Spring-Heeled Jack

At first it was just a rumor. Few took much interest when people crossing a common in southwest London first reported seeing an alarming figure that flew through the air in great leaps across their path. But reports persisted, and were then confirmed a year later, in February 1838.



Jane Alsop was young and pretty, and lived with her two sisters and father on a London back street. She had heard of the bogeyman named Spring-Heeled Jack but she was too sensible to heed such foolish tales. One night there was a violent knocking at the door. Jane opened the door and saw a saw a man standing in the shadows near the front gate, and he turned round. "I'm a police officer," he said. "For God's sake, bring me a light, for we have caught Spring-Heeled Jack in the lane." Jane was shocked, and ran to fetch a candle. But as she gave it to the man standing at the gate he grabbed her by the neck and held her head under his arm. He ripped at her dress and body. She screamed and tore herself away. He ran after her, caught her by her hair, and tore at her face and neck. Her sister, hearing the screams, her sister ran out and yelled for help. But before anyone could stop him, Spring-Heeled Jack soared away into the darkness.

Jane later described his appearance: "He was wearing a kind of a helmet, and a tight-fitting white costume like an oilskin. His face was hideous, his eyes were like balls of fire. His hands had great claws, and he vomited blue and white flames." As years followed these details were described by more witnesses; always the leaps, the flames, and the eyes of hell.

Lucy Scales was 18 years old, the sister of a butcher. She had left her brother's house one day on her way home with her sister. As they walked along a lonely street, a tall, cloaked figure jumped out of the shadows. He spat blue flames at Lucy's face, blinding her.

During the 1850s and 60s Spring-Heeled Jack was sighted all over England, partially in the Midlands. In the 1870s army authorities set traps after scared sentries reported being terrified by a man who darted out of the darkness to slap their faces with an icy hand or spring onto the roofs of their sentry boxes. Angry townspeople shot at him in the street one night in 1877. Always, he laughed and melted away into the darkness.



No-one has ever had any idea what Spring-Heeled Jack was. For a while suspicion rested on the eccentric young Marquis of Waterford. But although the "Mad Marquis" was one of the "wild ones" of Victorian society, he was never vicious. Spring-Heeled Jack's eyes of hell were last seen in 1904 in Liverpool -- 66 years after the first sightings. There he started a panache one night by bounding up and down the streets, leaping from the cobblestones to rooftops and back. When some of the braver residents tried to corner him, he simply vanished into the darkness he came from -- this time for good?

Oh my goodness, this reminds me of a video I watched on YouTube last week...let me see if I can find the link...

Flying Creature

That sure aint no bird!!

WOW! Looks like something very similiar!!

Indeed, it is humanoid!

The way it lands on the building and just stands there right on the edge is very eerie..

Yeah I know!

Yes, SPring-Heeled Jack is actually quite interesting. He sounds like some kind of demon in my ears... Anyway, just a *fascinating* *creature*, don't you think? And of course there's no way he could be a human, 'cause what kind of human can leap up onto buildings like that? And what human can spit white and blue flames? Nah, this guy is something *else*. Maybe he's a demon. Or maybe he's some kind of alien... Either way, he's not appeared in about a hunnerd years, so I guess we can assume he's mortal to the passings of time.

Or, he just got smarter.

I actually tried to write a book about him once as a hobby. Didn't go that well, maybe I'll try again some day.

My 3rd Edit, but... Here's a twist.
http://www.springheeledjackmovie.com/home.html

As you can probably guess I'm extremely fascinated by this dawg, that's why I keep writing here, and editing. Sorry.

Anyways, found a link to this page from a search at ATS:
http://www.csicop.org/si/2002-07/strange.html

Seems Spring-Heeled Jack wasn't killed, or got smarter; he just decided to see the world.

Wow. That's cool that you tried writing a book on this very subject, Loxley! Spring-Heeled Jack has intrigued me for years yet it's been difficult to find much if anything about him.

Thanks for the link! So it appears Spring-Heeled Jack, whatever he/it is, is indeed still very much 'alive'. This is the first time I hear him referred to as the Monkey Man, and the first time I've heard that people have actually died because of his antics. He has been known to slash young ladies, but never to intentionally murder. He seems to get off on terror. In case you don't know, it is possible to feed off someone psychically that way.

Wonder if he's a Reptilian...

Heh, yeah, maybe he has bought himself an apartment in Dulce these days.

But you're right as far as Jack not killing anyone. As far as I can tell, in the 19th Century, there was only one reported killing from Jack, and that was of a prostitute he threw down into a draining sewer, where she reportedly drowned.

Still, if he fed off of their fear, he sounds like one of the demons that David Icke refers to (which was what I suspect later turned into the Anunnaki/reptilians in his theories) in his book, "The Truth shall set you free". But I'm only guessing now. Anyway, the first time I read about Spring-Heeled Jack, the word "demon" was the first that came to my mind.

Yes that's what I meant. Those Reptilians. However there is a possibility he may be doing this solely for fun.

Do you have any links to sites which detail more of these witness accounts?

Well, I have gathered a bunch of links from the thread I read at ATS, but I haven't had time to read them myself yet. Still, I'll post them here for everyone's enjoy and horror.

http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/ripperoo-spring.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/england/black_country/article_1.shtml
http://theshadowlands.net/jack.htm
http://anomalyinfo.com/articles/ga00002.shtml
And naturally:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Heeled_Jack



As I said, I haven't had time to look into them myself yet, so I don't really know what they say, but I've a feeling every site about SHJ says pretty much the same thing.

Thanks. Yeah they all pretty much tell the same story. Wonder who/what he is?

He can be captured on film AND seen with the naked eye - this points to some sort of 3D being. The reports of his 'cold slap' is interesting and make hold a clue. Ghosts draw energy from wherever they manifest and cause a drop in temperature. But then, some creatures are cold blooded causing their skin to feel cool to the touch. . . oh I don't know...but it will haunt me until I do!!

Well, just keep on breathing. If it hunts you, I'll make a "Ghost Buster" and capture it, and make loads of dough on it. 'Sides, if I can get my hands on his boots.... I'll make legends.

I still say he's a cold-blooded Reptilian.

My gut instinct is telling me some alien lifeform although there is a niggling doubt also saying multidimensional...his energy kind of reminds me of shadow people for some reason.

<<I have no idea what an elephant has to do with any of this, but I justhad to put it there. I think I must be having some sort of brain malfunction this morning