Tales of the New Orleans Axeman

[sdreid]

The Jordanos and Cortimiglias were rival grocers but the former came to the aid of the latter, possibly saving the lives of the two adults. Despite being competitors, the Jordanos put their own lives at risk to help the Cortimiglias and their reward was to be put up for a walk to the gallows. Charles Cortimiglia did all he could to help the Jordanos so he did not harbor the hatred that his wife did or was at least more honest.

[sdreid]

At any rate, it worked out in the end.

[sdreid]

I wonder what is left in the police files and if they've been damaged by something like hurricanes. At least there hasn't been a Blitz in Louisiana in the last 100 years.

[sdreid]

The was a freighter sunk in the mouth of the Mississippi River by a German u-boat during WW II though.

[Zodiac]

U-507

The was a freighter sunk in the mouth of the Mississippi River by a German u-boat during WW II though.

Hi Stan,

U-507 (Korvettenkapitän Harro Schacht.) torpedoed and sank the SS Virginia in the mouth of the Mississippi on the 12th of May 1942. I have her listed as a tanker, built in 1941 at the Welding Shipyards in Norfolk, Virginia. She was, by coincidence, the first ship to actually be laid down and built from the Keel up at that yard. Prior to the SS Virginia, Welding had been busy converting old WWI era cargo ships into tankers for service in WWII.

Best wishes,
Zodiac.

[sdreid]

That's her Zodiac. Thanks for the update. I have that 26 mariners were killed.

[Zodiac]

SS Virginia.

That's her Zodiac. Thanks for the update. I have that 26 mariners were killed.

Hi Stan,

Yes, and that out of a total crew of just 40. RIP.

She was actually in the process of taking on a pilot, barely two miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River, when several torpedoes were loosed by U-507. One torpedo passed right beneath both the Virginia and the pilot boat without detonating, finally hitting and blowing up a jetty! Sadly, at least two, possibly three, torpedoes did strike the Virginia, setting her cargo of approx. 180,000 barrels of petroleum ablaze. The fuel spilled out into the sea and in no time there was an massive inferno on the port side of the Virginia.

The crew didn't have any chance to attempt launching any lifeboats as the attack was too devastating and came without warning. They were left with no option but to jump overboard into the sea. Those who jumped from the starboard side were the only ones who survived, as the flames on the port side were so intense and spread with such speed that the men who jumped to port couldn't swim fast enough to escape them. Of the fourteen who did survive I believe that one later passed away as a rusult of the burns he sustained, while at least two others suffered serious burns/injured.

Best wishes,
Zodiac.

[sdreid]

According to the Wiki article, there's supposed to be a book out in May that is centered around this case.

[sdreid]

That reported book is by Keven McQueen and is entitled The Axeman Came From Hell and Other Southern True Crime Stories.

[sdreid]

I would think the case is big enough for book on these murders alone. Tallant's book also included other cases, I believe.

[sdreid]

I would think the case is big enough for book on these murders alone. Tallant's book also included other cases, I believe.

The book that first focused on the Cleveland Torso Case also included sections about other unrelated Metro murders so I guess it's a pattern.

[sdreid]

I thought I saw the new Axeman book mentioned in the Wiki article but I don't see it there now so we'll have to wait and see what happens.

[sdreid]

If it's out, I assume the book must be sort of timed for the one hundredth anniversary.

[sdreid]

That is, hundredth anniversary if you believe the murders from around 1911 were related. I'm still pretty unconvinced myself.

[sdreid]

The centenary of the first canonical is still nearly 7 years off.