The Infamous Birmingham Axe Murders: Prohibition Gangsters and Vigilante Justice

Download or read book The Infamous Birmingham Axe Murders: Prohibition Gangsters and Vigilante Justice written by Jeremy W. Gray and published by History Press Library Editions. This book was released on 2018-03-26 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A reign of terror swept the streets of Birmingham in the 1920s. Criminals armed with small axes attacked immigrant merchants and interracial couples, leaving dozens dead or injured over the course of four years. Desperate for answers, police accepted clues from a Ouija board, while citizens clamored for gun permits for protection. The city's Italian immigrants formed their own association as protection against the Black Hand, an organized band of brutal criminals. Eventually, the police turned to a dangerous and untested truth serum to elicit confessions. Four black men and a teenage girl were charged and tried, while copycat killers emerged from the woodwork. Journalist Jeremy Gray tackles one of the most curious and violent cases in Magic City history.