The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-18
MRS. PIETzEl.
Tells Her Remark
able Story.
Believes She Was Hypnotized
by Holmes.
And That the Same Influence Con-
troIled Her Children.
The Fearful Scheme to Get Possession
of the Victims.

CHICAGO, July Is. Mrs Pietzel, who
left late last night for Toronto, 10
identify the bodies of the two children
found in the cellar of the house at 1874
Vincent street, talked about her past life,
and her husbands dealings with Holmes
just before leaving. Mrs. Pietzel is broken
in health and mind, the victim. she be-
lieves of hypnotic influence welded by
Holmes. Her story was straightforwardly
told and IL seems impossible To believe
that she was either a confederate or ac-
complice of Holmes in the commission of
his crimes.
"Holmes, whom / had never met" said
Mrs. Pietzel, s'but once before the
death Of nv husband seemed from the
time he asked me for the care of the child
rem until his final arrest to have a PEE
culiar influence over me that then /
thought natural, since he had been the
intimate friend of my husband. Besides
my husband had repeatedly told me that
i cou trust him, that he was a good
man and that he would always be true TO
US. The children idolized him. There
was nothing that he could not do with
them.
again and again my husband told me
how much he thought of Holmes and
how honorable he was, until / came to
the same opinion myself, although at first
j did not like the man and told my hus-
band so and begged him to have moth
ing ~ do with him.
II saw my husband last on August "a,
fo9t lie had gone 10 ST. Louis. He
was then heavily interested with Holmes
in whatever the enterprises were they had
on together, and / was lying sick with
my baby. i was very sick. i could not
go to Philadelphia and identify the body
which they suspected TO be that of my
husband. 1t was afterward that Mr..
Holmes told me the body was not that of
my husband, that il was bogus body
made up to look like him, and that IL or
the children said anything about IL, the
Insurance company would get hold OF us
and we would be punished severely.
was very sick and loved Holmes. He
talked kindly and offered to take Alice,
Nellie, and Howard from me and educate
them. He said that he would put them
TO school and pay all of their expenses.
The children loved him and as j was
alone in the world and poor, let him
take them and they went away. At this
time and all times Holmes acted to me
like gentleman.
"He constantly kept me under the inn
preston, though, that l and the children
were TO be mixed up in the bogus body
which he said was found in Philadelphia.
lie said that PietZel was still alive and
that 4 would see him again when this
trouble was over. He wished, though, to
save us from arrest, and after the three
country. / began TO worry about the
children. j wanted TO see them and
wished to know where they were. Holmes
always put me off with the story that
must keep quiet until the detectives
stopped their work.
"When he took me TO Detroit it was he
who registered me there as Mrs. Adams.
He told me so when he came up TO the
room where Bessie. my oldest daughter,
and were. i told him that he did wrong
to put my name down incorrectly, but
he explained that the detectives must be
kept off OF the track and that | was pro-
tecting my husband by this. / finally
heard the children were at Toronto, and
Bessie, / and the baby went there alone
TO search. After reaching the city i went
into department store on Yonge str eet
TO get something for the baby. Just after
we came out of the dress pattern depart
ment on the street j met Holmes face to
face. He was cool and unconcerned. He
said:
why, / was looking for you. Just
wait hers n minute while | go into the
store. j have some things i'm there which
i want to get. / will join you in an in
stant.'
Before / could ask him a question he
had entered the store. / waited there
until the baby began TO cry. and then |
told Bessie To go into the store and look
for him. She did so, but could not find
him. Then | went i'm myself but could
not find him, and | never saw him
again."
Nav Escape the Moose.