tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84590202839225732982012-02-08T10:04:57.498-07:00Tracking one of the worst serial killers in U.S. historyInspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.comBlogger881100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-87980099545412243472012-01-18T06:09:00.000-07:002012-01-18T06:09:00.411-07:00

William Riggin - 1917 I have previously discussed William Riggin with regard to the murders of the Hill family in Ardenwald, near Portland, Oregon.  However that was written a long time ago and I would like to revisit Mr. Riggin in a little more depth and perhaps discover a little more about what made him tick.  William Riggin was born in 1883, in Yamhill county, Oregon, to George and Susan

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-64420573647697828312011-12-28T06:09:00.000-07:002011-12-28T08:38:19.991-07:00

Click the pic to go to the article Wikipedia can be a great tool to initialize a research project but I would strongly encourage anyone writing a term paper to never quote Wikipedia directly (if ever).  You see, the problem is that the same person who might have written an article about cancer treatment also wrote the episode guides for ALF, which is okay if it just happens to be an oncologist

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-84016221074615314022011-12-26T19:18:00.000-07:002011-12-26T19:18:49.426-07:00

The frame is to class up the the poor quality picture Continuing in my series on the victims I'll write a bit more on Pauline Showman.  As readers may know, when the murder of the Showman family was discovered, investigators immediately settled on the motive being revenge against Pauline for...something.  For small, Midwestern town sheriffs and night marshals this would be a natural

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-14798926363509583492011-12-16T09:33:00.000-07:002011-12-22T08:33:03.294-07:00

Cuz unsubs are camera shy I don't know if anyone is still actually reading this blog but in an effort to keep myself on a somewhat regular posting schedule I've decided to introduce a new, monthly feature/post; The Suspect Roundup.  I will be featuring one suspect, from the well known and plausible to the unknown and incomprehensible. I'll provide photos when available but when a photo

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-32048700595734028572011-12-12T08:50:00.006-07:002011-12-12T13:40:38.276-07:00

We have probably all known or heard of someone whose story is so sad you'd swear it was the plot of an Ingmar Bergmen film. The story of Emma Bell Hill, mother of May Hill, seems to be such a story. In my victimology of May Burnham I recounted how John Hill moved his family across the country following his job with the railroad. By 1905 John had essentially left the family to go work in the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-59622955499755394382011-12-08T14:57:00.005-07:002011-12-08T16:07:57.631-07:00

The structure on the left is the chapel at the Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs. I had a chance to visit so I took a trip. Unfortunately, as is my tendency, I left my notes about where the Burnham family was interred back at the hotel. "No problem," I thought. "I'll just drive around till I find the 'old section' of the cemetery and find it that way." Well I'd still be in the cemetery

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-9861750118702234472011-10-13T13:04:00.009-06:002011-10-14T13:13:43.258-06:00

During the last year I have doing my best to track down more information about William Dawson and his family. I have come up with nothing I didn’t already know. You can read about that here. Instead of rehashing the Dawson murders I would like to discuss something I’ve found interesting about the Monmouth crime; location, location, location.The photo above is the former location of the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-79465327772207462922011-09-23T09:02:00.001-06:002011-09-23T09:03:46.231-06:00

Sorry about the formatting thing going on with the previous post. I've tried everything but Blogger appears to be smarter than I am.

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-44714380560011453682011-09-23T05:47:00.001-06:002011-09-23T09:01:42.533-06:00

Profiling is the double edged sword of criminal investigation. On the one hand it can be beneficial in building a strategy for interrogation and investigation of suspects but on the other hand it can create false leads and throw off investigations. John Douglas, one of the FBI detectives who helped create the discipline of criminal profiling, has stated that profiling is just one tool an

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-44943707007507864272011-09-21T06:00:00.001-06:002011-12-12T10:37:22.259-07:00

Victimology is becoming a much more important area of study in the larger field of criminology. Most often a criminal is caught by tracking down points in time and locations at which the victim may have contacted the perpetrator. What were the victim’s habits or actions that might have led to this contact? Often times a victim who seems to be a low risk for violent crime is discovered to have

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-66396883784349420022011-09-17T00:00:00.003-06:002011-09-19T07:40:52.725-06:00

The neighborhood the Burnham and Wayne families lived in was decidedly lower class and populated by people of very little means. It was just a half a block away from the Denver & Rio Grand railroad tracks. To the west of the homes ran a trolley line which ran late at night in order to accommodate the late shift workers of the Golden Cycle Mill to the west. Below is a (not scale) map of the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-60407914113303391752011-09-14T16:55:00.004-06:002011-09-14T17:00:46.072-06:00

I have already gone into Blanche Wayne’s family background here so I won’t repeat it. I want to try, as best I can, to follow her movements before the night of September 17th, 1911. Blanche had just turned 23 and from photos and descriptions was quite pretty. Based on Arthur Burnham’s statement that Henry Wayne had called him on August 23rd (a Wednesday) then it is likely that the entire

