Callers Turn In Neighbors as Warsaw Police Hunt Killer

Fear swept the Polish capital Thursday as law officers hunted a deranged killer and hundreds of people telephoned police to turn in their neighbors.

The man is believed to have bludgeoned six women in recent attacks, killing one and leaving three hospitalized, unconscious and in critical condition. Each of the women was hit on the back of the head with a blunt instrument Monday or Tuesday; several were struck as they entered darkened staircases of their apartment buildings in the city center.

The police appeared uncertain how to handle the emergence of a possible serial killer. Until this week’s attacks were made public, there was no campaign to warn Warsaw about two similar waves of assaults April 9 and May 18. Seven women were bludgeoned then, two dying, according to newspaper reports.