84 - The Phantom Stabber of Bridgeport

From 1925-1927, the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut was terrorized by an individual who came to be known as the “Phantom Stabber.” This unidentified person stabbed at least 25 people, mainly teenage girls. None of his victims were seriously injured, though. But in the wake of the Bridgeport attacks, other cities in Connecticut begin to experience assaults of their own, leading to the question: just how many victims did the Stabber really have?

 

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Opening music from https://filmmusic.io. "Dark Child" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Closing music by Soma.

 

SOURCES

“Alarming new outbreak of strange stranglers, stabbers and clippers.” Ogden (UT) Standard Examiner, December 18, 1927.

“Attacks woman in street; may be phantom stabber.” Hartford Courant, January 4, 1928.

“Bridgeport, Conn., 'phantom stabber' gets 25^th victim.” Burlington (VT) Free Press, December 8, 1927.

“Bridgeport's phantom stabber again active.” New Britain Herald, December 4, 1926.

“Bridgeport's phantom stabber is again on rampage, girl attacked.” New Britain Herald, July 26, 1927.

“Bridgeport phantom stabber out again.” New Britain Herald, May 31, 1928.

“Bridgeport stabber gets 18^th victim.” Hartford Courant, January 7, 1927.

“Bridgeport woman cut; 'phantom' is suspected.” Hartford Courant, June 1, 1928.

“Certain stabber story was hoax.” New Britain Herald, June 5, 1928.

“Danbury 'phantom stabber' classed as mental child.” Hartford Courant, September 28, 1929.

“Danbury's phantom stabber claims his third victim.” Meriden Record-Journal, May 9, 1929.

“Doubt that stabber embraced girl.” Bridgeport Telegram, January 8, 1927.

“Ernest Horn, 75, dies.” Bridgeport Post, June 18, 1957.

“Fiend stabs boy, escapes in darkness.” Bridgeport Telegram, November 27, 1925.

“Girl, face torn in embrace, says stabber attacked her upon street.” Bridgeport Telegram, January 7, 1927.

“Girl stabbed at Bridgeport.” Barre (VT) Daily Times, July 26, 1927.

“Girls stabbed by 'phantom'.” Meriden Journal, August 14, 1926.

“Gripped by terror of the 'phantom stabber'.” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 6, 1927.

“Hartford boy not stabber of Bridgeport.” Hartford Courant, February 18, 1928.

“Mad stabber flees; posses in manhunt.” New York Daily News, March 21, 1929.

“Man could have caught stabber, victim asserts.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 8, 1927.

“Man stabs girl and gets away.” Hartford Courant, January 25, 1928.

“Man, under cover of fog, stabs woman; wound serious.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 31, 1927.

“Man, who struck teacher,, is held pending inquiry.” Bridgeport Telegram, January 6, 1927.

“Maniac, missing since March, caught in N.H.” Hartford Courant, November 8, 1929.

“Mystery of Bridgeport's 16 stabbed girls.” San Francisco Examiner, December 26, 1926.

“News of Southington.” Meriden Journal, January 26, 1928.

“'Phantom stabber' again.” Burlington (VT) Free Press, January 7, 1928.

“'Phantom stabber' again walks; boy is victim.” Palm Beach (FL) Post, November 28, 1925.

“'Phantom stabber' appears in city again, strikes at girl.” Bridgeport Telegram, August 6, 1926.

“Phantom stabber escapes.” Cincinnati Enquirer, January 4, 1928.

“'Phantom stabber' gets 25^th victim, strikes at girl on Pequonnock St.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 8, 1927.

“Phantom stabber gets 26^th victim.” Burlington (VT) Free Press, December 31, 1927.

“Phantom stabber hits again, girl in Stamford is victim.” Meriden Record-Journal, October 17, 1928.

“'Phantom stabber' in Bridgeport cuts twenty-third girl.” Hartford Courant, August 28, 1927.

“Phantom stabber reappears in Derby, girl is injured.” Bridgeport Telegram, July 1, 1927.

“'Phantom stabber' rumor excites women of city.” New Britain Herald, January 11, 1928.

“Phantom stabber suspect arrested, held for examination.” Hartford Courant, December 23, 1927.

“Phantom stabs girl in Beardsley Park, makes good his 24^th escape.” Bridgeport Telegram, September 30, 1927.

“Police busy running down phantom stabber rumors.” Meriden Journal, January 19, 1928.

“Police close on stabber's trail.” New Britain Herald, December 9, 1927.

“Police must be futile, hampered, priest declares.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 9, 1927.

“Police reticence on 'stabber' is seen as concealment coup.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 12, 1925.

“Police seek two who saw stabber.” Bridgeport Telegram, August 7, 1926.

“Tells of attack by stabber here two weeks ago.” Hartford Courant, January 5, 1928.

“Tennis star, 14, 24^th victim of ghost stabber.” New York Daily News, September 30, 1927.

“The phantom stabber.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 9, 1927.

“The phantom stabber returns.” Hartford Courant, September 5, 1926.

“Stabber again plys his game.” Billings (MT) Gazette, December 31, 1927.

“Stabber victims will be called to look at suspect.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 23, 1927.

“Stabber wounds two more girls; nearly captured by steeple-jack.” Bridgeport Telegram, August 13, 1926.

“Stabber's victim would 'slap him good and hard.'” Bridgeport Telegram, September 30, 1927.

“Stabbing fiend lies low as police net is drawn.” Bridgeport Telegram, November 25, 1925.

“Stabbing fiend suspect freed of major charge.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 4, 1925.

“Stabs girl at entrance of church.” Rutland (VT) News, October 8, 1926.

“Two more girls stabbing victims; total now eight.” Bridgeport Telegram, November 24, 1925.

“Withdraw all but few men from routine work is Behrens' suggestion.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 9, 1927.

“Woman asserts she was stabbed over month ago, police question theory.” Bridgeport Telegram, December 12, 1927.

Levins, Peter. “What has happened to justice? How phantom stabber terrorized Bridgeport in three-year reign.” New York Daily News, April 13, 1930.

History - Bridgeport, CT