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-84961039814834954532011-09-08T17:04:00.003-06:002011-09-08T17:12:07.581-06:00

September 17th, 2011 will mark 100 years since the (unofficial?) beginning of the series of murders known as the Midwest Axe Murders. I am in the camp of these murders being the work of a highly mobile serial killer. Of particular interest to those who study serial killers are the victimology. What traits, characteristics or actions lead to the killer choosing this particular victim? Ideally

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-56098543304894119942011-08-24T15:51:00.004-06:002011-12-13T13:37:25.527-07:00

Just 150 miles north of Ardenwald, in a little cottage just outside Rainier, Washington, Archie Coble, formerly of Topaz, Missouri, was just starting his life with his brand new wife, Nettie. Nettie was about 10 years younger than Archie and said to be quite attractive. Archie worked in Rainier at a general store as a clerk and had to start his way into town very early, following the nearby

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-74411297307459541642011-07-19T08:38:00.003-06:002011-07-19T10:38:11.115-06:00

Darwin Linn (1934 - 2011), owner and restorer of the old farmhouse now known as The Villisca Ax Murder House, passed away July 15th, 2011. My condolences to his family and friends. I never met Mr. Linn but I have him to thank, or blame, for my interest in this series of historic crimes. I recall when I first heard of Villisca which set me off on this goose chase of history. I was doing some

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-26408641171493848802011-07-13T13:12:00.002-06:002011-12-13T13:36:57.717-07:00

Some things I know that may or may not be true (or important): Paola, KS: June 6th, 1912, shortly after midnight, a night watchman for the MK&T railroad saw an "ungangly" figure running south down the tracks, "wildly flailing." The figure tripped and ate dirt, got back up and continued his run. In August July of 1911, a young Rainier, Washington couple was found dead in their bed, having been

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-81825992642124323372011-07-05T13:45:00.004-06:002011-07-05T14:59:32.541-06:00

Apparently a forgone conclusion was NOT reached today in Florida. There are two ways to take a trial like this; either justice prevails or the prosecution was a bunch of nincompoops. I find the defense's tactic interesting but altogether necessary and not the first time it has been done. Casey Anthony's defense team referred to their client as a "lying, no-good slut" taking away the ammo of

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-91075571247029010132011-05-23T13:05:00.003-06:002011-05-23T15:07:33.114-06:00

As some of you may have heard, the beginning of the end did NOT occur this past Saturday. In preparation for a return to posting I'm stretching my legs a bit with this story. Since everyone else in the blog-world is writing about it I figure I might as well join in. What does Harold Camping have to do with the Midwest Axe Murders? You have to humor me to get there. When a good speaker

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-69529009698606914782010-02-11T08:02:00.002-07:002010-02-11T08:06:53.342-07:00

Things are crazy at work right now so I've been too busy to write much.  Maybe this weekend I can get my post up about the Lyn Kelley's confession.  Go and read Dr. Epperly's post about Kelley's time South Dakota.  He was a twisted little dude...

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-15087652710134305122010-01-27T09:50:00.011-07:002010-01-27T10:08:22.982-07:00

I am a terrible liar. A few years back I participated in a Psychological study on the efficacy of polygraph machines during criminal interrogations. It was a double blind study in which I was instructed either to sneak into a room and steal an object or leave the building altogether without stealing anything. Ten minutes later I was to return and take a polygraph. I got to steal the fake

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-68665622537361023732010-01-08T15:00:00.004-07:002010-01-09T11:58:17.202-07:00

John asks: What is the deal with covering victims and mirrors with bedclothes?Admittedly I have gone slightly off track with the original intent of the blog. Perhaps comparing other axe murders of the time to those I consider part of the Midwest Axeman’s reign interests me more than readers. So let me get back on track by addressing John’s question.I’ll give my usual caveat: I am not a

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-89968842975193891762010-01-06T14:07:00.010-07:002011-12-13T13:21:24.254-07:00

It’s been a while since I posted so look here for a recap of the Keller murders. As neighbors and doctors began to show up at the Keller home during the early morning hours of June 10, 1913, Ida began to act strangely. In spite of her story of an intruder attempting to kill her entire family, Ida showed no emotion. She was found quietly bathing her daughter’s head with water. Now in my opinion

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-30347011126964853602010-01-04T08:04:00.003-07:002010-01-04T08:27:04.305-07:00

A few days late but I wanted to wish my dozens of readers a happy and prosperous 2010.  Now that the holidays have passed I will begin posting again (thrilling!).  Upcoming events include the conclusion to the Ida May Keller saga and a post mortem of confessions (including Lyn Kelley's).  At some point I want to discuss the murders in Blue Island, Illinois and Columbia, Missouri.  Posting soon...

