The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer

I picked this book up pretty much the moment it was released. I kinda talked about it but I didn't ever review it. I really like Skip Hollandsworth's articles and writing style so even if I wasn't interested in the topic itself, I knew that this book was going to be right up my alley. Of course, it's a real life historical mystery, so it's absolutely something I'm interested in. 

This book is about a series of murders that took place in Austin in the 1880s, after the Civil War. Some of these murders (if not all of them) are thought to have been perpetuated by one person--presumably America's first serial killer. This was around the same time as Jack the Ripper and like his/her British counterpart, these series of crimes remains unsolved. It's somewhat difficult to write a long book about a series of unsolved murders, committed in the past, with unreliable evidence, so Hollandsworth also brings in the changing culture of Texas (a Confederate state). He covers politics (Austin was the new capital city), politicians (quite a few Confederate soldiers came back to run the state), new inventions, society changes (how servants lived) and how crime was taken care of during this time period. 

Skip Hollandsworth has about 30 pages of articles from Texas Monthly if that's of any interest. His newest (as of today) article is titled The Serial Killer of Laredo: The Serial Killer That Hid In Plain Sight Among the Border Patrol's Ranks. One of the most fascinating articles he wrote is called "Midnight in the Garden of East Texas," about how Bernie Tiede murdered Marjorie Nugunt. The town (Carthage, Texas) rallied around Bernie during his arrest and trial (and his release). Honestly, it's one of these true-crime cases that is just...bizarre. 

---

Title: The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer
Author: Skip Hollandsworth
Page Number: 321 pages (hardcover)
Genre: nonfiction, true crime, history, mystery
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (Macmillan) 
Year: 2016

A sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885

In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. But beginning in December 1884, Austin was terrorized by someone equally as vicious and, in some ways, far more diabolical than London's infamous Jack the Ripper. For almost exactly one year, the Midnight Assassin crisscrossed the entire city, striking on moonlit nights, using axes, knives, and long steel rods to rip apart women from every race and class. At the time the concept of a serial killer was unthinkable, but the murders continued, the killer became more brazen, and the citizens' panic reached a fever pitch.

Before it was all over, at least a dozen men would be arrested in connection with the murders, and the crimes would expose what a newspaper described as "the most extensive and profound scandal ever known in Austin." And yes, when Jack the Ripper began his attacks in 1888, London police investigators did wonder if the killer from Austin had crossed the ocean to terrorize their own city.

With vivid historical detail and novelistic flair, Texas Monthly journalist Skip Hollandsworth brings this terrifying saga to life.

---

This is Hollandsworth's first book. I think it was quite brave to have your first book be about a murderer that is uncaught. In a time period with less evidence than Hollandsworth's normal case. 

It's set in the city of Austin in 1884-1885, with a population of less than 20,000.  The book follows Austin from a small town, with one industry (a sawmill) and gaming halls to a hub of politics and influence for Texas. That's a fascinating story in itself. Hollandsworth does talk about the politics of the city, the growth of Austin, and the changing economy but not in excruciating detail. 

This particular serial killer is also named the 'Servant Girl Annihilator' (fittingly by O. Henry, a resident of Austin). Hollandsworth calls the killer 'The Midnight Assassin.' 

I'm not sure about how accurate the phrase "first serial killer in america" is. Looking back there was Franklin B. Evans (the Northwood Murders) who killed two or seven people about thirty years before the Midnight Assassin. Or even the Harpe Brothers in the 18th century. Hollandsworth points out (in the video below) that his claim is based on the fact that The Midnight Assassin was probably the first serial killer noted as such by the press. He was (obviously) not the first murderer, as John Billington is the first (European) man convicted and hanged for murder. 

The murders started at the very end of 1884. At first, all the victims were black. While noted by many of the white residents of Austin, the murders were considered a problem for the black community. Many of the servants of wealthy Texans were black women, who might sleep in sheds in the backyard. This lackluster housing situation made these women easy targets of the killer. One of the killings happened in the kitchen (attached to the back of the house), so even being inside of the house seemed to make no difference. 

Eventually white women were targeted, usually in home invasions. The killer tended to use an ax, a pipe or a rock to kill. In total eight people were killed, six black and two white. 

The politicians of the city decided to do something about this killer (now that the white women were murdered...and also because it was a tight election year). They brought in detectives from Houston and from a Pinkerton agency. They used bloodhounds in the hope of tracking the killer. The evidence they had were conflicting witness testimonies (it was unsure if the suspect was black or white), murder weapons and a possible methodology. 

