The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-07-03
BIRMINGHAM'S DREAD
AMMAN STRIKES AGAIN
VICTIMS OF FIEND Small L
MERCHANTS OR RELATIVES.
NOW NUMBER EIGHTEEN.
POLICE SEEM TO Be POWERLESS
Believe That Murderer Is Walking
Streets, Calm and Unafraid, Secure
In Belief That He Will Never Be
Apprehended. Long List.

Apprehended. Long List.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala-Where will
the terrible axman strike next This
is the dread question the people of
Birmingham, Ala, are asking This
mysterious character, called 'tlend"
and maniac" by the police, whose
face nobody has seen, struck for the
thirty-hfth time few days ago when
Charles Graffeo, keeper of a small
store, was killed from behind, his
skull crushed in with an AK
When the police arrived at the din
gy little store they found the ak, spat-
tered with blood, in corner behind
the door The pockets OF the dead
man were turned inside out and the
cash till robbed.
Small AK Found.
On the morning of Jan. %, 1928,
Luigi Vitesallo and his wife were
struck down in their store at Eighth
avenue and Twenty street
AS in the Graffeo murder case, a
small ak was found in corner. 1t is
the only c1ew the police have, Yet in
all his attacks the murderer has used
an AK. Eighteen have been killed and
10 seriously wounded by the mystic
rious fend, who, the police believe, is
walking the streets of Birmingham
calm and unafraid, his superlative
cunning leaving no trace behind him.
His victims have all been mer-
chants, keepers of small stores in OBJ
scure streets, or their relatives.
Such is the terror he has inspired
that some merchants are positively
afraid to stay in their places after twi-
light.
Others will wait on customer
when darkness is setting in, but they
protect their heads with steel' helmets
of the kind used by the soldiers dur
ing the world war.
Face Never Seen.
Not one of the victims have seen
the face of the murderer. Sinking in
to the stores, attacking from behind
one blow with his AK, a hasty rifing
of the pockets of the dead man and
of the cash register or till, and the
murderer makes his exit, leaving no
c1ew to lead to his apprehension.
Various theories have been advanc-
ed by the police. -Four detectives have
been hunting for him since he COM.
IiilllCQ HIS His nun uNl III 1IONClllOSls
1919
One theory is that he is a drug adj
dict, committing his deeds while I'M
der the influence of dope. Another is
that he is a fiend with lust for hui
man blood Some contend he is a
maniac.
1t was the evening of Dec. "a, 1919
that a merchant, John Be1ser, was
z4-,,~l- JO,,-,, he aud rnNha6
of his cash. He was the first victim.
was killed in the same manner, his
skull crushed in with an ak.
During 1920 and 1921 a number OF
murders were committed, the victims
being merchants or members of their
ed one a month.
Negro Convicted.
On Dec. II, 1921, Joseph Mantione,
a storekeeper, was killed The police
rounded up a bad character from the
negro quarter, had him tried and con-
victed.
Small storekeepers sighed with re-
lief and the police relaxed. 1t was
thought the dread axman had been
sent to the penitentiary, safe for long
term of years.
In less than a week, however, their
sense of security vanished Directly
across the street from the scene of
the Mantione murder c. S. Crawford
kept a small shop One morning the
police found the body of Crawford
and his wife stretched out on the
floor, their skulls crushed in.
The axman continued his operations
during 1922. In June of that year he
entered the shop OF Tony Lorino and
feled him with a blow from behind. |
His wife, attracted by the sound of
the falling body, entered the store.
The axman hid himself, and when
she came in he attacked her Other |
relatives entered one at a time. When
the murderer left, four bodies were
stretched out on the floor OF the shop. |
Question Revived.
Fortunately, Lorino and the others
recovered from their wounds, but they |
were unable to give a description Of
the assalant
When Vitesallo was killed in Janu-
ary, this year, the axman did not |
operate for months, and it was thought |
he might have left the city, or that
his inordinate lust for blood had at
last been satisfied.
But, after six months OF inactivity
during which the people felt relief and /
security, the dread character sudden
ly adds to his long string OF murders
by killing Graffeo. Now they are ask
ing: Where and when will he strike
next?