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-2879536558933650362009-11-03T06:42:00.000-07:002011-12-13T13:37:25.528-07:00

In 1911 Denver Police Chief Hamilton Armstrong stated he believed the murders in Colorado Springs had been carried out by a woman.  Why?  I have no idea.  Chief Armstrong had been appointed in 1908 in an effort to clean up the Denver Police Department.  This was not his first stint in that position and it was a promotion from Chief Detective.  Hamilton Armstrong has the distinction of being the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-72374257518990732492009-10-30T22:44:00.002-06:002011-12-13T13:37:10.388-07:00

Early in the morning of June 10th, 1913 Mr. Bagshaw was awakened by a tapping at his bedroom window.  He looked out and saw his neighbor, Ida Keller.  He opened the door and she told him an intruder had killed her husband and oldest child with an axe.  She was carrying in her hand the bloody axe and a lantern.  He allowed the woman to use his phone in order to call a doctor and she left, taking

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-23552643770775051642009-10-19T16:31:00.004-06:002011-12-13T13:36:36.914-07:00

Whoa!  According to my little web counter thingamadoodle I have had over 12 thousand visits!  Why?  It has to be an accounting error right?  Must be a lot of bored people out there or maybe it's the Halloween season and people are just searching scary stuff like axe murder?  If you are someone who found this place on purpose, make sure to look around and don't be too shy.  For those of you doing

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-22957675762858789532009-10-09T16:03:00.002-06:002011-12-13T13:36:57.719-07:00

On Friday December 4, 1908, Nicholas Fernandez returned a wagon to the home of Cosmo Garcia. Fernandez had borrowed the wagon earlier in the day. He had knocked on the door repeatedly receiving no answer and apparently there had been some arrangement made for the use of the wagon because Fernandez borrowed it anyway, assuming the family was still asleep. Upon returning the wagon, Fernandez

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-13718858170677505252009-07-28T14:41:00.007-06:002011-12-13T13:36:57.720-07:00

As I have said in comments, a major problem with the investigation of these crimes was the use of detective agencies. The federal agency that would later be called the FBI was only three years old and, just as today, didn’t come into a state case unless asked. I have picked a crime which occurred a few months after Villisca to highlight what I feel is illustrative of this problem. The

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-37249719516397432952009-07-21T10:10:00.002-06:002011-12-13T13:37:25.529-07:00

"To me killing people is like ripping open a duvet. Men, women, old people, children, they are all the same. I have never felt sorry for those I killed. No love, no hatred, just blind indifference. I don’t see them as individuals, but just as masses." - Anatoly OnoprienkoAnatoly Onoprienko was dubbed the “Beast of Ukraine,” and killed entire families in remote villages of the Ukraine from 1989 to

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-50372695161086754392009-07-02T22:53:00.005-06:002009-07-10T23:32:35.051-06:00

Inspector: Paola was never as tightly attached to the other murders as the trio of Colorado Springs, Monmouth Ill. and Ellsworth. I could never see why that was the case. I was impressed by the second potential victim in Paola. That the killer did not seem to be satiated by one murder always seemed to me to be an interesting link among the murders. This double event was true with out questionin

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-75529888459875274912009-06-15T10:40:00.004-06:002009-06-15T10:47:46.780-06:00

Miami County Courthouse - Paola, Kansas"My Dear Sweetheart: I am becoming desperate. You must arrange a meeting. True love cannot be trifled with in this fashion. You know my love for you and I cannot stand this thing much longer. People have been killed for less, and more may follow. Don’t get the idea this is a threat, or that I mean it that way, because it is the real thing. Be true to me. I

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-65461038204048000742009-06-10T07:38:00.004-06:002009-06-10T09:52:15.420-06:00

It has been 97 years since the "worst crime in Iowa History" was discovered by a concerned neighbor.Just five days after Rollin and Anna Hudson were discovered bludgeoned to death in their home in Paola, Kansas, the Moore family and two Stillinger girls were discovered to have met a similar fate. Go to the Villisca blog or hit their Facebook page and find out more.In Paola, there was a brief

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-36975846681463007032009-06-08T13:10:00.007-06:002011-12-13T13:16:45.626-07:00

http://www.millersparanormalresearch.comSo it isn’t a mystery; Rollin and Anna Hudson were found in the afternoon of June 5th dead in their bed. The weapon used had been a coal pick, the comforter was thrown over the bodies and several blows had been struck through the comforter. A coal oil lamp sans glass chimney was placed near the foot of the bed andthe window curtains were pulled closed.

