Mary Jane “Bricktop” Jackson: The Violent Killer of Nineteenth-Century New Orleans
Overview
Mary Jane Jackson, commonly known as “Bricktop,” was an American criminal and suspected serial killer active in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, during the 1850s and early 1860s. Historical accounts attribute at least four killings and numerous nonfatal assaults to her between 1856 and 1861.
Jackson was a woman, despite occasionally being described incorrectly as a man in modern summaries. She reportedly received the nickname “Bricktop” because of her bright red hair. She was also identified by names including “Mary the Red,” “Red Mary,” and Mary Rufus.
Although Jackson is frequently classified as a serial killer, surviving documentation about her life is fragmentary. Some stories were recorded decades after the events and may contain exaggerations. Only two of her alleged victims are consistently identified by full names and exact dates of death. The names of the other two men have either been lost or were never published.
Early Life
Mary Jane Jackson was born in New Orleans in approximately 1836. Some accounts place her birthplace on Girod Street, an area located near the rapidly developing commercial districts of the city.
Jackson reportedly entered prostitution when she was about thirteen or fourteen years old. New Orleans was a major port city filled with sailors, laborers, merchants, drinking establishments, gambling rooms and brothels. Violence was common in some of its entertainment districts, particularly in areas surrounding the French Quarter and the notorious Gallatin Street.
By her middle teenage years, Jackson was reportedly living with a saloon owner as his mistress. Their relationship ended approximately three years later. According to later accounts, Jackson responded to the separation by severely beating the man. He allegedly suffered a broken nose and lost part or all of one ear during the assault.
Jackson subsequently moved between different brothels and lodging houses. She developed a reputation for fighting with customers, fellow sex workers and men who attempted to intimidate her. Contemporary and later descriptions portrayed her as physically strong, quick-tempered and willing to use knives or clubs during confrontations.
Weapons and Methods
Jackson was most closely associated with knives. One frequently repeated account claims that she possessed a specially designed double-ended knife. The weapon reportedly had a blade at each end with a central grip, allowing her to cut or stab in more than one direction without turning the handle.
The existence and exact design of this weapon cannot be independently established from complete surviving court records. Nevertheless, several descriptions of Jackson emphasize her familiarity with knives and her willingness to use them during fights.
Her alleged killings did not follow the concealed methods often associated with other female serial killers of the nineteenth century. Jackson was not known to have used poison or deception. Her violence was generally direct, personal and connected to arguments, insults, robberies or turbulent relationships.
The Unidentified Man Killed in 1856
Jackson’s first widely reported killing occurred in New Orleans in 1856, when she was approximately twenty years old. The victim’s name and the precise date of his death are not preserved in the commonly available historical accounts.
The confrontation allegedly began after the man insulted Jackson by calling her a prostitute. Jackson reportedly attacked him with a club and beat him so severely that he died. Because the victim has never been reliably identified, it is impossible to verify his age, occupation or the exact location of the killing.
The incident established the pattern later associated with Jackson: an argument escalated rapidly, Jackson used overwhelming physical force, and the victim died from injuries inflicted during the confrontation.
The Killing of “Long Charley” in 1857
In 1857, Jackson allegedly killed a man known only by the nickname “Long Charley.” He was reportedly given this name because he was exceptionally tall, with some accounts placing his height at nearly seven feet.
Jackson is said to have stabbed Long Charley with her double-ended knife. The precise circumstances of the dispute have not survived in a dependable form. His legal name, age, exact date of death and the location of the stabbing remain unknown.
Although the killing is repeatedly included in summaries of Jackson’s crimes, the absence of a full name or exact death record makes detailed verification difficult. The most that can be stated responsibly is that a man called Long Charley was reportedly stabbed to death by Jackson in New Orleans during 1857.
The Rampart Street Killing of Laurent Fleury
One of the best-documented incidents associated with Jackson occurred on November 7, 1859. Jackson went to a drinking establishment on Rampart Street in New Orleans with two women identified as Ellen Collins and America Williams.
A blacksmith named Laurent Fleury was sitting nearby. Fleury reportedly objected to Jackson’s loud swearing and asked her to stop. Jackson allegedly responded by speaking even more loudly. The confrontation escalated when Fleury stood and slapped Jackson across the face.
Jackson, Collins and Williams then allegedly attacked Fleury with knives. He suffered multiple wounds and died following the assault. When officers arrived, they reportedly discovered property belonging to Fleury, including money or items taken from his pocket, in Jackson’s possession.
Jackson was arrested and confined in the Parish Prison. The case encountered a significant evidentiary problem, however. An autopsy reportedly failed to establish with sufficient certainty which wound had caused Fleury’s death or which woman had inflicted the fatal injury.
Without clear medical evidence connecting a particular assailant to the fatal wound, authorities released Jackson. The outcome illustrates the limitations of nineteenth-century forensic medicine and the difficulty of prosecuting a killing involving several simultaneous attackers.
Relationship with John Miller
While imprisoned in connection with Fleury’s death, Jackson reportedly became acquainted with John Miller. Miller was born around 1829 and was associated with Gretna, a community across the Mississippi River from New Orleans.
Miller has been described as a former fighter, criminal, fight manager and temporary jailer. Accounts also portray him as an extremely violent man who had been involved in killings of his own.
Some later descriptions claim that Miller had lost an arm and used an iron ball or weighted attachment connected to the remaining portion of the limb as a weapon. The more sensational details of this story may have been embellished, but Miller was consistently characterized as dangerous.
After Jackson’s release, she and Miller became romantically involved. They reportedly committed robberies together, particularly in areas around the French Quarter. Their relationship was marked by threats, physical abuse and repeated confrontations.
