The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-28
EVIDENCE OF MURDER.
CHASTITY Remnants of the Boys
Remains Gathered in a
Cottage.
BOLD CRIME AT IRvINGTON.
Many Reasons for the Charge
That the SWindler Killed
the Lad.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Aug. PIN the
chimney of little frame cottage standing
at some distance from the other residences
of Irvington, suburb of this city, detec-
tives this morning found the charred bones
of little Howard Pitzel, one of Holmes
victims. The find was the reward of long
and persistent search by Detective Geyer
of Philadelphia, who came here six weeks
ago, and has been working ever since on
the theory that young Pitzel had been
killed here.
To-day he and Inspector Gary found the
empty cottage at Irvington, which had
been occupied by man answering
Holmes description and little boy early
last October. They began a search and
soon found large stove and "the black
trunk" in which it had been supposed the
body had been shipped away.
Further search was rewarded by the find
ing of number of charred bones in the
chimney together with the buttons from
the boys overcoat. Evidently the child
had been murdered in the house and his
body cremated there. The two came to
the house together and were seen about the
place for week when both disappeared
and nothing has been since heard of them.
After the detectives left the Irvington
house this evening DR.. j. F. Barnhill, one
of the former owners of the house, con-
tinued the investigation begun by the Off
GERS and a thorough search of the house
was made. In chimney were found the
charred bones, which DR.. Barnhill says
there can be no doubt are those of human
body, and pieces of skull were found,
which he says are of boy of about the
age of Howard Pitzel, this fact being
judged by the thickness of the skull
Pieces of the femur and other bones were
also found, After bringing forth from the
chimney enough remains TO satisfy him
self that there could be no mistake DR..
Barnhill came to this city and made known
the facts to Detective Geyer. The latter
SAID there was no use in digging further,
as it was evident the chimney contained
the skeleton of their search. Tomorrow
all the deposit in the chimney will be re-
moved and a careful search of it made.
The doctor had not fully examined all the
contents of the chimney, but of the debris
brought further to light he said:
1.-The first and most characteristic CHS
covery is the piece of skull. We have the
sutures, as 1 have said. They are very
sharp and pointed, characteristic of hui
man skull. Both plates of bone are well
represented. This is human skull for
the reason that the sutures are more de-
veloped as TO the spines than those of any
other animal.
There is also a piece of femur. Al
though it is fearfully charred, we find all
the characteristics of human bone-the
smooth outer surface that has been COW
cred by periosteum. The animal parts are
all burned out. We also found a piece of
bone that should judge to be a part of
the pelvis. This is indicated by its thick
ness and strength.
1.-THE chimney was full of remains
There is piece of rib in the handful that
I brought out, besides the bones 1 took
from the chimney portions of a trunk, a
trunk buckle and a corner protection
strip. These correspond with the iron
parts of trunk that were found under the
porch by the detectives this afternoon
There is also the remains of a tintype
photograph. 1t is perfect as to shape and
thickness, but the likeness has been
burned out.
'In my opinion the circumstantial evil
dence that these are the remains of VIC
tim of II. H. Holmes-and probably
those of the Pitzel boy-is conclusive
The peculiar manner in which this man
rented the house, the misleading story he
told in regard to his sister, the fact that
two or three persons positively identified
the pictures of Holmes and of the boy
Howard Pitzel, the sudden disappearance
of the man, and now the discovery of
these remains, together with the re-
semblance to Holmes other atrocities,
make a good case"