Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Cathy Wurzer

A century-old story of jazz and murder in New Orleans

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

If you were in New Orleans exactly 100 years ago, you might have heard an early jazz recording like "Livery Stable Blues" being played loudly in homes across the city.

The reason? A man claiming to be the axe murderer who had already killed eight people in the area had written a letter to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, saying that he would be in the city on the night of March 19, 1919, looking for victims — but that he would spare anyone in a home where a jazz band was in full swing. The story inspired a song called "The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa.)"