Louis Wagner, The Smuttynose Axe Murderer

In 1873 Prussian Fisherman Louis Wagner stole a row boat and rowed out to the little Island of Smuttynose. He intended to rob the women left alone that night, but instead killed two of the three with an axe.

This story is often confused with having transpired in New Hampshire. Since the Isle of Shoals is on the border between Maine and New Hampshire and the murders occurred on the Maine side, it is a Maine Murder Case.

The book "Return to Smuttynose Island and other Maine Axe Murders" was quickly dismissed by those outside of Maine, because it had a so called Maine Hook, or was told from a Maine Point of view.

I would like to point out that since the Murder occurred in Maine; Louis Wagner was tried, convicted and hung in Maine, how could the case be other then a Maine Murder Case?

Louis Wagner was hung on the gallows of Thomaston, at the Maine State Prison, when it was pointed out in the book that Wagner was actually buried on the grounds of the now Former Prison, it was claimed that "why yes, we have always known!" Yet it is never found in print or photos available online. When we mentioned it to people in the area, those that bothered to reply, asked "who?" or my favorite, "what Prison cemetery?"

I guess the point is, the Most Famous Maine Murderer the state has ever known is buried at Thomaston. You won't find a shrine; you won't find a tombstone, or monument; you probably won't even find the cemetery, all you will find is a small name plate. Maybe someone other then our group should take the stump and draw some attention to such an individual, so maybe his victims won't be forgotten or the case won't be considered claimed by another state.