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-29246811396782096622009-06-02T07:22:00.005-06:002011-12-13T13:18:54.269-07:00

The Hudsons moved to Paola, Kansas in April of 1912. They had been married a year before in North Industry, Ohio and by all accounts it had been a rough year. Anna was a flirty type and during the stick-up-your-butt years of the Edwardian period that meant you were a loose woman, although there seems to be quite a bit of circumstantial evidence she actually had an affair. Her husband, Rollin,

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-50361122598966197772009-03-25T10:04:00.004-06:002009-03-25T10:20:55.198-06:00

I find people interesting. I like to watch people walking down the street and try to guess their story. Where are they from; what is their job; have they ever been arrested? The primary reason I started this little blog was to talk about the other victims and players in these murders and I’d like to write a little about Charles Marzyck. The only crime I am certain Charles Marzyck ever

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-89027913088432016022009-03-18T23:04:00.003-06:002009-03-20T07:59:37.519-06:00

Charles Marzyck is an interesting subject. The common belief of many relatives of the Showman family is that Marzyck killed the entire family because he was secretly in love with Pauline (his sister-in-law) and she did not return the feeling. In a rage of passion he struck the entire family down and then was able to escape justice. The other theory, the one advanced by the prosecution at the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-50998675798434886112009-03-18T07:47:00.006-06:002009-03-18T15:40:16.071-06:00

Thanks to Lisa Lindsley of Ellsworth for writing up this summary of the Marzyck trial.  I will post my thoughts later today.  One question I will ask right now is: why did the Vopats need to be "fetched" from Blackwolf?  Surely they realized the importance of the trial and their testimony?  Why did James Vopat not show?  I'll ponder on that a'while and you read:The trial of Charles Marzyck for

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-37395932265366939602009-03-11T09:24:00.005-06:002011-12-13T13:38:26.938-07:00

If you read any of the articles on the Millers Paranormal website then you know of two of the suspects in the Showman murder. One was a John Smitherton or Smithson or Smith who was passing through on his way to Kanopolis looking for work in the salt mine there. The other was Charles Marzyck, ex husband of Minnie Vopat (Pauline Showman’s sister) and one time wheat thief and forger. Marzyck was

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-22125333453494389002009-03-03T11:07:00.004-07:002009-03-03T11:18:00.539-07:00

Sherri in comments asks a good question that I haven’t really addressed: Why not Rev. Lyn Kelly? Any of you who have read about the Villisca crime know who Lyn Kelly was and those of you who don’t need to get over the Villisca Axe Murders blog and study. In brief, Lyn Kelly was a tiny, weird little preacher who was in Villisca on the night of the murders. Rev. Kelly was absolutely

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-62372692479346631612009-02-10T07:46:00.012-07:002011-12-13T13:40:03.782-07:00

At last I've tweaked my video walkthrough of the Showman house to the point I'm happy...not satisfied, but happy.  Points of contention; pretty certain the sink is placed wrong and the location of the phone is in doubt.  I've explained my reasoning for the demensions of the house so I won't rehash that.  I placed the phone in the front room for one reason, the killer covered it with a dress

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-67026561133248244772009-01-23T14:05:00.005-07:002011-12-13T13:39:35.903-07:00

The old Showman house is gone but the place where it once stood is known to residents as “Hatchet.” Sheriff R. W. Bradshaw and town marshal Merritt speculated the killer must have had some knowledge of the house. A later investigation by The Whitsett National Detective agency out of Kansas City believed this as well but why would this be the case? The house was typical for its time; a two room

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-34750218007270166812009-01-12T12:09:00.003-07:002009-01-12T12:11:54.333-07:00

Will Showman was the youngest son of David and Sarah Showman. David was a veteran of the Civil War and served in Company H of the Maryland Volunteers. He moved his family to Ellsworth County sometime between 1872 and 1880 and took a job as a mail carrier. David died in April of 1898. Pauline Kratky was the youngest daughter of John and Theressia and was born in Ellsworth County around 1884.

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-6602911083096061302009-01-05T07:45:00.008-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.939-07:00

Will ShowmanIn the former cattle town of Ellsworth, Kansas, Will Showman and his family were visiting the home of W. O. Snook on Sunday, October 15, 1911. Mr. Snook worked nights and usually slept during the day so Laurie Snook was glad for the company in the evenings. Around nine o’clock, Will and his family said good night and walked the two blocks back to their house. The Showman's had lived

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-12940325811962999282008-12-23T09:10:00.006-07:002008-12-23T10:12:32.523-07:00

Sorry I haven’t written anything in a while but first my laptop went haywire (don’t buy HP notebooks) then with the combination of not much new info and just being out of the habit of writing I got into other things. I’m not going to write specifically about another murder because, hey it’s Christmas and I don’t want to bum anyone out. So instead I’ll just make a quick note in general about the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-597944424903847492008-11-05T13:47:00.005-07:002011-12-13T13:39:20.952-07:00

