The Axeman of New Orleans
Everyone is familiar with the story of Jack the Ripper who began terrorizing the Whitechapel district of London in 1888, but many outside of Louisiana haven't heard the story of the Axeman of New Orleans. The Axeman of New Orleans was a serial killer active in New Orleans, Louisiana from May 1918 to October 1919. I even have to admit, the story was new to me when I found an article in a special edition of Life magazine called, The Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of All Time. From the start, I was fascinated by the story and wondered why the Axeman hadn't received the notoriety of his predecessor.
On the morning of May 22, 1918, Andrew and Jake Maggio, found their brother, Joseph, barely clinging to life. Joseph, a married local grocer, was covered in blood and unable to stand. His wife Catherine, lying in a pool of blood, was already dead. The brothers immediately called the police. Though a straight razor and axe were found at the scene, there was no other physical evidence. Reports indicated Catherine was nearly decapitated. The razor was found to belong to Andrew, but he was quickly ruled out as a suspect.
After two weeks the city had begun to settle down, when in the early morning hours of June 6, 1918, Louis Besumer, another grocer, was found alongside his mistress Anna Lowe. Besumer was critically wounded in the attack but survived. His female companion died a few hours later at Charity Hospital after giving the police many conflicting stories, ranging from being attacked by a "mulatto" to actually being victimized by Besumer himself. Again, the investigators found the door had been pried open with a wood chisel and once again a rusty hatchet belonging to Besumer was the murder weapon. No fingerprints were taken, but bloody bare footprints were left at the scene. On August 5, 1918, Edward returned home from work to find his wife covered in blood. Though she had a gaping head wound and some of her teeth were knocked out, she was still alive. The situation was compounded by the fact that Mrs. Schneider was 8 months pregnant. The police were called and Schneider was taken to Charity Hospital. She stated that she awoke to find a dark figure standing over her. The man bashed her in the face repeatedly with an axe. She was treated for her wounds and delivered a healthy baby girl 3 weeks after the attack.
On the evening of August 10, 1918, Pauline Bruno awoke to find a man standing over her. She screamed and the man, whom she described as being very light on his feet, leapt away into the night. She went to her uncle's room seeking assistance, but found him critically injured. The physical evidence was the same, the door panel had been chiseled out and an axe was left in the yard. The city was in a panic, but when the Axeman didn't show himself for the rest of the year, everyone settled back into their normal routines. Had he disappeared like his English counterpart?
That question was answered on the night of March 10, 1919. Charles Cortimiglia lived with his wife and baby in the New Orleans suburb of Gretna. When screams were heard coming from the Cortimiglia Residence, neighbors rushed in to find Rosie Cortimiglia kneeling on the floor in a pool of blood next to her husband. He had a gaping hole in his torso. She was badly wounded but survived the incident. Her two-year daughter was not as fortunate. Rosie was holding her daughter at the time of the attack. On March 13, 1919, a letter purporting to be from the Axeman was published in the newspapers saying that he would kill again at 15 minutes past midnight on the night of March 19, but would spare the occupants of any place where a jazz band was playing.
Esteemed Mortal:
They have never caught me and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the ether that surrounds your earth. I am not a human being, but a spirit and a fell demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians and your foolish police call the Axeman.
When I see fit, I shall come again and claim other victims. I alone know who they shall be. I shall leave no clue except my bloody axe, besmeared with the blood and brains of him whom I have sent below to keep me company.
If you wish you may tell the police not to rile me. Of course I am a reasonable spirit. I take no offense at the way they have conducted their investigation in the past. In fact, they have been so utterly stupid as to amuse not only me but His Satanic Majesty, Francis Josef, etc. But tell them to beware. Let them not try to discover what I am, for it were better that they were never born than to incur the wrath of the Axeman. I don't think there is any need of such a warning, for I feel sure the police will always dodge me, as they have in the past. They are wise and know how to keep away from all harm.
Undoubtedly, you Orleanians think of me as a most horrible murderer, which I am, but I could be much worse if I wanted to. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. At will I could slay thousands of your best citizens, for I am in close relationship to the Angel of Death.
Now, to be exact, at 12:15 (earthly time) on next Tuesday night, I am going to visit New Orleans again. In my infinite mercy, I am going to make a proposition to you people. Here it is:
I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devils in the nether regions that every person shall be spared in whose home a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have mentioned. If everyone has a jazz band going, well, then, so much the better for you people. One thing is certain and that is that some of those people who do not jazz it on Tuesday night (if there be any) will get the axe.
Well, as I am cold and crave the warmth of my native Tartarus, and as it is about time that I leave your earthly home, I will cease my discourse. Hoping that thou wilt publish this, and that it may go well with thee, I have been, am and will be the worst spirit that ever existed either in fact or realm of fantasy.
The Axeman
Jazz filled the night air and no one was killed that night. Steve Boca was a grocer who was attacked in his bedroom as he slept by an axe-wielding intruder on August 10, 1919. He stumbled from his home to get help from a friend. Although Boca recovered, he had no memory of the details of the attack. Police discover a panel had been chiseled from his door and the axe left in his kitchen. Nothing had been taken.
Three weeks later on September 3, 1919, someone entered the home of Sarah Laumann, but not through a door panel. The 19-year-old girl was found unconscious in her bed, with multiple wounds to her head. She later died at the hospital. A bloody axe was left outside an open window. The final victim, Mike Pepitone, was attacked on the night of October 27, 1919. His wife was awakened by a noise and arrived at the door of his bedroom just as a large axe-wielding man was rushing out of it. Mrs. Pepitone gave the police conflicting stories regarding her husband's attack and did not seem distraught when police arrived and found her kneeling over the body of her recently deceased husband. It should be noted that Mrs. Pepitone later shot and killed a man she claimed ran past her the night her husband was killed. Her accusations were never substantiated. There were no more axe murders in New Orleans. There was rampant speculation as to the identity of the mysterious killer. Some people thought that he was the devil himself while others thought the Axeman used the powers of voodoo to get away with his crimes. No one knows for sure who the Axeman was, but he was never brought to justice for the reign of terror his crimes caused the city of New Orleans.