One of the most interesting parts (other than the mysteries) was the building of the moonlight towers. These were nighttime lights that lit up the city. The thought was that this would bring safety to the citizens to Austin. 

There was even speculation that the Midnight Assassin was the same person as Jack the Ripper (Scotland Yard even investigated this possibility). These two are linked by time, as the Midnight Assassin was operating three years before Jack the Ripper. I highly doubt this was true (and Hollandsworth doesn't give this theory much merit) but it's worth mentioning because the thought that the two were the same person was even a theory of the time. The field of criminal psychology hadn't really been invented (although the premier alienist did believe they were the same person) so some of the thought processes were more in the infancy stage. 
​


​​

Hollandsworth does explain the things that jumped out at me (the arm-chair profiler that I am). Were there other murders in other cities after they stopped in Austin? Actually, yes! In at least two nearby cities in Texas, there were ax-murders on other women. These happened after the murders stopped in Austin. Also, how normal is it for serial killers to change victim type? The first victims were black women, in the back of the house or the garden. The last few were white women. Hollandsworth points out that the two white women both had some major issues with their husbands. There is a huge possibility that they might have been murdered by them instead of the killer, in fact, both husbands were later put on trial (but found not guilty or released) for their wife's murder. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this book for the subject matter. It was somewhat new to me (I had heard of the Servant Girl Annihilator but not enough to know anything about). I enjoyed learning about how Austin was changing after the Civil War as the reconstruction period of the American South is taught in general terms (and where I live, more about the Carolinas and Georgia than anything else). Texas was much further west, and is one of two southern states who's capital didn't fall in the war. This has more to do with the location and importance (or lack thereof) of the state at the time than bravery...although I'm sure Texans might disagree. My favorite aspects of the book were actually the Pinkerton group that showed up, the sex scandal between a politician and the victim and the moonlight towers. 

I thought Hollandsworth did well with his presentation of the mystery and the description of the murders. Photographing the crime scene, collecting forensic evidence or having the FBI come and investigate wasn't a thing back in the day. The fact that the amount of evidence remains (foot impressions, descriptions, eye witness testimony) is interesting enough. I'm not sure any detective would have been able to easily solve such a case, even Eliot Ness. If having an unknown subject or an unsolved mystery ruin a book, than this particular book will not be for you. I think it's more similar to Erik Larson (in that Hollandsworth talks about the changing city and culture of Austin) than Ann Rule. If that helps place it in the crime narrative (probably not). 

I would note that Hollandsworth has a lovely writing style. I savor his pieces for Texas Monthly and I think his book fits that same style. The book itself is beautiful (with a saturated image on the front cover and historical aerial map for the end page). It's large and thick and full of historical images and pictures (always a bonus). The main complaint seems to be that the story is mostly told through a wealthy white male lens--a disturbing contrast against the majority of the victims being poor black women. It's not something that bothered me (maybe it should have?). I assumed, correctly or not, that most of the material left from this time period (writing, records, newsprint, etc.) was through this same lens. Hollandsworth does mention that there were newspapers for black residents of Austin, but finding a surviving copy talking about these crimes has been impossible. I don't think he treats any of the victims unkindly or take glee in their murder. 

For me, it fit in my 4-5 star rating. I really enjoyed this book. I learned from it. I adore Hollandsworth's style. I thought it among one of the better nonfiction true crime books I've read and I kept it. 
​

This is a longish video from AllenCityTv. Skip gives a lecture/presentation about the murders and his book with a slideshow. He goes into the details he has, the culture of Austin and the graphic nature of the killings. 

Other Stuff: 

• An excerpt from the book, from Hollandsworth's magazine: Murders in the Night: Austin's Serial Killer. 
• Website for the book, The Midnight Assassin

Reviews: 

• The New York Times: Review: 'The Midnight Assassin' Recalls Murderous Mayhem in Austin. 
• The Dallas Morning News: Skip Hollandswoth stalks Dallas to talk about 'The Midnight Assassin'.
• The Texas Observer: 'Midnight Assassin,' A century-old mystery with modern lesson on race, police, power. 
• Esquire: How Police Failed to Find America's First Serial Killer

​

Other Media:

• PBS: History Detectives Special Investigation Texas Servant Girl Murders
• The History Guy: The Servant Girl Annihilator: America's First Serial Killer
• Macabre Tourist: Servant Girl Annihilator
• Most Notorious Podcast: Austin's "Midnight Assassin" Serial Killer with Skip Hollandsworth
  
  1. Youtube
     
  2. iHeartRadio
     
  3. Stitcher