Warning: This is a long post.Some of you who have been reading might be wondering why I haven’t discussed the Showman family who were killed in Ellsworth, Kansas on October 15, 1911. I assure you I will get into that murder in more detail later. I am going to discuss it a bit here due to some (probably red herring) connections to other axe murders throughout the country. Beginning in 1909 in

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-66196089444859240242008-10-31T14:22:00.005-06:002011-12-13T13:39:20.953-07:00

It was Halloween morning, 1911 in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, just sixty miles from Monmouth. Bert Jordan was in his upstairs bedroom when he heard his mother shout from her bedroom below. It was about 5:20 in the morning. When Bert found his mother she was lying across her bed with the bed clothes thrown over her. Mrs. Jordan had been struck twice; once behind her right ear resulting in a

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-10081206918316961092008-10-30T15:49:00.007-06:002008-10-30T17:51:54.626-06:00

Kelly Rundle over at the Villisca Axe Murder Blog posts today about the recent AP article relating to the reinstitution of after dark Trick-or-Treating in Oil City, PA. He makes a good point about how towns deal when tragedy strikes. It is possible that cancelling Halloween for many years contributed to a focuson the murder.However, there are no handbooks or instructions available to cities

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-40947481845529737112008-10-29T08:40:00.003-06:002008-10-29T08:46:13.954-06:00

Back in March I was prepping some articles for my Monmouth/Dawson/Mitchell postings when I came across an interesting fellow from Australia. Dan has a very interesting blog about which I am apprehensive about telling for fear the five or six of you reading will abandon me for him. Anyway, Dan likes flashlights…well…like may be understating it a bit but he knows his stuff even if he claims he’s

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-52451312588624189782008-10-27T07:45:00.003-06:002011-12-13T13:39:20.954-07:00

Lovey Mitchell was not indicted by the grand jury in Monmouth.  He was brought up on three counts of murder but the charges were thrown out and the indictment was "stricken."  I'm guessing the stricken part explains the lack of information on the actual trial.  I'm not giving up yet but I'm guessing there aren't any records from the trial either.  Numerous affidavits were reportedly signed but my

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-66536748317138056392008-10-17T15:02:00.008-06:002012-02-08T10:04:57.502-07:00

George G. Birdsall - 1935Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library On August 29th, 1956, George Grippin Birdsall, former El Paso County Sheriff, died after a long illness. He was seventy-nine years of age and had been a public servant and business owner for almost fifty years in the Pikes Peak area. His obituary which ran on August 30 mentioned his years of service in Colorado Springs government,

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-75317953297464172422008-10-16T12:56:00.001-06:002008-10-16T12:59:11.602-06:00

On Monday the 16th of October, 1911 Will Showman’s bird dog showed up at the house of W. O. Snook. Mrs. Snook shooed it away only to have it return several more times. Mrs. Snook placed a call to Showman house and no one answered. After calling several more times and failing to get a response, Mrs. Snook called Will’s employer and asked if he’d been to work; he had not. Mrs. Snook then

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-46051608488943279632008-10-14T14:17:00.004-06:002008-10-14T14:30:37.023-06:00

The M&StL Depot TodayOn March 19, 1915, Monmouth police chief G. W. Morrison and the mayor of Monmouth left for St. Louis to gather information on Lovey Mitchell, a black man who worked at the M&StL roundhouse in Monmouth at the time of the Dawson murders. They believed Mitchell was living in Kansas City at the time and were surprised to find him in St. Louis instead. He surrendered without

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-120274939043533912008-10-01T10:03:00.004-06:002008-10-01T10:08:09.087-06:00

Here’s the post I promised you about the flashlight found at the Monmouth crime scene. The photo above is a 1907 Eveready Pocket Flashlight with factory engraving. The photo is from TheFlashlightMuseum.com and I’m using it as an example of what the flashlight might have looked like. As I said in the earlier post, the flashlight was found while removing a wire fence at the back of the Dawson’s

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-3669775738506085782008-09-30T10:02:00.002-06:002011-12-13T13:38:26.940-07:00

As the Coroner’s Jury in Colorado Springs was being released, nearly a thousand miles away William Dawson, caretaker of the 1st Presbyterian Church, diligently spent his paycheck paying bills at the kitchen table of his little five room cottage. The house was typical for the time. Originally a four-room cabin, a lean-to addition had been built on at some point in order to expand it. It was

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-1822643017881522202008-09-29T08:28:00.005-06:002008-09-29T09:53:08.497-06:00

To the defense of all involved in the investigation at Colorado Springs, the victims were not discovered until nearly three days after they were murdered. If the killer was mobile (and it seems he was) then he was long gone from the city by then and certain missteps could be forgiven since the Colorado Springs authorities really had no hope of catching a mobile serial killer in 1911. But on the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-45737141592841961622008-09-23T08:14:00.003-06:002008-09-23T10:21:03.185-06:00

