The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 12 August 1939, page 5

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11251813

THE TERROR OF "SPRING-HEELED JACK"A Curious Monster of the Past Scared Lovers

and Revellers in Bedlam and Bendigo

ByJ. P. QUAINE

"Flames invest his fearsome forehead,

Fixed hts glassy e\)cballs glare;

Vast his form insilent motion

Rises onthe viewless air."

IF you walk a mile north-east from

the Bendigo Post-office you will come

to Lake Weeroona, an artificial and

picturesque piece of water constructed

in the early 'eighties by the council It

,vas when originated, most salubriously

situated (according to which way the

gentle zephyrs wafted) between the gas-

works a soap factory, and the (then)

malodorous Golden Creek Time, to be

sure has altered all that, and travellers'

noses are no longer offended by such

competitive aromas Lake Weeroona, an

ideal setting for a Herrick sonnet, has

been from its inception much frequented

by amatory pairs, around its tree-girt

edges dozens of softly sighing couples,

blind to all but their own contiguity,

parade into the wee sma' hours

But one night 40 years ago the peace

of tins lovers' paradise was rudely dis-

rupted by a seemingly supernatural in-

vader, who, dropping from the trees

overheaa, put lo flight a pair of Im-

passioned promenaders, pursuing them

with kangaroo-like leaps far beyond the

lakes precincts' Being in a, hurry,

naturally, this couple paid little atten-

tion to minor details, but both incoher-

ently averred when interviewed that the

figure which had frightened them was

that of a huge bat with a face of intense

malignity, wild gleaming eyes, and a

fire-belching mouth'

For several nights in rapid succession

this weird visitant which had thus

The cover of one of the many sensa-

tional publications issued about the

London "Spring-heeled Jack"

bounded into Bendigo's history con-

tinued to harass unsuspecting couples

seeking solitude in secluded corneis of

the lakes environs, varying the tiee

top descent at times by leaping ovei

the pedestrians' heads fiom the real,

turning to face them even while

in the air, and moie than once viciously

mauling his victims with clawlike fingei s

The luckless lovers reacted according to

their calibre by lunning, standing their

giound (on raie occasions), or, like small

things of the forest fleeing from some

hungry killer, by diving headlong into

the lake'

J.HEmysterious interloper paid atten-

tion also to that section of the com-

munity which had a soul above or had

outgiown, such frivolities as a "walk

round the lake"

Belated revellers

erratically hieing homeward were pur-

sued Consequently, a wave of sobriety

swept over the district, sociable spirits

made a practice of getting home before

dark, and the lake became so desertedthat it resembled "the dark tarn of

Auber and the ghoul-haunted woodlandof Weir'"

Then a reaction set in Parties were

organised to capture this "monster"

"Awful representation of the London monster"

From an old book on the subject

which had scared innumerable females

(and a respectable percentage of men!

to the verge of idiocy, but, though hotlychased, he always managed to elude his

hunters by taking fences in his strideand leaping walls that even the most

active of his would-be captors could not

scale without a ladder.

The white-clad, fire-breathing freak,now familiarly known as "Spring-heeledJack," soon attained the dignity of"news items." He became the legitimate

prey of journalists and reporters, and

even those most anxious to apprehendhim could not help feeling proud in the

possession of a/real live "ghost." Whenvisitors from Sydney uttered the stereo-

typed shibboleth, "Have you seen our

harbour?" quickly came the counteringquery, "Have you seen our ghost?"

Hundreds flocked nightly from theother end of the town, fearfully hopingfor a sight of the phantom or to helpin the plans for the prancing spectre'sdownfall. But consecutive schemes came

to naught. The spring-heeled ghostevaded the miniature armies by alteringhis itinerary, so that the searchers

patiently scoured the scene of his last

manifestation while he was friskily func-tioning more than a mile away.

V_VNE evening he led the pack a merrydance over the Ironbark Hills, past the

Emu Point Chinese camp, and disap-

peared in the direction of the WhiteHills Cemetery. Whereupon a cheerful

soul who had just read the recentlypublished "Dracula" suggested that Ben

digonians might have a vampire in their

midst. This bright idea received supportfrom the more imaginative when it was

remembered that the spectre often van-

ished over a wall at the rear of the

ished over a wall at the rear of the

Bendigo Hospital, and-horrible thought!-right under this section of the wall

stood the dead house! However, a sug

gestion that a watch be set in the ceme-

tery met with little favour.

