The Halifax Slasher
Lister Lane
Monday 21 November 1938
Mary Sutcliffe, a 21-year-old worker at Mackintosh's toffee factory, was returning home from the late shift at around 10.10pm. As she was about to cross Lister Lane (outside the far end terrace in the photo above) an unfamiliar man stepped out from under a street light with his arm raised. Sutcliffe instinctively threw up her hand and ran home. There she found her wrist was bleeding from a deep, clean cut like that inflicted by a razor. The cut required four stitches.
Lister Lane, a short way east of the attack
Sutcliffe described her attacker as aged 25-35, with a double-breasted overcoat and soft trilby. His eyes seemed somewhat more prominent that usual.
Lister Lane cemetary
Unlike some other 'victims', Sutcliffe's account was not discredited. She is regarded as the first true 'Slasher' incident, although the phantom attacker did not receive that name until later that week.