Rick Geary

The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans by Rick Geary gives us the basics in graphic novel format in 80 pages. There is one full-page map showing the area New Orleans covered with circles that have axes sticking into them in the areas of some of the killings. Small maps showing the locations of victims' homes are also given as part of their stories.

The book is divided into six parts. The pages opposite those title pages each depict a jazz musician: trombonist, banjo player, trumpeter, accordionist, a clarinetist, and the only woman depicted, a pianist. Part one is an overview of the city's history and what it was like in 1918. There were pranksters in the city who did such things as Jack the Clipper snipping off a lock of hair from schoolgirls. Mr. Geary calls these harmless and curious preludes to the terror, but I question including the 'needlemen" and "black bottle" men, who gave victims a quick dose of poison with the term "harmless".

Part II covers the first four attacks, not all of which were fatal, unlike the murders of Joseph and Catherine Maggio, for which the brothers who lived with them, Jake and Andrew were arrested, but ultimately released. (Poor Jake had received his draft notice for World War I the day before and had gotten drunk so, unlike Andrew, the noise hadn't awakened him.) That was May 23, 1918, or not quite six months before the end of the war.

The next attack was on June 6, 1918. One victim eventually died and one recovered. Coincidentally, the third attack, on August 5, 1918, was on the date she died. Only one person was home to be attacked and that person recovered. Five days later, a man is attacked, but his nieces' screams drive away his killer.

Part III is about the effect the attacks had on New Orleans, up to the end of World War I.

Part IV takes up the return of the Axe-Man on March 9, 1919. The wife identifies an attacker, the husband does not agree with her. Only one family member actually died. Then we get the famous letter published in the 'Times Picayune' newspaper on March 14, 1919, which claims to be by the killer, that promises no harm will come to any place where a jazz band is playing the next Tuesday. It's signed 'The Axeman'. Joseph Davilla wrote a hit tune, 'The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)' to commemorate the night New Orleans jazzed up. There is a recording of it at YouTube. It's certainly worth listening to, if you enjoy lively jazz.

Part V covers the final three attacks in August, September, and October 1919. (A possible attempt was thwarted because the owner was awake when he heard sounds coming from nis back door.)

Part VI covers the murder of a man a survivor believed to be the killer in one attack. Interestingly, his history could fit in with why the murders had lulls (starting with three attacks in 1911 that were never solved). There are questions asked, similarities among the murders mentioned, and whether there was only one axeman or more than one. A panel was not chiseled out of the rear door nor an ax used in every case.

Interestly, the infamous Great Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919 raged in New Orleans from September 1918 to April 1919. The citizens' death rate was roughly twice the national rate, according to an online Influenza Encyclopedia. I wonder how many infections were caused by the night New Orleans had to jazz it to avoid the Axeman.

There are depictions of the victims after they were attacked, but this ibook is in black and white, so they aren't very disturbing (at least not to this former medical librarian). If you want a good overview of the Axeman without having to Wade through pages and pages of material, this is the book for you.… (more)