11. Such was the fear of Spring Heeled Jack that Napoleonic Heroes organized special patrols and took to the streets to hunt him.
The public, faced by the prospect of being frightened senseless by a leaping maniac from which not even bricks and mortar could protect them were undoubtedly alarmed. Pressure grew on the authorities to do something- especially when the attacks reached the city of London itself and began to threaten the affluent classes. The Lord Mayor of London, after initially believing that newspaper accounts had made “the greatest exaggerations” regarding Spring Heeled Jack’s activities changed his mind and decided the matter needed serious attention.
The police were instructed to hunt down Spring Heeled Jack. Special patrols were organized to roam the streets. One of the organizers of these vigilante groups was reputed to be the Duke of Wellington. Now aged seventy, the victor of Waterloo had supposedly taken to horseback armed with his pistols to hunt down the vicious nuisance. The Duke’s private papers, however, do not substantiate his involvement in any search for Spring Heeled Jack. But, another Napoleonic hero is known to have involved himself in the hunt for Spring Heeled Jack. Admiral Edward Codrington, who fought in the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Navarino, did not take to the streets himself. However, he did offer a reward for Spring Heeled Jack’s capture.