Anonymous: Spring-Heeled Jack (1867); v1; 20 May 2020
 

"Spring-Heeled Jack" is the name the press gave to a startling footpad in the 1830s, and a number of newspaper stories reported sightings. The original wave subsided by the end of the 19th century.

The text of this story is from Project Gutenberg Australia and although the source is not given, it appears to be that of the serial published in 1867 by the Boy's Standard, one of the "penny dreadful" magazines that flourished briefly in the late 19th century.

Many entirely different stories about Spring-Heeled Jack were published in numerous penny dreadfuls until the end of the century and even later. The first section of this Spring-Heeled Jack tale is a roundup of (perfectly genuine) press reports of the period, before launching into the entirely fictitious short story, of some 29,000 words, which follows.

The author, as is common with penny dreadfuls of this period, is unknown. The cover is an advertisement in the Boy's Standard for the serial.