The Axeman of New Orleans

About this episode

The episode explores the unsolved case of the Axeman of New Orleans, focusing on historical details and key figures involved.

New Orleans. 1918. A killer the papers call “The Axeman” breaks into homes at night, mostly targeting Italian grocers, and attacks with an axe taken from inside the house. No robbery. No clear motive. Just terror. The case is never officially solved. In this episode of Gone South, former Times-Picayune editor James Karst walks Jed Lipinski through what the archives actually show: the earliest attacks, the infamous Axeman letter demanding jazz music, and the overlooked suspect Joseph Mumfre, a Black Hand linked extortionist whose name keeps resurfacing. Subscribe to our newsletter: ⁠https://jedlipinski.substack.com/⁠ Connect with Jed Lipinski: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/gonesouthpodcast/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonesouthpodcast/⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jed-lipinski/

People in this episode

Host: Jed Lipinski

Guest: James Karst

Topics covered

• true crime
• historical crime
• New Orleans history
• unsolved cases
• Italian grocers
• mystery

Keywords

• Axeman
• New Orleans
• true crime
• James Karst
• Joseph Mumfre
• unsolved mystery
• 1918
• Italian grocers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Times-Picayune, Black Hand

Places: New Orleans

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