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Only one of those arrested, James
Phillips, husband of Eula Phillips, was convicted. Witnesses testified that he repeatedly said he would kill Eula if he ever found her to be unfaithful, and that he was prone to violent outbursts. He was found guilty of murdering his wife but the conviction was later
412:
Elgin worked in close proximity to the crime scenes and was missing his little toe, which was similar to a footprint believed to have been left by the killer. In
February 1886, shortly after the last murder, Elgin was shot and killed by police while he was attempting to assault a girl with a knife.
322:
The series of murders stopped when additional police officers were hired, rewards were offered, and citizens formed a vigilance committee to patrol the streets at night. Contemporary newspapers reported that the murderer(s) had apparently fled the area, as no more murders were officially attributed
273:
The series of murders ended with the killing of two white women, Eula
Phillips, age 17, and Susan Hancock, who was attacked while sleeping in the bed of her 16-year-old daughter on the night of December 24, 1885. Moses Hancock was accused of killing his wife, but was acquitted shortly afterwards.
432:: "Town is fearfully dull," wrote Porter, "except for the frequent raids of the Servant Girl Annihilators, who make things lively in the dull hours of the night...." However, no contemporary newspaper or published source referred to the murderer(s) as "The Servant Girl Annihilator."
1045:
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believed the killer was a white man who had magic powers that enabled him to become invisible, as no dogs outside or in fenced yards adjacent to locations where murders occurred were heard to bark or raise any alarm.
266:
All the victims were attacked indoors while asleep in their beds. Five of the women were dragged, unconscious but still alive, and killed outdoors. Three of the women were severely mutilated while outdoors.
428:, was living in Austin at the time of the murders. Porter coined the term "Servant Girl Annihilators" in a May 10, 1885, letter addressed to his friend Dave Hall and later included in his anthology
456:, a mystery/suspense docudrama, is titled "The Servant Girl Annihilator." It suggests a connection between the killings and the mysteries central to the podcast's ongoing story.
443:, which closely reconstructed the murders and the ensuing trials, with young William Sydney Porter playing a fictional role. The novel was published in the United Kingdom (as
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aired an episode on the killings. Using a combination of historical research and modern techniques, including psychological and geographic
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463:, a nonfiction series about the murders. It explored the victims' deaths and the theories surrounding the killer or killers.
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All the victims were posed in a similar manner. Six of the murdered women had a "sharp object" inserted into their ears.
311:, powerful elected officials refused to believe that one man, or one group of men, was responsible for all the murders.
369:, there was an eyewitness who claimed to have seen the murderer, but reported contradictory information to the police.
37:
181:." The murders represent an early example of a serial killer operating in the United States, three years before the
335:
Clara Strand and
Christine Martenson, two Swedish servant girls, were seriously wounded the night of 19 March 1885.
193:
964:"The Servant Girl Annihilator – Nathan Elgin – A Criminology | The Servant Girl Murders Austin, Texas 1885"
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Mary Ramey, 11, was murdered the night of 30 August 1885. Her mother, Rebecca Ramey, was seriously wounded.
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There were also reports that the killer worked with an accomplice, or belonged to a gang of murderers.
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The killer was variously reported to have been white or dark-complexioned; or a "yellow man" wearing
202:
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Gracie Vance and her boyfriend, Orange
Washington, were murdered on the night of 28 September 1885.
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Mollie Smith, 25, was murdered the night of 30 December 1884. Walter
Spencer was seriously wounded.
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reported that the "murders were committed by some cunning madman, who is insane on the subject of
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of
December 26, 1885, 400 men were arrested during the course of the year. According to the
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The
Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer
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The
Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer
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384:; or a man wearing a hat and a white rag that covered the lower part of his face.
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409:, they identified a suspect: Nathan Elgin, a 19-year-old African-American cook.
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African-American history between emancipation and the civil rights movement
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Irene Cross was murdered by a man with a knife on the night of 22 May 1885.
823:"1886 Trial of James Phillips: Court Transcript of Eula Phillips' Murder"
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December 1885 newspaper headline relating to the
Servant Girl Annihilator
459:
In 2022, The Drag Audio Production House published a four-part podcast,
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877:. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 306.
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156:, in 1884 and 1885. The sobriquet originated with the writer
591:"How the 'Servant Girl Annihilator' Terrorized 1880s Austin"
1001:
The Servant Girl Annihilator - Nathan Elgin - A Criminology
447:) and has been translated into Portuguese and Hungarian.
356:
Eula Phillips was murdered the night of 24 December 1885.
353:
Susan Hancock was murdered the night of 24 December 1885.
314:
The African-American community and some practitioners of
16:
Unidentified serial killer active 1884–5 in Austin, Texas
1006:
Macabre Monday The Case of the Servant Girl Annihilator
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920:"True Crime Society - The Servant Girl Annihilator"
616:"True Crime Society - The Servant Girl Annihilator"
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644:(1st ed.). New York: Henry Holt. p. 81.
