Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London

# Spring-Heel'd Jack: A Romance of the Nineteenth Century

This penny dreadful serial presents "Spring-Heel'd Jack," a mysterious figure who has terrorized London for over twenty-five years. The unnamed antagonist appears suddenly before pedestrians in various disguises, leaps away with superhuman bounds, and causes intense fear—yet commits no robbery or violence beyond psychological terror. Some victims die from shock; authorities desperately pursue his capture.

The narrative introduces this legend through a public-house scene near Liverpool Road, Islington. A tall stranger in a Spanish cloak engages a confident policeman in wagers about whether he'll capture the infamous Jack. The stranger reveals he has just seen Jack nearby, predicting the creature will appear that very night. When the officer boasts of fearlessness, the stranger suddenly dons a hideous mask, declares himself Spring-Heel'd Jack, and demonstrates his terrifying capabilities by leaping with preternatural bounds, mocking the officer's helplessness.

The work is illustrated throughout and published by the Newsagents' Publishing Company, Fleet Street.