing him. During the past week the churchyard has been forsaken at an early hour by respectable persons so that even that small amount of protection has been removed. A cunning murderer even if he were chased by half-a-dozen policemen, could if he knew the neighbourhood well make his escape from the churchyard into Homerton and return to his lair without being caught. It is rumoured that some of the Hackney women have been threatened but we do not place much reliance on the statement. So many wild rumours are afloat that it is difficult to substantiate any report. Besides St. John's Churchyard there is Clapton Square where a man could escape in three directions and could soon be lost in the labyrinth of streets and houses. "Jack the Ripper" is evidently a bold man and it would be very like his daring to commit one of his ghastly deeds almost under the noses of the police.
We have to-day received a post card which was as follows:
[an illustration of card marks appeared here].
It was written in blood or red ink, and had a badly drawn knife and cross bones in the corner. We do not attribute any importance to it, but to be on the safe side we have handed it over to the police.