Find A Grave is a wonderful website. If you are a genealogist I suggest you utilize it. I had never tried the "photo request" feature until the other day. I don't know why I was apprehensive about making a request but I was. Two days after I make the request and BAM! I have a photo of the Wayne's headstone in Medaryville Cemetery. Special thanks goes out to Find A Grave volunteer clanema for

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-89251414084699401862008-09-18T10:13:00.006-06:002008-09-18T10:31:53.417-06:00

Unlike the Villisca house and the Lizzy Borden Bed & Breakfast, the Burnham and Wayne cottages are gone. Many of the original houses in the neighborhood are still standing after much modernization. The photo above ran in the Colorado Springs Gazette the morning after the murders were discovered and shows the crowd outside of the Burnham cottage. The house immediately behind it is the Wayne

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-10145307072562904542008-09-17T09:30:00.003-06:002008-09-17T09:56:09.206-06:00

It’s been almost 100 years since a mine worker named Marshall noticed a strange fellow hanging around a neighborhood in what was then known as West Colorado Springs. The time was about midnight and the Marshall thought nothing of it at the time. Ninety-seven years later I am left wondering just who it was he saw. Mr. Marshall may have been one of the only people to actually see the person

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-49244426540535382312008-06-10T07:13:00.004-06:002008-09-18T13:51:24.415-06:00

Today marks ninety-six years since Mary Peckham decided to check things out at the all-too-quiet home of her neighbors, Joe and Sara Moore.  A quick Google of Villisca will tell you just about everything you ever wanted to know about the crime that split the little Iowa town.It's the most well known and well documented of this series of crimes and probably the best example of how little

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-66690095346345455552008-06-05T07:10:00.004-06:002011-12-13T13:38:26.941-07:00

It has been ninety-six years since three neighbors went into the front yard of Rollin and Anna Hudson's house to investigate the empty look of the place. For an accounting of this crime go to Miller's Paranormal Research. They have transcribed newspaper articles about the crime and included some photos taken from those papers. I'll say up front that I do not believe in psychics and mediums and

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-12101628315675914252008-05-30T08:19:00.001-06:002011-12-13T13:38:26.943-07:00

As I’ve mentioned before finding information about the Monmouth murders is quite difficult. Resources are scarce, even newspaper reports. But through tenacious digging and pissing off more than a few state and county employees I have been able to put together a reasonable amount of data about the crime scene. The Dawsons had lived in their home for about eight years (possibly six) and this was

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-46220319079532507902008-05-22T12:15:00.005-06:002011-12-13T13:38:39.371-07:00

I recently created a virtual walkthrough of the Colorado Springs crime scenes.  The camera is a bit quick with the movement so if you watch it too many times you might hurl.  No blood or guts just a simple, 3D crime scene.  If you want to see a souped up version go to YouTube.  I put a soundtrack to it and goofed around with it on Windows Movie Maker.  I'm working on a much bigger video for

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-46722272438866907442008-05-14T08:20:00.006-06:002011-12-13T13:38:26.944-07:00

Monmouth, Ill – On September 30, 1911, Assistant District Attorney for Colorado Springs, M. W. Purcell, abruptly and surprisingly adjourned the Coroner’s Inquest in the matter of the Burnham – Wayne murders. He had called just four witnesses. Three politicians, Sherriff Birdsall, Coroner Jackson and ADA Purcell, all tried to push blame away from themselves. The Sherriff decided to turn the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-85984423552185000892008-05-12T10:41:00.002-06:002008-05-12T10:49:12.236-06:00

My first post on the Daweson family and their murders in Monmouth, Illinois is forthcoming.  In the meantime there really isn't anything to report.  I am following a lead that appears to be taking me all the way to the F B I but that is about it.  I am also just about finished with my "summation" of the Colorado Springs coroner's inquest and probably will make that available for download.  Has

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-18934244872311882072008-05-09T10:28:00.002-06:002011-12-13T13:38:26.945-07:00

Okay...when analyzing crime scenes details are tedious to Joe Sweatsock but can be priceless to an investigator. I am a Joe Sweatsock but I have a passion for details because I'm a dork. The three of you who have read anything on this blog have likely read my weak little profile of the killer. Here's a quick hit from that:Both crime scenes were contained inside one room of small, two-room

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-34313319076901701742008-05-05T08:25:00.002-06:002008-05-05T08:53:30.843-06:00

The two or three of you who may be actually reading this blog might have wondered where I have been.  Well due to family stuff I had to put off some things and this was one of them.  Updates are coming with regard to another murder.  For now I'll let you know that I have confirmed the bodies of the Waynes were covered.  I can also tell you I have gathered another bit of info from the coroner's

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-92178166069579309042008-03-13T11:31:00.001-06:002011-12-13T13:39:03.686-07:00

