A collection of over 100 newspaper articles that document the true story of one of the great unsolved murder mysteries of the late 19th century. Arranged chronologically, they allow the reader to experience the story as it happened: the shock, the confusion, the grisly details, and the outrage as the crimes continued.
The setting is Austin, Texas, 1885. During the course of that year, six women, one man, and one child were murdered in their sleep by a silent, axe-wielding killer. Many more were attacked and the police were seemingly powerless to stop the crimes. Pinkerton detectives were brought in but they too failed to solve the mystery. After the shocking murders of two women on Christmas Eve the city was on the verge of chaos awaiting the next outrage, but there were no further crimes. The murders ended as mysteriously as they began.
Who was responsible for the murders? How were they able to escape detection and capture? And why did they suddenly stop? These questions are examined in the accompanying essay, Year of Outrage -- 1885 Austin, Texas.
The Servant Girl Murders is a must-read for fans of true crime, historical mysteries, and the old west.
