The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-21
HOLMES STORY.
Successful Swindler For a
Number of Years.
Insurance Companies Losers-Latest
Scheme Brought Through Murder.

MR.. fltIct huO phott5 NoHioh WV N'''''
herself Mrs. BolnsS, arrived.in this city In
She custody Of Detective Crawford and
Special Agent Perry Of the Fidelity Mutual
8 Life association. Mrs. Pitzel's l6-year-old
daughter Media and her l-year-old boy
were also with tho party. Mrs. Pitzel was
IN very nervous condition.
Detective Crawford detailed the story OF
Che trip, the most important feature which
was the revelation made to him by Holmes
Of the story OF his life Holmes sat beside
tho detective with handenffs on, and the
train had scarcely emerged from the Boston
depot before tho prisoner tried TO bribe his
captor. He offered the detective 500 If he
would allow him to hypnotic him so that
he could escape he said he had fire.
quently hypnotized persons, having ac-
Quired the art from a college professor in
the west. He said he could get the money
at oace from his wife and Mrs. Pitzel.
Story of His Career.
When he saw that his words had no ef-
feet Holmes entered into general conver-
. sation and then told the story of his life
. He said he was raised In Burlington, VT,
and so well educated i'm school there at 10
pears he was teaching. For some time
kafterward he went to college there and
y later in Detroit. Here he formed the nc
quaintancc OF a medical student who, he
said, furnished the body in the New York
inquest case He refused to divulgc his
name. During vacations they worked on
EARNS to raise their college expenses but
one summer they found themselves with
out means, and 1t was then that the medi-
cal man suggested the idea of getting
body and beating an Insurance company.
This was 12 years ago. The doctor got
his life insured for sl2 900. They obtained a
body in Chicago. took it east, arranged
the details OF Identification and success
fully got tho money with which they con-
J tinued their studies, Ho refused TO name
Che company thus swindled. They
worked the scheme afterward with sue
cess, Holmes continued, obtaining sums
ranging from $4,000 to SEQ, 900.
Once holmes got his own life insured
& Tor $4,000 He went TO a hotel in Rhode
Island. At that time he wore beard.
He secured a corpse In Chicago, cut off the
head and took the body to lonely spot
not far from the hotel. Then he shaved
on his beard, returned TO the hotel, asked
for Holmes and engaged a room To wait
for him. He had brought the head with
him and burned IL beyond recognition In
che fireplace of the hotel. The scheme,
however, fell through, the mother of his
wife, when she discovered it, threatening
+ to tell the police, and Holmes fed to the
west.
Murder Figures In the Case.
" Resuming his story, Holmes said that
while living in Chicago, about IS months
ago, he fell in with a typewriter girl and
\ furnished house on the outskirts, where
thcy lived together. A younger sister
came to visit them, and the elder girl be-
came 40 jealous OF her that in quarrel
one day she struck her over the head with
stool and killed her. To save the wo-
man with whom he was living Holmes
said he put the body In trunk, loaded it
with stones and sunk it in the lake.
This girl had property in Texas, and he
and Pitzel took 1t of her hands and sent
her abroad 1t was worth, he said, S40,-
900. and after getting it in their hands,
they went through Texas buying carloads
of horses on notes on this property. The
notes were worthless and it is for this af
fair they are wanted in Fort Worth. To
save this property, Holmes said. he ana
Pitzel formed the scheme of swindling the
Fidelity company. He told the detective
that for :he crimes he has committed he
deserves 70 be hanged a dozen times.
Holmes is not lacking for money, as he
himself said that at the present time ne is
supporting nearly two dozen persons, in
Cluding the girl murderess, her mother
and iinbecile brother, two orphans in
Chkcago who live in one of his properties,
three separate alleged wives and their
(! children, and his own mother and father
I An Kankakee. He would not give the
! names of the women. He firmly main.
(, tains that Pitzel Is alive in San Salvador,
/ and that he will hear from him through
(, the personal column of certain New
York newspaper.
Mrs. Pitzei Is Innocent.
/ A telegram was received by President
! Eonsa OF thn -Eidnlity- paap-te- Tire
/ eject that Howe, the St Louis lawyer
{. was en- route to this city with Mcdonald.
! Ia the capacity of his adviser"
Mr.. Perry related in doyail the story of
1 Holmes arrest in Boston and the manner
IN which Mrs. Pitzel was decoyed from
Huntington. Mrs Pitzel, he continued.
was perfectly innocent OF any comphcity
I'm the whole affair She had been forced,
Through ignorance and pressure OF various
kinds, TO sign certain papers but She told
.
cash. She said Holmes had taken 5000 of
the money and put it in land specula-
tion In Fort Worth, in which Pitzel was
also interested Holmes told Perry that
this was true
Perry said Holmes operated under the
name Of II. NJ. Pratt He added that
Perry B. +. Pltzel and B. II. Lyman are
'ope and the same man. Mr.. Perry further
said that Holmes Is said To have one wife
In New Hampshire, from whom he claims
70 have been divorced, and by whom he
has child, lS years old; another In
Illinois, whom Mr.. Perry himself saw,
and by whom there Is 6-year old child,
and the wife who Is at present In this citv.
In conclusion, Mr. Perry said. Il be.
lieve that IN this matter Mrs Pieeel has
been duped and robbed. She acted under
instructionA. afif she has thus far ana Will
hereafter tell the truth. ] believe that