The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-21
HE BOASTS OF CRIME.
Insurance Swindler Holmes q
Self-Confessed ScoundreL
SAYS he DESERVES HANGING.
His Mistress Killed Her sister In His
House. He Seychelles Think
PisxsI Wss Murdered.

Pffxel ana Q pretty woman VINO eaa1s
herself Mrs. Holmes, arrived In this city
today in the custody OF Detective Craw-
ford and Special Agent Perry, OF the
Fidelity Mutual Life Association Mrs.
Piszsps l6-year-old daughter Media and her
1-year-oid boy we're also along Win
the party. Mrs. Homes disap-
peared soon after her arrival, and
no clue to her whereabouts could be OBJ
tanned. II Is thought she is stopping at .
hotel in the neighborhood OF the police
headquarterA After the arrival the party
was closeted with Superintendent or
Police Linden until late in the afternoon.
When the conference Was over Detective
Crawford detailed the story OF the trip,
the most important feature OF which was
the relation N ade TO him by Holmes Of the
story Of his whole life. IL reads like the
most sensational of romances. Holmes sat
beside the detective with handouts on.
The train had scarcely emerged from the
Boston depot before the prisoner tried TO
bride bis capsor. He offered the detective
$500 If he would allow him TO escape. He
said he had frequently hypnotized persons.
having acquired the art from college
professor in the West. He said he could
get the money from his wife and Mira
Pitzel. When he saw his words had no
effect he entered into a.general converse
ton and told the story OF his life.
Holmes said he was raised in Buriing-
ton, VT, and was so well educated in
the schools there that at Is he was
teacher. For some time afterwards he
went to college there, and later in De-
troit, Mich. Here he formed the acquaint-
ance of a medical student, who, he said,
furnished the body in New York in the
present case. He refused to divuige hi,
name. During vacations they worked on
farms to raise their college expenses. but
one summer they found themselves with
out means, and then the medical man
suggested the idea of getting a body and
beating an insurance company. This was
twelve years ago. The doctor got his life
insured for $1,000. They obtained body
in Chicago, took it East, arranged the
details of identification and successfully
got the money, with which they continued
their studies. He refused TO name the
company thus swindled. They worked
the scheme afterward with success, OBJ
tanning sums ranging from $lo,0 to
$4,000.
Once Holmes got his life insured for
$4,000 He went to q 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 a lonely
spot not far from the hotel. Then
he shaved off his beard, returned to
the hotel, asked for Holmes, and en-
gagged Q room to wait for him. He had
brought the head with him, and burned
it beyond recognition in tho fireplace of
the hotel. This scheme. however. fell
through. the mother of his wife. when che
discovered the scheme, threatening to tell
the police. and Holmes fed to the West.
Resuming his story, he said that while
living in Chicago about eighteen months
ago he fell in with typewriter girl and
furnished house on the outskirts. where
they lived together. Ayounger sister came
to visit them, and the woman grew SO jeal-
Gus of her that In q quarrel one day she
struck her over the head with q
stool and KILLED her. To cave the
woman with whom he lived, Holmes said
he put the body in a trunk, loaded 1t with
stones and sunk il in the lake. This girl
had property in Texas. and he and Pitzel
took il of her hands and sent her abroad
1t was worth, he said, $4,000, and
after getting il in their hands they
went through Texas buying car loads
of horses on notes on this prop
erty, but ~ they never had q legal
title to the property the notes were worth
less, and il il for this affair that they are
wanted in Fort Worth. To save this
property Holmes said he and Pitzel formed
the scheme of swindling the Fidelity
company. He told the detective that for
the crimes he com united he deserved to be
hanged dozen times. Holmes is not
lacking for money as he himself
admitted that at the present time he
is supporting nearly two dozen persons.
including the girl murderer, her mother
and an imbecils brother. two orph ans in
Chicago who live in one of his properties,
three separate alleged wives and their
children, and his own mother and father
in kankakee. He would not give the
names Of the women. He firmly main
tanned that Pitxei is alive and in San Sal
vaGor. and that he will hear from him
through the personal column of q certain
newspaper.
Mr.. Perry said that as result of the in
terview IL had been decided TO arrest
number of other persons, whose names
were not yet to be given out Mr.. Perry
related in detail the story of Holmes ar
rect IN Boston. and the manner in which
Mrs. Pltzel was decoyed from Bur
fngton. He said nothing had been
said in the secret conference today
that would in the slightest degree
refute his original theory that Pitzel
had been murdered When in the West
he saw the parents OF Mrs. Pltxsl, and
they told him that their daughter had
complained Of the exorbitant fee charged
By the 81. Louis lawyer, s.. 800 In cor
roboration OF his murder theory, Mr. Perry
said that he had from Mrs Pitzel an exact
description OF her husband. agreeing in
every respect with that OF the corpse found
in the csIlowhiil street house Mrs.
PiiEel, he continued. was perfectly inno-
cent Of any completely In the whole
affair. She told Perry last night that
she had received only 8. COO In cash. she
said Holmes had taken S. coo of the money
and pat il in a speculation in Fort Worth,
ia which Pitzel vas also interested
Holmes told Perry that this was true In
Texas, Perry said, Holmes operated under
the name Of II. II. Pratt. He added that
r. Perry, P8txeI and b. 7. Lyman are
one and the same man
81. LoUIs. Nov. 3l-Chief Of Police
Hsrrisan says.
Marion c. Hsdgepeth. the famous
Glendale. No. tram robbeE, is now 9
prisoner Ia she clty jail, aud has
tod re Of Howe's efforts 70
smugsle him KEYS and tools on
various oce&sioRs - aid him n his
attempts 10 escape. Howe Is brother OF
AeDORaid's PARTNER. and Mcdonald il
Hedgspslh's attorney. The hrst inilma-
iioH had Sss from Hedgspeth. His let
ter 10 rne and the statement that followed
written BY bin az ny request, tell tue
story Of the discovery Of the plot They