338:Eliza Shelly was murdered the night of 6 May 1885.
846:Begg, Paul; Fido, Martin; Skinner, Keith (2010).
344:Clara Dick was seriously wounded in August 1885.
164:were referred to by contemporary sources as the
801:. United Kingdom: C & R Crime. p. 54.
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376:to conceal his skin color; or a man wearing a
110:December 30, 1884 – December 24, 1885
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667:The Servant Girl Murders: Austin, Texas 1885
206:suggested the idea following the murders of
494:. Guildford, Connecticut: Guildford Press.
478:List of serial killers in the United States
292:) was possibly Buck Taylor, a performer in
288:, one of whom (according to the authors of
850:. London, England: John Blake Publishing.
65:
688:
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424:, better known as the short story writer
365:According to a July 2000 article in the
284:authorities questioned several American
718:The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
534:
198:The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
296:'s Wild West Show. Taylor was born in
1106:Unsolved murders in the United States
1096:Stabbing attacks in the United States
1071:Fugitives wanted by the United States
874:The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill
303:According to a front-page article in
7:
1101:Unidentified American serial killers
990:. Two horrible murders in one night"
799:The Mammoth Book of Killers at Large
768:Hollandsworth, Skip (5 April 2016).
513:. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.
492:Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Texas
323:to the killer by the authorities.
14:
1051:African-American history of Texas
1036:1885 murders in the United States
1026:1884 murders in the United States
827:Nitty Gritty City Tours of Austin
744:America's 14 Worst Serial Killers
571:Hollandsworth, Skip (July 2000).
300:, about 70 miles west of Austin.
36:to comply with Knowledge (XXG)'s
669:. Booklocker.com, Incorporated.
450:Episode 6 (2015) of the podcast
225:
171:The December 26, 1885, issue of
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1076:Violence against women in Texas
1041:19th-century American criminals
986:"Austin still the field of the
484:Cited works and further reading
148:, was an unidentified American
1056:American murderers of children
1:
665:Galloway, Skip J. R. (2010).
694:"Three Murders in One Night"
640:Hollandsworth, Skip (2015).
509:Hollandsworth, Skip (2016).
152:who preyed upon the city of
1086:Murder in the United States
741:Rockefeller, J. D. (2016).
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968:www.servantgirlmurders.com
900:"Servant Girl Annihilator"
378:Mother Hubbard style dress
1091:Serial killers from Texas
797:Cawthorne, Nigel (2011).
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994:Fort Worth Daily Gazette
774:Henry Holt & Company
142:Servant Girl Annihilator
70:Servant Girl Annihilator
49:may contain suggestions.
34:may need to be rewritten
1066:Crimes in Austin, Texas
848:Jack the Ripper, A to Z
716:Sugden, Philip (1995).
490:Franscell, Ron (2010).
290:Jack the Ripper, A to Z
720:. Carroll & Graf.
395:On July 15, 2014, the
160:. The series of eight
996:. September 29, 1885.
898:Ramsland, Katherine.
871:Russell, Don (1979).
642:The Midnight Assassin
511:The Midnight Assassin
422:William Sydney Porter
380:; or a man wearing a
298:Fredericksburg, Texas
992:. Records of Crime.
747:. J.D. Rockefeller.
705:. December 26, 1885.
439:published the novel
214:by Jack the Ripper.
203:Atlanta Constitution
192:According to author
166:Servant Girl Murders
144:, also known as the
905:truTV Crime Library
595:www.mentalfloss.com
361:Eyewitness accounts
106:Span of crimes
924:True Crime Society
702:The New York Times
620:True Crime Society
441:A Twist at the End
417:In popular culture
402:History Detectives
305:The New York Times
237:. You can help by
174:The New York Times
988:Midnight Assassin
951:978-0-805-09767-2
857:978-1-84454-797-5
783:978-0-805-09767-2
772:. New York City:
754:978-1-5306-1924-5
676:978-1-60910-123-7
651:978-0-8050-9767-2
501:978-0-762-75965-1
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55:October 2018
52:
43:You can help
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187:Whitechapel
185:murders in
162:axe murders
1061:Axe murder
1015:Categories
930:2020-03-01
832:2024-09-11
626:2020-03-07
601:2020-03-01
529:References
382:slouch hat
435:In 2000,
407:profiling
374:lampblack
47:talk page
467:See also
426:O. Henry
399:TV show
158:O. Henry
124:State(s)
327:Victims
286:cowboys
218:Murders
115:Country
97:Victims
92:Details
953:p. 120
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947:ISBN
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749:ISBN
722:ISBN
671:ISBN
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210:and
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