In the case of Louis Wagner where he was carrying out a robbery on a house. It was the night of the 5 March 1873 when Louis entered the house. He was not all that quiet and the first one to rouse was Karen Christensen and Wagner quickly struck her down. The noise had woken her sister Maren and she entered the room and began to grapple with Wagner. While they were fighting Maren shouted to another girl to fetch help. Instead of doing as she was asked Anethe was fixed to the spot with fear. As she had recognised the attacker all she could say was his name Louis over and over.
Swinging his axe wildly he crushed Anethes skull and dispatched Karen as well. Maren realising that she would be next ran off into the darkness. Wagner was not worried about the girl that had got away and spent time searching the house for anything of value, He found a total of 20 dollars. He then sat in the kitchen and ate a meal with total disregard for the carnage around him. Maren managed to raise the alarm and Wagner was picked up the following day.
Perhaps one of the most famous cases in history where an axe has been used was the case of Lizzie Borden. On the 4 August 1892 Lizzie apparently found her father and stepmother dead. They had been killed with an axe and their skulls had literally been smashed in. The murder weapon was found in the house and as Lizzie was the only one there she was suspected of the murder. She was duly charged and brought to trial. At first the feeling in the town was very strongly against her but as the trial went on and she was able to demonstrate her considerable talents by regular fainting actions which she used to slowly win the public opinion over to her side. She was found not guilty and released although no-one else was ever arrested for the murder.
Arthur Rottman seems to have run amok with an axe after a heavy drinking session. On the day in question he maintained that he had missed the milk run due to the fact he had been drinking heavily the night before. He said that Joseph McCann had been very angry with him. He said he remembered picking up an axe and swinging it around his head but that was all. When the bodies were found they had all been brutally killed with an axe. He was tried in a court in Wanganni in New Zealand. His defence therefore seemed to be that he had committed the murders whilst under the influence of drink. There was also some suggestion that he was insane but this was not accepted by the jury. He was found guilty and was hanged at Terrace Gaol, Wellington on the 8 March 1915.
No one can imagine the fear caused by being attacked with such a deadly
weapon. Mrs Thomas must have suffered in this way as she tried to get away
from Kate Webster who seemed intent on splitting her skull. When Mrs Thomas
returned from church she went upstairs to her bedroom. As she was removing
her hat Kate, burst into the room with an axe in her hands. Before the
old lady had chance to do anything Kate struck her a glancing blow on the
head. In an attempt to escape from this madwoman, Mrs Thomas managed to
struggle out onto the landing where Kate then pushed her down the stairs.
Rushing down after he she struck the old woman again with the axe only
this time with a full crushing blow. She dragged the body into the kitchen
and started to chop it up. As if she was butchering a pig she hacked the
corpse to pieces and putting the parts in a large copper pot set on an
open fire started to boil them. Kate Webster had plans for Mrs Thomas that
would make her a little money..
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Gregg Manning