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The 19th Century Murder Of Passion Committed With A Banjo
In 1880, a musician killed his prostitute girlfriend in a very unusual manner after they quarelled
Anger is a natural but sometimes dangerous human emotion if not controlled properly. In the heat of passion, some people can unfortunately go too far when their their feelings explode. This is a tragic but not uncommon theme in many murders, which are committed in all manners of ways and for myriad reasons. One of the more unusual was a 19th century lovers quarrel when a professional musician killed his paramour with his banjo.
In 1880, William Condon was a 23-year-old eking out a living playing his banjo at saloons and disreputable dance halls in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. For the previous six months, he had lived with a woman of ill repute known as Big Lou Perry. She was born Louisa Dorff and came from a troubled family, which included multiple brothers who were frequently in trouble with the law (including murder).
Big Lou had long worked to support herself through any means necessary, which primarily meant prostitution. Her reputation, such as it was, was not a good one. She and Condon were two people struggling to live life, who found some comfort and respite in coming together as a couple. However, they were often seen arguing…