The Killing of John Miller
On the night of December 5, 1861, Jackson and Miller became involved in a final and fatal altercation at or near their home in Gretna, Louisiana.
Before entering the residence, Miller allegedly told neighbors that Jackson needed a beating. He reportedly carried a cowhide whip and intended to punish her. A violent struggle followed inside the home.
Later accounts claim that Miller attempted to whip Jackson and then attacked her with his iron weapon. Jackson resisted, gained control of the confrontation and fought back. Miller was ultimately stabbed and died from his injuries on December 5, 1861.
Unlike the earlier cases, Jackson was successfully prosecuted for Miller’s death. The court convicted her of manslaughter rather than premeditated murder. She received a sentence of ten years in prison.
Release During the Civil War
Jackson did not serve the full ten-year sentence. The American Civil War dramatically changed political and legal authority in New Orleans. Union forces captured the city in the spring of 1862, and Major General George Foster Shepley became the military governor of Louisiana.
During the reorganization of the local government and prison system, prisoners were released or pardoned. Jackson was freed after serving approximately nine months of her sentence.
Her early release was therefore not the result of a successful appeal establishing her innocence. It occurred during the disruption that followed the Union occupation of New Orleans.
Later Violence and Disappearance
After leaving prison, Jackson reportedly returned to her former environment. In November 1862, she was accused of stabbing a sailor. Available accounts do not identify the sailor or indicate that he died, so this incident is generally counted among Jackson’s nonfatal attacks rather than her confirmed or suspected killings.
Some historical summaries claim that Jackson assaulted or stabbed as many as twenty-five people during her criminal career. The number is difficult to verify because comprehensive police, hospital and court records have not survived for every alleged incident.
Jackson remained in New Orleans for a time after her release but eventually disappeared from the historical record. She may have left the city in 1863 or 1864. Her destination, later identity and date of death are unknown.
There is no verified evidence establishing when or where Mary Jane Jackson died. Reports that assign her a specific death date should therefore be treated cautiously.
Known and Alleged Victims
- Unidentified man — 1856 — New Orleans, Louisiana: Jackson reportedly clubbed the man to death after he insulted her. His name, exact date of death and the precise location of the attack are unknown.
- “Long Charley” — 1857 — New Orleans, Louisiana: A man known by the nickname Long Charley was reportedly stabbed to death by Jackson. His legal name and exact date of death have not been reliably established.
- Laurent Fleury — November 7, 1859 — Rampart Street, New Orleans, Louisiana: Fleury, a blacksmith, was fatally stabbed during an altercation involving Jackson, Ellen Collins and America Williams. Jackson was arrested but released after the medical examination failed to determine who had inflicted the fatal wound.
- John Miller — December 5, 1861 — Gretna, Louisiana: Miller, Jackson’s lover and alleged criminal partner, was fatally stabbed during a violent domestic confrontation. Jackson was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison.
Questions About the Victim Count
Jackson is commonly credited with killing four men. However, the level of documentation differs considerably from one victim to another.
Laurent Fleury and John Miller are identified by name and connected to specific dates. The 1856 victim remains completely unidentified, while the 1857 victim is known only as Long Charley. Because Jackson was not convicted of murder in the first three cases, descriptions of all four men as legally confirmed murder victims would be misleading.
The four-victim total is based largely on historical newspaper stories, crime histories and later reference works. It is possible that some incidents were exaggerated as Jackson’s reputation grew. It is also possible that additional fatal attacks went undocumented in the violent and socially marginalized environment in which she lived.
Criminal Classification
Mary Jane Jackson is often included on lists of serial killers because she allegedly killed four people in separate incidents over several years. Under a broad definition, that pattern can qualify as serial murder.
Her case differs from many better-known serial killers because she does not appear to have selected victims according to a carefully planned preference. Most of her alleged killings occurred during spontaneous confrontations. Anger, retaliation, criminal activity and domestic violence appear to have been more important than ritual or long-term planning.
For that reason, Jackson can also be viewed as a repeatedly violent offender whose escalating assaults resulted in several deaths. The limited surviving evidence makes it impossible to reconstruct her psychological motives with confidence.
Historical Context
Jackson’s story developed within the disorderly districts of antebellum New Orleans. The city was a major center of international trade and contained a large transient population. Sailors and laborers mixed with gamblers, thieves, sex workers and professional fighters in crowded saloons and dance halls.
Women involved in prostitution had little legal or social protection. They were exposed to assault, exploitation and arrest, while violence committed against them was often ignored. Jackson’s environment may help explain why she carried weapons and relied on physical force, but it does not excuse the deaths and injuries attributed to her.
Crime reporting during this period was frequently sensational. Newspapers emphasized dramatic nicknames, physical descriptions and lurid details. Jackson’s red hair, strength and refusal to submit to violent men made her an especially memorable subject for such stories.
Legacy
Mary Jane Jackson remains an obscure figure compared with later American serial killers. No complete trial transcript, personal diary or reliable biography provides a comprehensive account of her life. Most modern descriptions are assembled from scattered newspaper reports and later crime reference books.
Her case is notable because she was a female offender accused of using direct physical violence against adult men. This distinguished her from many historically documented female serial killers, who more commonly used poison or targeted relatives, patients or children.
Jackson’s ultimate fate remains one of the central mysteries surrounding her story. After surviving violent encounters, arrests, a manslaughter conviction and imprisonment during the Civil War, she vanished. Whether she adopted another name, moved to another city or died soon after leaving New Orleans is unknown.
What remains is the record of a feared nineteenth-century New Orleans criminal whose life became entangled with violence, prostitution, robbery and murder. The most responsible account of her crimes must distinguish documented facts from colorful legends and acknowledge that the names and exact death dates of half of her alleged victims have been lost.
