Police Officers Farson and Conway were patrolling the neighborhood of Orleans and Washinton Streets in Memphis, Tennessee, on the night of April 28, 1890, when they heard a cry of,” Help! Murder!” They hurried to the source and opened the door to find a woman lying on the floor with a heavy-set man over her with a death grip on her throat. They arrested the man and took him to Central Station, where they learned that they had captured Jake Ackerman, one of the most successful and dangerous criminals in the country.
Jake Ackerman, alias Soloman S. Markes, was a burglar, sneak thief, and “all-around crook,” remarkably adept at evading capture. He was also known as “Natural Jake” for his ability to feign innocence when arrested and avoid prison when convicted.
Ackerman had been a criminal since his childhood in Memphis when he was the leader of a gang of young thieves known as the Mackerl Brigade. Several robberies were traced to the gang, but the police were unable to secure evidence to convict the culprits. Between the ages of 13 and 17, Ackerman was arrested at least 50 times.
In 1883, Ackerman and an accomplice robbed a drunken man of $600. When arrested, Ackerman thrust something into his mouth. The police officer grabbed his throat and choked him until he coughed it up. It was a $500 bill. The victim, a Mississippi planter visiting Memphis, was so happy to get his money back that he tipped the officer $100 but did not press charges. When the case went to trial, Ackerman was acquitted due to his youth, and on the condition that he leave the city.
In the years that followed, Ackerman committed crimes throughout the country. He was married in Indiana, and they moved to Topeka, Kansas. From there, he went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he was arrested for robbing a jewelry store. His father-in-law put up $1,000 bail to release him from jail, but Ackerman did not stay for his trial. He skipped to Jacksonville, Florida, and his wife divorced him.
He was arrested in Canton, Mississippi, for assaulting and attempting to rob a man on a train. He was convicted and taken by train to the penitentiary in Jackson, Mississippi. En route, Ackerman made a daring escape. Although handcuffed, he jumped through the window of the moving train and fled. He was arrested several more times and at least twice escaped by putting soap in his mouth and feigning an epileptic fit, then easily breaking out of the hospital.
In 1888, Ackerman met Lizzie Broderick in Missouri. The well-dressed, fast-talking Ackerman charmed the innocent young girl. Her parents were against Ackerman because he was Jewish, and they forbade her from seeing him. But Lizzie was infatuated and left her home to travel with Ackerman to Fort Scott, Kansas, where they were married.
But, Ackerman did not change his ways.
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Lizzie Ackerman |
During one prolonged absence, she moved to Memphis and changed her name to avoid the stigma associated with “Ackerman.” He tracked her down in Memphis, and they had a pleasant reunion until he found some letters implying that she had cheated on him. This led to the altercation, interrupted by the Memphis police officers.
Jake Ackerman was charged with assault and attempted murder and was arraigned in Police Court on April 30, 1890. In court, he handed Lizzie a note:
Lizzie: I hope you will send me my shirt; you have got three, and my collars and cuffs and also my knife. Put them in a big valise, also my socks and handkerchiefs so I can take them with me; send my check too.
J.N. Ackerman
This was the last straw for Lizzie. When the case was called and they both stood before the bench, Lizzie pulled a revolver from beneath her cloak and fired three shots.
Pandemonium broke out in the courtroom. The police took Lizzie into custody and carried Ackerman to an adjoining room. Everyone else in the room ran for cover.
“My God! Lay me down,” said Ackerman as someone removed his coat, “I am terribly shot. I can feel myself bleeding inside.”Ackerman continued to talk as he lay dying. He asked God to forgive him and requested that the $35 in his pocket be given to the poor, but he had no kind words for Lizzie. He wanted to make sure the incriminating letters were introduced at her trial to show how badly she treated him. He died about an hour later.
Lizzie was cool and calm in custody. She explained to a reporter why she killed Ackerman. After he handed her the note, he leaned over and whispered, “There ain’t much of a case against me. I will be out of this without any trouble, and as soon as I get out, so help me God, I’ll kill you.”
“I did not wait for more,” said Lizzie, “but pulled my pistol and fired the shots straight at him…I have been abused all my married life, and I have lived in daily fear of my life for seven years.”
Lizzie was tried in June and found guilty of second-degree murder. She was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary.
Public opinion was always on Lizzie’s side, and many believed she did the world a favor by killing Jake Ackerman. Her cause was taken up by the Women’s Christian Association, who won her an absolute pardon from Governor Taylor. She served less than six months of her ten-year sentence.
Sources:
“He Called her Pet Names,” Public Ledger, April 29, 1890.
“Killed Her Husband in Court,” New York Herald, May 1, 1890.
“Killed in Court,” Public Ledger, April 30, 1890.
“Lizzie Ackerman Free,” Memphis Daily Commercial, January 17, 1891.
“Lizzie Ackerman's Victim,” Memphis Avalanche, May 2, 1890.
“A Long Career of Crime,” Memphis Daily Commercial, April 30, 1890.
“A Noted Criminal Caught,” Memphis Avalanche, April 30, 1890.
“Shot Down in Court,” National Police Gazette, May 17, 1890.
“Tragic,” Memphis Daily Commercial, May 1, 1890.
“A Verdict of Ten Years,” Memphis Avalanche, June 20, 1890.
“A Wife Kills Her Husband,” Alexandria gazette., May 1, 1890.