J. Dennis Robinson - Mystery on the Isles of Shoals. Closing the Case on the Smuttynose Ax Murders of 1873

Praise for Mystery on the Isles of Shoals

Most New Englanders think they know all about the brutal Smuttynose Island ax murders. I know I did. But once I began Robinsons new book, I truly couldnt put it down. The massive amount of new details he has uncovered are not only wonderfully horrific but are skillfully woven into a fascinating look at that time in our history. This is a superb piece of work.

Judson D. Hale, Sr., editor-in-chief, Yankee Magazine

J. Dennis Robinson opens one of historys most compelling cold cases and solves it with aplomb. This a gripping page-turner that will keep you up nightsso vibrant you can smell the brine and the blood and see the island shores. Lizzie Bordens got nothing on Louis Wagner.

Andrew Vietze, bestselling author of Boon Island

J. Dennis Robinson unravels history and mystery into one of the most entertaining and informative books Ive read in years.

Ernest Hebert, professor of English, Dartmouth College, and author of the acclaimed Darby Chronicles

Robinsons book is thoroughly captivating. Why, Robinson asks, can we not let stories about murder end? This question cuts to the heart of genre. His meticulous study of the Smuttynose murders is an exceptional entry in the canon of American true crime literature.

Elizabeth Hewitt, associate professor of American literature and popular culture at The Ohio State University

Robinson places the Smuttynose murders in a wide historical context, encompassing a time when small fishing villages gave way to summer resort hotels and when a national press reported and fed rampant rumors. In this telling, the author considers how fact informed rumor and gossip informed fact as the accused, local residents, the authorities, and the press created multiple narratives of this infamous crime.

Elizabeth De Wolfe, professor of history, University of New England, and author of The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories

Robinsons book has the scope and sweep of a great novelexcept that every word is true.

Rodman Philbrick, Newbery Honorwinning author

Many authors have written about the infamous Smuttynose murders, but none has delved as deep as J. Dennis Robinson. The reader is transported to the rough side of Portsmouth in 1873 and learns how police work and justice were carried out. An impressive work!

Peter E. Randall, popular New England publisher, author, photographer, and filmmaker

Case closed! J. Dennis Robinsons meticulously detailed account solves the famous Smuttynose murders once and for all. It is entertaining, fascinating, and horrifying, all at the same time.

Emerson W. Baker, History Professor at Salem State University and author of The Devil of Great Island and A Storm of Witchcraft

Enjoyed every page! This book is a readers delight, combining the thrills of a murder mystery with the intrigue of a courtroom dramaall of it played out against a colorful backdrop of nineteenth-century New England fishing communities and island resort hotels.

Carolyn Gage, award-winning Maine playwright

For decades there have been many questions about the murderous events that took place on the historic Isles of Shoals back in 1873taking the lives of two innocent womenbut J. Dennis Robinson expertly and skillfully peels away the legends and myths to get to what really happened. Highly recommended.

Brendan DuBois, award-winning mystery author of Fatal Harbor

Spoiler Alert! This book is not a whodunit. We know who did it. So says author J. Dennis Robinson, whose reexamination of the Smuttynose murders is a form of the finest forensic journalism. Much like Truman Capote, Vincent Bugliosi and Joe McGinniss, he elevates the true crime genre to the realm of literature.

John Clayton, author of You Know Youre in New Hampshire When...

Eighteenth-century history with twenty-first century cultural sensibility... a riveting tale told by a truly gifted and graceful teller of tales. I loved it!

Rebecca Rule, New Hampshirebased author

An outstanding book. I predict this will become the gold standard for works about the historic Isles of Shoals.

Jane E. Vallier, author of Poet On Demand: The Life, Letters and Works of Celia Thaxter

Its all herestunning shoe-leather detective work, vivid depictions of character, a genuine feel for the historical Isles of Shoals landscape and period boats, and a compelling case that would make any prosecutor proud. Robinson looks evil in the eye and doesnt flinch.

W. Jeffrey Bolster, Bancroft Prizewinning author of The Mortal Sea: Fishing the Atlantic in the Age of Sail

Other Books by J. Dennis Robinson

UNDER THE ISLES OF SHOALS

Archaeology & Discovery on Smuttynose Island

AMERICAS PRIVATEER

Lynx and the War of 1812

STRAWBERY BANKE

A Seaport Museum 400 Years in the Making

WENTWORTH BY THE SEA

The Life & Times of a Grand Hotel

History books for young readers

STRIKING BACK

The Fight to End Child Labor Exploitation

JESSE JAMES

Legendary Rebel and Outlaw

LORD BALTIMORE

Founder of Maryland

With Richard M. Candee

MARITIME PORTSMOUTH

The Sawtelle Collection

With Lynne Vachon

RICH WITH CHILDREN

An Italian Family Comes to America

For my brother Jeff
who loves a good yarn

Copyright 2014 by J. Dennis Robinson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Robinson, J. Dennis.

Mystery on the Isles of Shoals : closing the case on the Smuttynose ax murders of 1873 / J. Dennis Robinson.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-62914-578-5 (hardback)

1. Murder--Maine. 2. Maine--History--19th century. I. Title.

HV6533.M2R63 2014

364.15230974195--dc23

2014032738

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover photo by J. Dennis Robinson

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-057-0

Printed in the United States of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Three things made this project possible. First, I was suddenly given access to the collection of newspaper clippings and articles gathered by the late Dorothy and Dr. Robert Bob Tuttle, who had long hoped to write about the Louis Wagner case, but never got the chance. Second, my agent Jake Elwell of Harold Ober Associates said, Hey, why dont you write a book about those murders on Smuttynose Island? Third, I received financial encouragement from a wonderful group of sponsors including the Shoals Marine Lab on Appledore Island, the Star Island Corporation, the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company, the Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association, and Portsmouth Harbor Cruises. It was primarily their support that allowed me to spend eighteen months digging into the facts and writing this book.

I would like to thank my expert readers of early drafts: Captain Sue Reynolds of the tour boat M/V Uncle Oscar ; Thomas Hardiman, Keeper of the Portsmouth Athenaeum; attorney Thomas Watson; attorney John Perrault; David J. Murray of ClearEyePhoto.com; Isles of Shoals historian and Smuttynose Steward Ann Beattie; Professor C. Laurence Robertson; novelist Rodman Philbrick; former Portsmouth police chief Professor David Lou Ferland; Dan Chartrand of Water Street Books; Maryellen Burke of Discover Portsmouth; my editor, Nicole Frail; and my best friend and technology guru, William S. Roy; and Kathryn Cowdrey, for moral support during tough times.