Packer in the Cambrian (Welsh Newspaper)

WHITECHAPEL HORRORS. - The "Press Association" says that fresh interest was aroused in Whitechapel on Wednesday in reference to the recent murders, by the statement of Matthew Packer, who keeps a fruit stall near the scene of the Berner-street murder, and from whom the murderer is believed to have bought some grapes for the unfortunate woman, Elizabeth Stride, shortly before her murder. He says that he saw the man last Saturday night standing near his fruit stall and looking at him in a menacing manner. Packer states that being alarmed, he asked a shoeblack standing near to watch the man, who, however, then ran off and jumped on a passing tramcar, and Packer could not leave his stall to follow him. There have been renewed complaints to the police recently from women who have been accosted by a man resembling the description of the assassin. The "Central News" is informed that Dr. Forbes Winslow and other leading authorities on mental disorders are still of opinion that the murders in Whitechapel were committed by a homicidal lunatic, notwithstanding that an opinion to the contrary has been expressed by one lunacy specialist whose views were sought by the police authorities. Dr. Forbes Winslow believes that the murderer has lately been in a "lucid interval." In that condition he would be comparatively rational, and also forgetful of what he had done. As soon as this passes off he will resume his terrible work.

Source: Cambrian, 2 November 1888, Page 8