The Axeman of New Orleans

The Axeman and his Jazz

The Axeman is just as much a myth as he is real, and as far as New Orleanians are concerned that is how it should be. New Orleans' History is filled with characters who are shrouded in myth, and many tales, true or not, seem too bizarre and crazy to have happened. This tour provides a little myth with some facts and insights into the real people who fell victim to the Axeman and his Jazz.

The famous Axeman (or Axman by contemporary sources) was a serial killer and assailant that terrorized New Orleans around 1918. He has been is depicted in movies, graphic novels, and TV; but what was it really like during the time of the Axeman? According to contemporary sources, the Axeman wasn't that big of a deal. People who played Jazz on the famous night were laughed at and ridiculed in newspapers. The Picayune didn't even publish the famous Axeman letter on the front page! The letter ended up on the 18th page of the Sunday paper, and most people in New Orleans weren't concerned. The Axeman targeted Grocers, which were mostly immigrants, and most felt free from his threat. Some may have even welcomed his reign of terror considering the anti immigrant sentiment after the death of Police chief Hennessy, which was touted as a mafia hit. What we know of the Axeman seems to be more of an exaggerated myth!

The tour leads you through the different victims of the axeman, and provides information on victims and break ins that happened before the term Axeman was coined. These break ins and attacks follow the Axeman's M-O, which included expertly removing the panels off the back door with a chisel! It wasn't until after the famous 1918 killings started that the authorities realized these attacks had been happening for several years!

This tour is also a myth buster and a fact checker. The myth of the Axeman has taken on a life of its own, but much of what is known of the victims isn't very accurate. Even the contemporary sources, such as newspapers, often misspelled the names of victims, and reported the attacks at the wrong address! By checking the names and addresses reported in news papers against the City Directory and census records of the time we can attain a more factual look at these occurrences. If there is a discrepancy it will be listed under the initial facts about the victim.