I’ve decided I don’t know enough about Charlie Daniels (aka Charles Brown) to write a post of any significance so I will skip it and move on to a second Oregon murder attributed to the Colorado Springs Unsub by the Colorado Springs Gazette. North of Portland and near the Washington border is the little town of Scappoose. Today the town is a bedroom community for the Portland metropolitan area

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-11684627183735433602008-02-28T12:10:00.002-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.947-07:00

William Riggin - 1915In May of 1917, William Riggin was serving out a sentence in the State Penitentiary in Salem, Oregon for stealing a gun in 1915. Riggin was a well known thief and had been first convicted of stealing a horse when he was eleven years-old. For that crime he went to the reformatory in Salem and after his release, was arrested for larceny and served his first term in the Pen.

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-4103644588417909072008-02-27T08:59:00.007-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.948-07:00

Ed RamseyOn June 18, 1911, Ed Ramsey (aka Fredrick Alexander) was picked up while crossing the Willamette River on a raft. Ramsey was a well known vagrant who lived in Scott Woods. He was known to local young boys as “Nutty Ed” and reportedly liked to entice boys to his camp where he would sexually assault them. He worked off and on at various jobs but mostly remained a vagrant in the woods

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-34579815362093081892008-02-26T11:10:00.004-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.949-07:00

On September 30, 1911, the Colorado Springs Gazette ran a brief snippet titled “Recalls Oregon Murders.” It tells of nine victims being killed with an axe or hatchet in the Portland area. By my count it was eight and I’m not sure where the ninth victim comes from. This wouldn’t be the only time the Springs Gazette would play loose with details. For example, in the Sep. 30 article the Gazette

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-49131470617599295562008-02-25T09:51:00.005-07:002011-12-22T14:29:00.284-07:00

In July of 2006, Beth Klingensmith wrote a research paper about the Midwest Axe Murders and the theory put forward by M. W. McClaughry, the fingerprint expert who investigated the Villisca crime. It is a brief summery of the murders included in his theory and some “outlying” cases he didn’t include. The report is available here. Ms. Klingensmith sums up a murder that occurred in Ardenwald,

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-39501770589993912432008-02-13T10:11:00.002-07:002008-02-13T10:17:14.442-07:00

As would be the case in towns across the Midwest, hundreds of people, some of them family and friends, gathered at the morgue to watch the coffins be loaded into the hearse and follow the procession to the cemetery. It was the afternoon of September 21, 1911 and drama ensued when Arthur Burnham’s mother-in-law “threw her arms about Burnham’s neck and sobbed, ‘He’s innocent! Oh, I know he’s

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-29941023401906061112008-02-12T08:03:00.000-07:002008-02-12T12:03:21.773-07:00

Back in 2005, when I first started studying these crimes, I thought about how novel it would be if you could profile the Unsub the way they do in the movies. Since I couldn’t afford to hire John Douglas as a consultant I decided to learn how to do it myself. “How hard can it be really?” I thought to myself. “It’s just matching crime scene elements with statistical data right?” Ah to be young

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-76460880025354084572008-02-07T08:33:00.000-07:002008-12-09T20:38:41.032-07:00

Henry F. WayneMuch thanks to Sandra at the Pikes Peak Library in Colorado Springs.Now don't get excited, I still haven't found the actual Coroner's findings or listing of evidence submitted. What Sandra did find for me was a brief summery of the Coroner's Inquest in the Colorado Springs Herald and I think it gives me some new things to chew on and more fuel for my WAGs and SWAGs.El Paso County

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-68051841721206001902008-02-06T07:42:00.000-07:002008-12-09T20:38:41.041-07:00

My congratulations go out to Kelly and Tammy Rundle, the makers of the documentary Villisca: Living with a Mystery. The readers of the true crime blog In Cold Blog have bestowed upon their film the In Cold Blog Detective Award for Best Documentary Based on a True Crime. We have to shorten that name. The Coldies; The Icbies; something for crying out loud.And congratulations to all those who were

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-49876647697423029102008-02-05T07:26:00.000-07:002008-12-09T20:38:41.462-07:00

Murder of the innocent is senseless but it takes a particular kind of asshole to commit a crime like this.  In December of 1959, Cliff, Christine, Debbie and Jimmy Walker were shot to death in their family home by a still unknown intruder. Christine had been sexually assaulted and Debbie, who was 23 months old, had been shot and later drowned in the bathtub. It happened in Osprey, Florida and

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-80356269629443528192008-02-04T10:23:00.001-07:002008-02-05T09:31:31.681-07:00

In 1942, a writer from Colorado Springs named Harry Galbraith published an article in International Police Officer magazine (which I have never heard of) about "Four sensational crimes" of Colorado Springs. On June 28, 1942, the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph reprinted the article. Among the crimes he discussed was the Burnham - Wayne axe murders of 1911. He relates one curious account

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-64016340837826985552008-02-04T08:01:00.000-07:002008-02-04T08:21:28.165-07:00

Call me a hater if you want but I really can't describe to you how happy I am the Patriots' perfect season was destroyed with their sole loss coming in the Super Bowl.  Suck it Patriots!

