A Prequel To Jack The Ripper
The hauntingly true story about one of the first known cases of a serial killer in the U.S.
Hey everyone! I know, I know, I’ve been MIA. I’ve needed a little bit of a reset, but alas, I am BACK (for now, lol)!
But as always if you are new here, WELCOME! I like to keep these articles in a condensed and easily digestible format so won’t be long. Welcome again to the Midnight Murking Club. If you have 30 seconds to spare that would be AMAZING!
Sit back, relax, enjoy a cuppa, and let’s go!
FRESH OFF THE PRESS
Not many people may know (at least I didn’t 😅) about this killing spree that took place in 1884. It happened as the second year was ending at the University of Texas.
The musical and cultural scene of Austin Texas has a dark history.
Seven women + one male (collateral damage) were brutally murdered.
SERVANT GIRL ANNIHALTOR
“Town is fearfully dull, except for the frequent raids of the Servant Girl Annihilators, who make things lively during the dead of night.” — O. Henry (writer & Austin resident)
Here is what we know about the murders:
- The first five women were black
- The first five were killed in their homes
- The last two were killed on Christmas Eve in 1885
- 400 (you read that right!) suspects were questioned, and ALL were let go
- No one was ever arrested for the murders, and it still remains a mystery
CUT THE RED TAPE
Each victim was killed the same way.
They were struck in the head by an axe and then dragged to the yard to be raped and mutilated.
What’s strange is that the killer would leave the murder weapon (the axe) at the scene and would travel barefoot.
Law and order reigned high in the city as the killer would creep into the minds of Austin’s residents in the dead of night.
One key piece of evidence was left out of the press.
It had to do with a dead man.
DID WE MURDER THE KILLER?
A man by the name of Nathan Elgin was murdered by a policeman (Joe Bracken) on a night in February 1886.
Keep in mind that this is also the year that the killings had ceased.
Let’s start at the beginning:
The neighborhood came outside to find an enraged drunken man dragging a woman from a saloon to a nearby house.
He beat her while she screamed for someone to help.
A neighbor and the saloon keeper pulled the enraged man out of the house and into the yard.
Officer Bracken drew his pistol and shot the man when he pulled a knife on the three men.
Mr. Elgin died the next day.
The part that is interesting and suspicious:
He was missing a toe from his right foot
CASE…..CLOSED?
The last two women to be killed were married.
Thus, leaving the two husbands to be suspected and charged with their murder.
HOWEVER, there wasn’t any substantiating evidence and a lack of motive to kill their spouses. (Jealousy and drunkenness were argued by the prosecution).
The attorneys tried to bring in the evidence of the footprint which did not match the defendant.
One husband was charged with murder, and the other was sent off with a slap on the wrist.
Was Nathan Elgin the Serial Servant Girl Annihilator?
This question alone is not 100% certain; however, it definitely can be argued that he was.
A quick fun fact: the first serial killer to be documented in America is convinced to be Dr H. H. Holmes, a serial killer responsible for killings up in Chicago from 1886–1894. BUT, if the Servant Girl Annihilator is responsible for the attacks in Austin, then Austin, TX would be the first U.S. city to have a serial killer 🫣
As always, thank you so much for reading and/or listening to this story! If you have read this far, I am grateful and hope you enjoyed the story. A HUGE shoutout to all of my followers; thank you so much!
For more stories like this one and for other ways to support a fellow writer/reader:
- Hit that follow button and/or sign up to get emails when I post on here (only for when I post, not other spammy annoying stuff)
- Leave a clap or two if you enjoyed this story
- I would love to hear what you (the reader) like about this story and who you think the serial killer is.
