The facts in this case are so peculiar that no novelist would have dared to invent them." Philadelphia Inquirer. A century before Jack the Ripper haunted the streets of London, another predator held sway: A "vulgar-looking man" who slashed at female pedestrians with a knife while uttering profanities with a "tremulous eagerness" - over fifty victims during a two-year crime spree. The city was gripped with fear, outrage, and "Monster mania." The latter was abetted by a 100-pound reward and by the circulation of bawdy prints that capitalized on the Monster's tendency to slash his victims' buttocks. Armed vigilantes roamed the steets, and fashionable ladies dared not walk outdoors with strategically placed frying pans under their dresses. Drawing on contemporary evidence and reinterpreting Monster mania in the light of historical and modern instances of mass hysteria, Jan Bondeson recounts with dry wit a tale that occupies a unique place in criminal history and imagination. 241 pages, including notes, and index, and drawings. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

TRIALS WOMEN HISTORY LAW SOCIAL CRIME