Tales of Terror and Mystery

  In the sultry streets of early 20th-century New Orleans, where jazz spilled from smoky clubs and the scent of gumbo filled the air, death crept in quietly—wielding an axe. Between 1918 and 1919, a city known for its celebration of life became the stage for a series of brutal murders that would go down in American crime lore. The killer was never caught. His motive remains a mystery. But his legacy—written in blood and chilling letters—still haunts the pages of history. They called him The Axeman of New Orleans . The First Blow It began on a quiet night in May 1918 . Joseph and Catherine Maggio, a grocer and his wife, were found in their home with their skulls smashed by an axe. Their throats had been slit with a straight razor. There was no sign of forced entry—only a panel chiseled out of the back door, and the killer’s weapon, left at the scene. The brutality was shocking, even in a city known for occasional violence. Just weeks later, another attack. Louis Besumer and his ...