The Crazy Letter Sent By The Axeman Of New Orleans

Out of all of history's serial killers, the Axeman of New Orleans is perhaps the most remarkable, for two reasons. First, he was never identified, and secondly, he's standing right behind you.

For the year and a half spanning between May of 1918 and October of 1919, the citizens of southeast Louisiana were haunted by a menace made all the more spectacular by overzealous newspaper men: the Axeman, a mad killer who struck seemingly without motive. Utilizing either a razor blade or, unsurprisingly, a hatchet or axe, this bayou bogeyman attacked his victims in their homes, leaving behind gruesome crime scenes and never stealing from those he killed. Police were baffled.

Then, like Jack the Ripper before him, and countless others after, the murderer sent a letter to the press. "Hottest Hell, March 13, 1919," the letter began, going on to state that it came from the desk of "Esteemed Mortal of New Orleans: The Axeman." Derivative? Certainly. But it takes a sharp turn towards the end.

According to WBUR, the letter continued. "They have never caught me and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the ether that surrounds your earth. I am not a human being, but a spirit and a demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians and your foolish police call the Axeman. When I see fit, I shall come and claim other victims. I alone know whom they shall be. I shall leave no clue except my bloody axe, besmeared with blood and brains of he whom I have sent below to keep me company." 

Whether the letter was actually from the killer or not, you have to appreciate a guy (or a spirit, or a demon) who knows how to use "whom" in a sentence.

After that, the author spent a solid paragraph talking about his love of jazz music. More than that, they stated that, on the following Tuesday, anyone playing jazz music in their home would be spared, stating that "(...)your people who do not jazz it out on that specific Tuesday night (if there be any) will get the axe." And so, per the killer's instructions, the good people of New Orleans jazzed it out. Jazz clubs were filled to capacity on that Tuesday. No murders were reported. Again, the killer was never caught, so remember, children: jazz it out before bed. Jazz it out but good.