On one of those ghost tours in New Orleans I heard of a massacre which occured in the 19th century in the French Quarter. Supposedly, some Turkish sultan rented a manor in the Quarter and brought over his entire harem. Long story short, a short while later the Sultan, his family, his harem, and many of his friends were found butchered in the house. The floor was supposedly soaked with blood, body parts littered the floor, and the Sultan was buried alive in the courtyard. The tours I’ve been on put the death toll anywhere between 80 to 200 people.
Now, I’ve read many a history book and true crime compendium alike. How come I’ve never heard of this outside of New Orleans ghost tours? How come most New Orleaners I’ve talked to don’t know what I’m talking about?
Shouldn’t eighty people butchered to death, even if 150 years ago, still be a pretty spectacular body count? So, what’s the Straight Dope? Did this happen?
Here is one of the maybe 6 sites that were turned up on Google.
I don’t know either although I wondered about it too when I took the tour. The guide was knowledgable and didn’t seem to lie but this story did seem a little far fetched. However, I am pretty sure that other stories told on the tour like the slave tortures at the LaLaurie Mansion are true if that means anything.
It has the marks of a myth – no names, no dates, no sources. Sounds like hokum invented to impress tourists. Lyle Saxon’s charming history Fabulous New Orleans (1928), does include chapters on “A Ghastly Execution” and “The Haunted House”, neither of which has anything about the Sultan story.
I took the same tour too. I was in New Orleans 2 months ago on business and I took the witchcraft tour, the haunted history tour, and the vampire tour.
The Sultan’s massacre was one of more chilling tales of murder, but I haven’t been able to find much about it outside of New Orleans either. I do have a book that I bought from the tour people that details the entire incident. I don’t have it with me here at work, but I’ll see if there are any names that may help you find more information.
Take all of the LaLaurie story with a grain of salt, too. For instance, the general vicinity of her gravesite has been known apparently since the '40s (despite what tour guides will tell you). Furthermore, the stories of mass murder were most likely embellished greatly by yellow journalism.
From The Federal Writers’ Project, New Orleans City Guide (1938, rev. 1952):
The bibliography of this city guide did not list the book by Helen Pitkin Schertz (1877-ca 1971), nor is the book in the Library of Congress catalog, so it must be fairly obscure. In any case, it begs the question of how this minor New Orleans historian relates the story of a horrible massacre that somehow was missed by several other New Orleans historians.
I have a wonderful book on New Orleans, written in 1936, called “The French Quarter.” It is an exhaustive history of the Quarter from the founding of the city to the early 1900s. It has three very detailed pages on the LaLaurie incident. The level of detail the author gives throughout the book on many topics, and the acknowledgements which note the access he had to the newspaper archives and other sources, leads me to believe he’s probably accurate. I don’t want to type the whole thing, but if anyone wants it, I’ll take photos of the LaLaurie chapters and email them to anyone who wants them. It’s very fascinating, and certainly has the ring of truth. Incidentally, I visited NO often in childhood, and lived there for a while as a young adult, and I was always skeptical of the LaLaurie story, but I tend to beleive it after reading this. Also, the sultan story is interesting - I thought I knew all the NO stories, but I’d never heard this one. Anyway, if someone wants the LaLaurie story, email me at parkinglotbooks@aol.com
I have a wonderful book on New Orleans, written in 1936, called “The French Quarter.” It is an exhaustive history of the Quarter from the founding of the city to the early 1900s. It has three very detailed pages on the LaLaurie incident. The level of detail the author gives throughout the book on many topics, and the acknowledgements which note the access he had to the newspaper archives and other sources, leads me to believe he’s probably accurate. I don’t want to type the whole thing, I’ll take photos of the LaLaurie chapters and email them to anyone who wants them. It’s very fascinating, and certainly has the ring of truth. Incidentally, I visited NO often in childhood, and lived there for a while as a young adult, and I was always skeptical of the LaLaurie story, but I tend to beleive it after reading this. Also, the sultan story is interesting - I thought I knew all the NO stories, but I’d never heard this one. Anyway, if someone wants the LaLaurie story, email me at parkinglotbooks@aol.com
In published diary 1853-1862 of New Orleans architect Thomas K. Wharton, he mentions visiting the Le Prète mansion once, but reports no infamy associated with it.
The mutilations at the Lalaurie mansion are false, it never happened , same thing for the Sultan’s Palace, it never happened.
I am a licensed tour guide in New Orleans and have been trying in vain to find a single credible document or newspaper article about these stories and they do not exist. Madame Delphine Lalaurie did beat her slaves and some were chained which was a big no no according to the Code Niore. None were tortured though and none were murdered.
The book ‘The French Quarter’ 1936 by Herbert Asbury has many glaring errors throughout the book. Do not use this as a valid resource.:smack:
I count at least 5 different editions of Legends of Louisiana on the resulting pages.
FYI, only one of those 5 editions has ever sold on Amazon.
That edition last sold over 3 years ago.
It is certainly not a popular book…