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-71718335021511183542008-01-31T11:52:00.000-07:002008-01-31T12:13:43.733-07:00

Criminal investigation in 1911 was certainly not what it is today. The use of fingerprints for identification of criminals had only been introduced five years before and the practice was very slowly making its way West. For most police forces, the Bertillon method (anthropometry) was still in use. Criminal apprehension at the time was clumsy and often involved “deputized” vigilante committees

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-66866395052990919972008-01-30T11:22:00.000-07:002008-01-30T11:53:24.387-07:00

When Arthur Burnham left Michigan for Colorado Springs his health was poor and his prospects for marriage were slim. Shortly after his arrival in 1895, he became stronger and his breathing became easier. He worked various jobs as a cook and clerk in a candy store but still love evaded him. Then he met Alice May Hill and the possibility of passing on his family name, a name which went back to

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-77099644353248018552008-01-30T07:27:00.000-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.951-07:00

If you haven't seen Villisca: Living with a Mystery yet, you need to rent it or buy it and see it.  It is a superb documentry by Kelly and Tammy Rundle.  I was able to rent it through Netflicks but if you live in Iowa and some of it's surrounding states, you may be able to rent it at the local video store.Once you've seen it you should consider voting for it as The Best True Crime Documentary for

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-56699525517037428092008-01-29T12:12:00.000-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.952-07:00

Arthur J. BurnhamIn cases such as the Burnham-Wayne murders there are always people who imagine they heard something or saw someone. At almost the very hour of discovery the crime became a sensation and the investigators were forced to run down each and every “clue” in order to satisfy the press and by default, the public. That there wasn’t a logical connection between the victims and the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-61144805062999386222008-01-28T14:49:00.000-07:002008-01-28T15:07:30.010-07:00

Douglas Burns, reporter and blogger for the Iowa Independent, has a new entry up that talks about the Rev. Lyn Kelly, the crazy old preacher who stands as the only man to be put on trial for the Villisca crime.  It's an interesting read if you have some time.For the record and in the interest of full disclosure -- IMHO Rev. Kelly so did NOT do it.  Crazy little perve? Hell yes!  Homicidal maniace

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-58942643492066292922008-01-28T12:09:00.000-07:002008-01-30T08:41:42.492-07:00

The folks over at the 1912 Villisca Axe Murder Blog have a feature called "Ask Ed."  Essentially you send them a question you have about the Villisca crime and then Dr. Ed Epperly, the foremost expert on the case, will answer it!  I've had some confusion about the Villisca crime scene pertaining to the method of entry.  Did the UNSUB walk in the open back door or did he "break in" more

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-52860574006827290632008-01-28T09:09:00.000-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.953-07:00

Arthur, Nellie, John & May BurnhamHaving gone through, in a general way, the Wayne family’s crimes scene, I’ll now do the same with the Burnham cottage and give some background on the Burnhams themselves.Arthur J. Burnham, suffering from a sever case of tuberculosis, came to Colorado Springs from Michigan about 1895 and was the only living member of his father’s family. Like Henry Wayne, Burnham

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-59554002885503278372008-01-25T08:39:00.000-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.954-07:00

Blanch V. WayneToday I’ll give some background about the Wayne family and a description of the crime scene in their cottage. My next post will be about the Burnham family and then I will go into as much as I can about the two only suspects in the crime. But on to the Waynes!As I mentioned before, the Waynes were originally from Medaryville, Indiana. The Colorado Springs Gazette lists the names

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-43824891288563893892008-01-23T12:15:00.000-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.955-07:00

The two families were the Waynes and the Burnhams. Francis H. Wayne (or Henry F. Wayne) had recently moved to Colorado Springs from Medaryville, Indiana at the behest of his local Modern Woodmen of America camp, of which he was a member. In 1909 the national organization had opened up a 1000 acre sanatorium for members who suffered from tuberculosis (consumption). Today, W. Woodmen Road runs by

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459020283922573298.post-32199216845965980222008-01-23T11:32:00.002-07:002011-12-13T13:38:26.956-07:00

Welcome to “Getting the Axe,” my blog about the murders of the Midwest Axeman. My hope is for this blog to become a place to discuss theories and ideas about the unknown serial killer who roamed the Midwestern United States between 1911 and 1912. Now some of you may be thinking to yourself “What the heck is he talking about?” For your benefit is a brief summery.In the fall of 1911, the

Inspector Winshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00579458321905980432noreply@blogger.com0