The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-26
There Would Seem to Be No
End to the Number of
Women He Killed.
MYSTERY OF A GIRLS DEATH.
The Last Charge Is That the In
surance SwindIer Killed
Miss Cigrand.

tional a find as that of yesterday was made
by the men digging in the basement OF the
Holmes building to-day, but it was one
which may go further toward securing the
CONVICTION of the murderer. One OF the
workmen found in a pile of rubbish let
ter signed III. III. Howard" and dated May
5, 1896 The signature is one of the many
aliases used by Holmes, and one of the
commonest of the lot. The letter is in his
well-known handwriting, and is addressed
to an occupant of the building, to whom
the detectives who took possession of the
letter before the reporters could get hold
of it refused to state. 1t is believed, how
ever, that the letter is to c. E. Davis, the
jeweler, who occupies the building with
Druggist Robinson.
The letter inquiries particularly as to the
doings of Janitor Quinlan, and asks where
he now is. 1t then goes on in jocular
manner to discuss the fate of the Williams
girls, and asks of the recipient whether he
has seen them or their ghosts about the
building. Special inquiry is made as to
the partitions in the house, and in connec-
ton the writer ex presses the belief that he
will not have to stay in jail much longer.
1t was at first reported that two letters had
been found, but Detective Norton, who has
charge of the material found in the cellar,
denies that this is so. He declares that
the two supposed letters were only parts
of the same letter.
A new accusation now rests against
Holmes character and that is that he
made away with Miss Cigrand, with
whom he lived in the house at Sixty-third
and Wallace streets just before he had
the Williams girl there. The neighbors
remembered but little of the girl, not even
her first name. She was a stately looking
blonde, about Is years old and lived with
Holmes something less than six months.
When she went away Holmes told Jeweler
Davis, as the latter claims, that he had
succeeded in marrying her off" 1t will
be remembered that this is very much like
what he told concerning the disappearance
of Mrs Conner. He said at that time that
he had married her off in California.
Miss Cigrand came to Chicago from Indi-
ana. She associated but little with the
neighbors, and even the other inmates of
the building were in complete ignorance
concerning her habits. Holmes was not
often seen with her and on these occasions
he kept aloof from his acquaintance and
introduced her to no one. Mrs. Doyle of
767 Third street knows more about this
girl lit is believed, than anybody else, but
the Central station officers will not permit
her to talk about the case.
The building in which Holmes Chicago
crimes were probably concerted and ac-
complished will probably not be pulled
down. P. r. Chandler, a mortgage broker
who holds lien on it for $4,000 advanced
to Holmes with which to build it, was told
by the building inspector that all that was
necessary was to improve the upper por-
ton. This will be done at once. An order
of foreclosure has already been secured
from the court, and tomorrow or next day
an order viii be asked for allowing the
improvements to be put on. The property
is now worth $4,000. Besides the princi-
pal there is $4,000 back interest and taxes
due on it.
g. few more bones were found to-day in
the same mole from which those were
taken Yesterday. The force of men was
doubled to-day and the work is progress
ing much faster. The belief is gaining
ground that Holmes wife, who lives at
the suburb of Wimette, knows much
more about the crimes of her husband
than she cares to tell. 1t is probable that
she will be put in the sweatbox.
Mrs Quinlan and Mrs. Doyle, who were
examined to-day, are still under police re-
straint, as are Quinlan and Owens, thong b
none of them are actually under arrest.
To the police to-day Mrs. w. L. Doyle
said that an aunt of hers owned the house
in Toronto where the two Pietzel
children were found dead. Mrs. Doyle
was shown picture of the Pietzel
children and of the excavations in the
basement of the Holmes castle, of which
she said, "Those are much better pictures
than were in the Toronto papers OF the
house and of the children"
Asked how she knew the pictures were
better she said, IT had paper sent to me
from Toronto, and the pictures in it were
horrible"
Mrs. Doyle was asked how the paper
came to be sent to her and what interest
she had in the case. She replied: "Well,
you see, it's funny, but my aunt owns the
house that Holmes lived in in Toronto.
She rented it to him."
ssDo you mean the house where the
bodies of the two Pietzel children were
found?"
eyes," she replied.
Mrs. Doyle was asked if she knew
Pietzel, to which she hesitatingly replied
she had met him, but she refused to say
anything further about her acquaintance
with the man that Holmes Is supposed to
have murdered.
One of the most important developments
in the case during the day was the alleged
connection established between Holmes
and an insurance solicitor, T. J. Downey,
an alleged doctor, who operated in the in
surance business in Englewood and who is
said to be the man who assisted Holmes in
placing insurance on his victims and upon
the lives of persons insured in his favor.
Downey is wanted by more than one local
insurance company, and it is believed that
if the police succeed in getting hold of him
he will be able to tell an interesting story
of the operations of Holmes with the in
surance companies.
In fact, there are those who believe he
was an accomplice of the Englewood swim
dIer and worked for division of the
spells received from the insurance CON-
yEo A.