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Spring-Heeled Jack... — Description
Spring-heeled Jack is a character in English folklore of the Victorian era who was known for his startling hops. The first claimed sighting of Spring-heeled Jack was in 1837. Later sightings were reported all over Great Britain and were especially prevalent in suburban London, the Midlands and Scotland.

There are many theories about the nature and identity of Spring-heeled Jack. This urban legend was very popular in its time, due to the tales of his bizarre appearance and ability to make extraordinary leaps, to the point that he became the topic of several works of fiction.

Spring-heeled Jack was described by people who claimed to have seen him as having a terrifying and frightful appearance, with diabolical physiognomy, clawed hands, and eyes that resembled "red balls of fire". One report claimed that, beneath a black cloak, he wore a helmet and a tight-fitting white garment like an oilskin. Many stories also mention a "Devil-like" aspect. Others said he was tall and thin, with the appearance of a gentleman. Several reports mention that he could breathe out blue and white flames and that he wore sharp metallic claws at his fingertips. At least two people claimed that he was able to speak comprehensible Englishwhile others have stated about an acrid smell when he is near.

Many now see Springheel Jack as a cryptid. Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience involving the search for animals whose existence has not been proven. This includes looking for living examples of animals that are considered extinct, such as dinosaurs; animals whose existence lacks physical evidence but which appear in myths, legends, or are reported, such as Bigfoot and Chupacabra; animals or creatures with some supernatural or extraterrestrial origins, such as Mothman and Springheel Jack; and wild animals dramatically outside their normal geographic ranges, such as phantom cats/Alien Big Cats.

Location of Springheel Jack Sightings

London (England) - UK
Silver City - New Mexico
Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - USA
Santa Fe - Argentina

Earliest - Latest Reported Springheel Jack Sighting

1837 to Present Day

Interesting Sighting Details

In one of the 1837 sightings, a woman heard a loud knocking on her door. She opened the door to see a man she thought was a police officer standing there. The officer shouted 'for gods sake, bring me a light, we have caught Springheel Jack in the lane'. The woman returned with a candle, but the man at the door was gone, she ventured outside to find a man standing by her gate.

As the woman gave the man the candle, he removed his cloak, and spew out blue and white flames from his mouth. The man then tore at the woman's dress, and scratched her stomach and face. While the attack was happening, the woman noticed the mans eyes were glowing like red coals of fire. The woman's sister heard her screams for help, and ran out into the street, as the creature fled away.

In 1877 numerous townspeople shot at the creature as it was sighted in the street late one night. The people wondered if they were hitting him, since none of the bullets seemed to stop the creature, but were later found wedged in buildings along the street. A sentry who was an excellent marksman fired and claimed that his bullet hit the creature but it seemed to pass right though him, doing no damage whatsoever.

After the 1800's the creature was no longer sighted in England, but in the 1930's he started appearing in other places. He was sighted in Silver City, New Mexico, then in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Numerous reports said he often spewed blue-white flames from his mouth, the same as was described in the 1800's cases in England.

2005 has brought us new reports of Springheel Jack. Police have had hundreds of reports of a creature, who is described as the same being that attacked England residents back in 1837. Witnesses say the being is entirely clad in black and wears a balaclava; he also wears a cape and his eyes shine red. The creature is able to cross the streets by leaping from one rooftop to the next, taking acrobatic leaps that can be of up to five meters high and ten meters long.

"He looks like the cat man," say some locals. "His outline is barely visible, his figure. He never showed his face, but they say they've seen his eyes and that they have a bright reddish glow." One resident shot at the creature at close range, and said the bullets did nothing to even slow him.

In February 2012, Scott Martin and his family were travelling home by taxi from Stoneleigh at about 10.30pm, when they saw a "dark figure with no features" run across the road in front of them, before climbing over a 15 ft (4.6 m) roadside bank in "seconds", near Nescot College on the Ewell bypass. The family later likened the figure to the legendary Spring Heeled Jack. ([link] )

Other comments

There were many occult masters and practitioners during the time that Springheel Jack started appearing in England. It could be he was a creature that was summoned by a spell, during one of the many occult ceremonies of this time. The creature certanily had powers and abilities different than a human. And again as in numerous creature sightings, he even had the red glowing eyes. Bullets would pass through him without causing harm.

It has been brought up by many about the possibility that Springheel Jack and the infamous Victorian serial killer Jack The Ripper could of been the same creature?
Similarities between them include that both individuals targeted women, although Spring-heeled Jack’s victims were from fairly respectable backgrounds (and he left them shaken but alive), while the Ripper’s were famously prostitutes who ended up dead and horribly mutilated.
Both Jacks seemed to be very active for short periods before disappearing, although in the case of Jack the Ripper - perhaps mercifully - he never reappeared again. Lastly, neither were ever caught or identified.
Time seems to have no effect on Springheel's demise, especially with new reportings again now in 2005 and 2012. Of course as I have said before these spirtual beings never die, you cannot kill a spirtual creature. Only the lord and his angels can imprison, or control them, and until that is done they will continue terrorizing mankind.

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