The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-29
FOOTPRINT OF A WOMAN.
Important Discovery ON the inside
Door OF Holiness Blind Vault.

Door OF Holiness Blind Vault.
CHICAGO. July 2S-The police yesterday
found woman's footprint on the inside
door Of the blind vault on the third floor
of the Castle building. Although the
vault had been carefully examined on pre-
vious occasions the footprint was not found
until yesterday. Up to that time the police
had been entirely at loss to attribute
any object for the construction OF the vault
arrangement other than that advanced by
conjecture. Now 1t Is believed and conf
IDENTIFY asserted that Holiness victims. or
some OF them, were inveigled into the vault
between the two sets of doors and there
they were smothered with gas. Holmes hav
ing an ARRANGEMENT whereby he could turn
on the gas in his vault from the outside.
They were then, ii is supposed, carried
around the winding hallway to the bath
room, which contained the secret entrance
to the hidden stairway that led to the base
ment. Here. the police think they were
laid upon the dissecting table. which bears
evidence of blood and indenfures of surgical
instruments, and dissected into parts small
enough to allow a ready disposition of
them. In the basement the parts of the
bodies were either buried in quick lime or
else subjected to the flames of the crema-
tories or stoves that Holmes had in the
upper part of the building.
The mystery surrounding the false vault
the police believe they have solved. Their
opinion is that the victims of Holmes were
smothered therein and then made away
with as described. The footprint is upon
the left-side inner door, about two feet or
a little more from the ground. 1t is that
beyond doubt Of woman, on account of its
narrowness, general form and size. The ex-
act measurements have been taken by the
| police, and they are making every endeavor
| to obtain the size of the feet of some OF
| Holiness victims who are supposed 10 have
met death in his castle so that compar-
| BY this means they expect to prove the
identity. of some. of the victims and obtain
convincing evidence against the chief
tion is in south front room
on the third floor. In its construction
sse door s t ou nrge ocR to
| which there are the regulation two inside
| doors. Beyond this there is nothing but a
plaster wall packed with asbestos. The
space between the two sets of doors is
about two feet allowing room enough for
a person to stand and have the outer door
closed upon him. in which he would in
short order be sufrocated. This is the the
Ory Of the police, the first that they have
been able to advance after weeks inves-
! tigation. and they admit that in the clew
| they have one that they consider most val
| uable.
The footprint is that of bare foot. and
doors smooth surface. Another circum-
stance connected with the footmark is that
It cannot be rubbed of by hand or through
/ the agency of cloth or soap and water
| These were tried by the officers. but had
| no effect upon the marks The latter show
/ plainly the imprint OF the toes, the ball OF
| the foot, and the heel, and are directed at
right angle when facing the vault from
the outside room. How the imprint could
have been made so clearly and so firmly
cradle bother when first discovered.
| After thorough investigation and con-
sideraSn on Hd 81 the pSbaSle meshods
| was decided by the officials that before
invegling. his victim into the false vault
floor between the doors that would, when
| they were closed, In a few seconds destroy
all of the iife-giving properties In what
space. This was In lire, the police believe,
with the precautionary care that Holmes
exercised IN ;,h All & ns his G crimes In to prevent
a dying struggle the victim presumably
| put her foot up against the door on the
@ oor TO IN ya hs
to force II open With the acid upon the
floor and the victims feet unclad, IT is
thought that part of the acid might have
| against the door the imprint was eaten
into the enamel finish and escaped Holiness
| attention, and remained intact
Inspector Fitzpatrick now declares the
Investigation from this time on will be
of tSe muraers mfs 1se Witch N Holmes
said to be guilty may have been. and in
fact most likely were, accomplished by the
studying the question can discover very
| many cogent reasons why man engaged
in wholesale murder, should prefer or de
1 sire to use gas as his agent OF murder.
| When we recall the fact that person who
is asphyzfated by gas Is In no manner
| reason why gas should be chosen as an
agent for murder. believe that a large
| percentage of the deaths from blowing
out the gas in cheap lodging houses and
other purpose than robbery Police officials
of Chicago know that there are many men
| in Chicago who would willingly commit
murder for $40 especially II the chances
| of escape are good and If :he act of murder
may be committed without the use Of a
will you give your reasons. which you
characterize as being particularly good.
for your belief that at Homes employed gas
Yes. Gas. when liberated I'm a room In
sufficient volume to asphyxiate. will per-
| meate the whole house. making disagree
| able odor that will cause investigation TO
| establish the source of the offending ocor.
tsps and wss ws know he repeatedly tired to In
terest men OF wealth in scheme he had for
manufacturing gas with water. OF course.
faS faSes seye Vet he kept ali kinds OF i-smeiins
| materials about the wentworth avenue
house, which he said were used In connec-
ton with his experiments in manufacturing
gas. Ill-smelling gas or ill-smelliag articles
| supposed 10 be used in connection with his
| gas business would throw suspicion Off II
ill-smellinT gases from decaying corpses
| pervaded his establishment. We have al
| ways heard of Holiness castle as being the
| abode of bad odors. l believe now and al
ways have thought that Holmes would not
| undertake violent murder himself. In fact.
| 1 think the developments thus far show
| him In the light Of user OF human tools
| for the accomplishment of his murderouz
designs. While believe that Holmes would
| not dispatch victim, with an axe or other
| deadly weapon. / fully believe him capable
| OF sneaking into dark room where his vic
| tim was asleep and turning on the gas But
| In his own castle II was not necessary for
him 10 enter his victims room. BY blowing
! farougb the Ras burner from the hallway
| he could put out gas flame burning I'm an
adjacent room and not enter the sleeping
apartment himself. Just imagine for a mo-
ment what a task II would be for prose-
cusion TO prove murder against an indiyid-
ual N the murder had been CONNECTED In
that way. II seems to me that Ho5wn. Tas