Then came an eventful evening that

brought joy to the journalists. An

optimist, thirsting for the gore of the

ghost who had molested his womenfolk,garbed himself in what approximated to

the purple and fine linen of the presentday flapper, and, with a retributive bar

of iron beneath his dress, sallied forth

seeking vengeance. But, alas! he was

an indifferent actor. A party of ghosthunters, thinking his behaviour sus-

picious, bore down upon him like therush of a storm. Only the interventionof the police saved him from beinglynched, and, even as it was,'he was

roughly handled before the sanctuary of

the Market Square lock-up saved him

from further molestation. Far into the

night the square was thronged by ex-

cited crowds vigorously declaiming theirdisapproval of official interference.

Although this man was liberated next1

morning when he told his story to themagistrate, and, having enjoyed his "one

crowded hour," lapsed into obscurity, his

gesture had a far-reaching effect

"Spring-heeled Jack" was now a policematter. A broad hint that he could be

shot on sight was sufficient. Bendigowas bereaved of its ghost. For thespring-heeled spectre, doubtless deemingthat his gymnastic gyrations might not

be adequately intricate to dodge a bullet,

melted away, and, though rumours of

his reappearance elsewhere filtered

through later, the Golden City knew him

no more. Once again did the love-lorncouples parade unperturbed round the

couples parade unperturbed round thelake's placid waters, no longer were

hilarious souls compelled to seek safetyin the company of their wives; and,after all, probably these good ladies were

rather sorry that the spectre had de-serted them!

However, history had been only re-

peating, itself. Sixty years earlier our

ancestors had seethed and bubbled with

excitement over a similar visitation. In

the year 1838 the Lord Mayor of London,

who had been receiving frantic letters

from fear-stricken females anent a fero-

cious monster which had assailed them,made a public statement on the subject.

This disagreeable individual, like unto

our Bendigo specimen, bounded to

almost incredible altitudes, belched bluefire, and had a demoniacally hideous

visage and bat-like aspect. It is but fair

to add that he possessed one allurement

absent from his antipodean avatar

horns sprouting from his forehead!

Seme journalistic genius named this

creature "Spring-heeled Jack," andunder this appellation he has a place

In history, for a literature based on

divers century-old pamphlets has grown

around him. The oldest of these carries

the following ambitious title: "The

Extraordinary Life, Wonderful Adven-

tures, and Secret Amours of the London

Monster, Spring-heeled Jack." This

modest little chap-book has a crude

cut of Jack scaring two ladies from a

churchyard ramble-"the only authentic

portrait of the monster."

V_x OMMENCING at Barnes", Jack caperedhis way across London, dancing by

moonlight on house-tops, jumping over

gravestones, molesting male and female,

and alarming all and sundry, even un-

protected policemen. But armed squadswere set patrolling London in search of

him.

He was declared an outlaw; rewards

were offered for him dead or alive, and

Armstrong's conception of the Bendigo

"Spring-heeled Jack."

an end was put to the mirth-lovingmonster's revels. For, owing to the

offlciousness of the Lord Mayor'sminions, Jack took fright and departed,

making his final manifestation about

the middle of 1839 in the vicinity of the

new Bedlam lunatic asylum at Lambeth.

Subsequently, as far as the Londoners

were concerned, he was a mere memocy,

kept green by the fierce penny number

"handsomely illuminated" productionsfeaturing him as a hero, until his re-

incarnation 60 years later many thou-

sands of miles from the scene of his

primal glories.

Of course, few believed that the Ben-

digo monster or his London prototypewas anything less substantial than flesh

and blood. His sole claim to notorietywas his marvellous agility. On two

occasions I, made one of a crowd press-

ing close on the sprightly -heels of our

local product, and, though for'prudential

reasons I never pushed myself upon him

and was never close enough to see if he

really did belch fire, I witnessed the un-

believable ease with which he impelledhimself catapult-like over a 12ft. wall.

Which feat caused me to remark with

Truthful James:

"Do I sleep? Do I dream? Do I wonder

and doubt?Are things wot they seem-or is wisions

about?"