Servant Girl Annihilator

[Texas Gal]

Austin, Texas has its own set of unsolved serial murders circa 1885. They apparently did not catch the media attention that the Ripper Murders did, and I haven't found many Austinites that are aware of them. If any of you casebook criminologists have knowledge or even interest in these axe murders I am very open to discussion.

I only stumbled upon the information myself when I was looking for information concerning Austin's historic Moonlight Towers.

[sdreid]

Hi,

I'm somewhat interested in the case. If I remember correctly, there was a thread on these murders but perhaps it was lost in the crash.

[Texas Gal]

I looked through all the "other mystery" threads but nothing looked likely. It might possibly exist elsewhere but my guess is that it got lost in the crash.

I find it very intesting that the Austin murders got so little press compared to the Whitechapel murders. Is it because:

1) London was a big city and Austin was pretty much a backwater in comparison,

2) The sensational nature of the mutilations, or that

3) Colored servant girls were less valued than white destitute prostitutes.

I hate to think that race played so big a part, but people didn't seem to care all that much about the Austin murders until two wealthy white women were killed. Go figure.

[Celesta]

Yes, I think these are interesting, too. There were some murders in Atlanta that some thought were connected. I'm not so sure though.

Steven Saylor wrote a novel about the Austin murders. It was pretty fair. He did manage to give a sense of, if not panic, then fear in the city.

Very nice town, Austin, or was the last time I was through there. The hill country is lovely. I'd move there in a heartbeat. Only yall don't have pork bbq.

Best wishes and welcome,

Cel

[sdreid]

4) The killer didn't have catchy name.

This case wasn't even in the First Edition of Newton's Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. It did make the Second.

One account I read says that an 11-year-ol girl was raped and stabbed in the ear with an iron rod. That sort of reminds me of the Emma Smith case.

Yes Austin - As I understand - All the swimming pools are topless!

[Roy Corduroy]

Stan the thread annihlator