The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-21
TALK WITH THE PRISONER
ANXIOUS TO GO TO TORONTO AND
STAND TRIAL FOR MURDER.
Mrs. Pietxers Account Of Her Deal
ings with the Arch Conspirator
-Holmes's Career OF Crime.

CHICAGO, July 20.-The search for the
bodies of the missing Williams girls was
begun early to-day in the house in Engle-
wood formerly occupied by the alleged
murderer, H. II. Holmes Yesterdays de-
velopments had led to the belief that evil
dences of the supposed crime were con-
cealed somewhere about the house and the
suspicion of neighbors and detectives
pointed strongly toward the large cellar in
which dsagreeable odors had been de-
tected. The belief was that the odor was
of decaying flesh, and that the search
would reveal the body of the second Will
liams girl from Texas and probably that of
little Howard Pietzel. Inspector Fitzpat-
rick accordingly put a force of men to
work digging UP the damp carthen floor
of the place. AS the cellar is over one hun
dred feet long and half as wide, the task
was tedious one. as every inch of ground
and spadeful of earth were carefully ex-
amined by the detectives who superin-
tended the work. Inspector Fitzpatrick,
who was in charge Of the detectives, was
convinced that the investigation would
lead to startling developments. He was
positive, he said that there was some sort
of decaying animal matter concealed in the
cellar, and confidently expected to find
traces of the crime.
The examination of the large ash crate
of Holiness stove resulted In another start
ling discovery when two charred bones,
resembling human ribs, were found among
the ashes. The bones were badly burned
and were handled with great care to pre-
vent their breaking. The finding of the
supposed ribs with the burned woman s
shoe, the button and the piece of cloth
was considered by the police as practically
proving that at least a portion of the
body of a woman had been cremated The
stove is a very large one, about six feet
high and four feet In diameter. and would
easily have held a body. The ash crate
in which the two bones were found to-
day had been removed from the stove this
accounting for the fact that the discovery
was not made during the previous ex-
aminations.
Another important discovery was made
during the search in the old stove in which
human bones were said TO have been found.
While examining this stove to-day the
police found several shoe buttons and the
charred portions of woman's shoe, with
several shreds of cloth and portions of a
hook and eye" 1t was rumored that
several more bones had been discovered,
but this was denied. All parts of the
house were thoroughly gone over in the
hunt for clews, the interest, however, CEN
tering in the cellar. The place was in a
filthy condition. being piled full of old
boxes and all sorts of refuse. Among the
debris found in the house was a bottle of
carbolic acid, which gave rise to a wild
rumor that opiates had been discovered
with other evidence which proved that
Holmes had killed his victims with poison
and afterward burned their bodies. The
police. however, laughed at the story and
declared that the carbolic acid had prob
ably been used as a disinfectant
Late this afternoon, a. bunch of human
hair was found in the chimney of Holiness
house by several newspaper reporters. The
stove pipe had been taken down and, cling
ing to the bricks OF the chimney, was
found quantity of hair. The police were
notified and on examination the hair was
pronounced that of woman. The ap-
pearance Of the locks led to the belief that
they had been burned from the head and
drawn up the stove pipe. The discovery
was considered Of the greatest Importance
by the detectives in charge of the case.
While the men in the cellar were search
ing for a hidden well in which it was
thought bodies might have been buried, 1t
was suddenly opened. A quantity of gas
rushed out into the cellar and overpowered
the men. One of the laborers who was in
the house rushed to their assistance, and
striking a match, an explosion followed
Four men were carried out badly burned,
but it Is not thought that any were fatal
ly injured. The search was Immediately
resumed by another force of men. When
the explosion occurred it was at first
thought by the officers in charge that the
explosion was caused by dynamite. They
hastily surmised that a trap had been laid
by Holmes to prevent the possibility of q
discovery of the bodies supposed to bs
buried there. The men injured by the ex
plosion were:
TIMOTHY M'MULHALE
JOSEPH PATRELLO.
JOSEPH JOSEPH KES9oS. 2ESYos fire marshal
JOSEPH DAILY.
THOMAS GJERS.
JAMES MEAGHER.
EDWARD MCCORMACK.
The first three men were members of tn,
ly. though not fatally, burned. The other
were fremen. who were overcome by gas
An investigation showed that the gas CAM
from a large cedar tank about fifteen fee
deep and ten feet in diameter. 1t was par
TALLY filed with peculiarly smelling liquid
the exact nature of which has not yet beel
determined. From the side Of the tank nu
merous pipes extended, the ends projecting
inside the tank. being carefully wrapped il
| buriaps. Marshal Kenyon, with several o
his men. descended into the tank to max
a careful examination OF 1t. Within fey
seconds Kenyon called to be taken out. a
the gas was bccomins too much for him
He and his companions were quickly haule
up. and all OF them recovered within a fe,
minutes with the exception OF Kenyon. H
acted like crazy man. and ran down a.
alley in the rear OF the house. shoutin
and waving hts hands. He was pursued
! brought back. and u = short time va