Jack the Chaser is a Nuisance
Unknown crank who pursues women and girls after dark.
Eau Claire Weekly Telegram | February 9, 1904

Eau Claire- A man described as elderly, slim, about medium height and “stoop shouldered,” has been pursuing women and girls after dark in the Third Ward. He was seen the other night on State St, where he scared a girl who was on her way to the house where she is employed. She ran for dear life, and when she was near home he disappeared.

It is expected that this fellow is the same one who has been making a nuisance of himself on the North Side Hill, scaring girls by chasing them, peeking into windows and making himself generally obnoxious. He is likely to be landed in the county jail next time he makes an appearance.

Chad’s Take- Just Another Chippewa Valley Character!

When you factor out all of the chasing and terrifying women, “Jack the Chaser” has to be the coolest nickname anyone in the Chippewa Valley has ever had. Every once and awhile I stumble across a story like this that truly makes me pine for the good ol’days of the Chippewa Valley. Obliviously I am not advocating that people should go around acting obnoxiously in the Chippewa Valley (Water Street excluded), but I am extremely curious for more information about this unique character. According to the article, the unknown man seemed to strangely combine the actions of a Peeping Tom with that of a stalker. I decided to do some searching and much to my surprise, “Jack the Chaser” was not exclusively a Chippewa Valley phenomenon. In 1891, a town in Ohio had several reports of Jack the Chaser. In 1896, a town in Kansas was also being plagued by a similar man also dubbed Jack the Chaser. With some further research I discovered that reports of Jack the Chaser had surfaced all over the country including:

• Pennsylvania 1898
• Indiana 1901
• California 1902
• New Jersey 1906
• South Dakota 1919
• Iowa 1931
• New York 1937

The list of mysterious men all exhibiting very similar behaviors goes on and on. Although I had never heard of such a character it appears that during the early to mid 1900s the country was flush with these odd men. I was unable to determine if the chaser was ever captured in Eau Claire, but I can tell you that the thought of encountering a horrifying stooped-shouldered elderly man makes my evening Chippewa Valley walks much more exciting.

Keep an eye out ….