Book Description

This is a true account of Maine's most famous historical murder cases. The first two chapters look into Maine's first axe murders the Purington Massacre. Then every aspect of the Smuttynose case is covered from the murders, arrest, trial, jailbreak, sentencing and double hanging on the gallows of Maine State Prison at Thomaston. Louis Wagner was joined on the Gallows with another Maine Axe murderer, John True Gordon of Thorndike. Wagner in one of the most charismatic psychopaths I have ever heard of. After his conviction, he convinced everyone he met, reporters, prison officials, even the Warden that he was completely innocent of his crimes. Louis swore that one day the truth would come out and the next year a deathbed confession was printed across the nation, if true would exonerate him of his crimes. This is the intensely bizarre true account of the axe murders that shocked a nation.