The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-09-06
STORY OF DARK GRIMES.
Convict Allen Tells of His Connection
With Holms-

LITTLE Rock, Ark, Aug. 29.-J. C.
Allen, alias Caldwell, the convict serv-
ing ten years sentence here for
horse stealing, has made statement
to Warden Moore in regard to 81. H.
Holmes and his operations. The war
den believes the man knows great
deal more than he has told, but he had
the statement put in writing, read to
Allen and verified in every particular
He first met Holmes under the name
of Pratt in Tennessee IN the fall of
1892: About three weeks afterward
Holmes, Pietzel, Minnie Williams and
Allen met in st. Joseph and Minnie's
Fort Worth property was decided to
Allen in the name Of a. T.. Bond. The
deal was made with the understand
ing all around that it was to be swind-
ling operation After making trips to
Leadvllle and Denver they went to
Fort Worth.
''Pietzels conduct at Fort Worth
caused Holmes to send him to Kansas
City. While in Kansas City Pietzel
wrote several threatening letters to
Holmes, in which he said that he
would turn up all the rascality unless
Holmes sent him money! Pietzel was
furnished money three times sent by
me at Holmes request. Holmes Wis
tied Pietzel at Kansas City to get him
to sign the necessary papers to secure
a loan of $4,000 on the Fort Worth
property. While Pietzel was in Kan
sas City, Holmes and Pat Quinlan, who
had joined us at Fort Worth a short
time before we left that place, had
fn11 ,>,,%f
Of the way, because Holmes had be-
his drinking too much and knowing
too much. Ut was known to us all
that Pietzel carried $4,000 life in
surance policy. At our last talk
upon this subject, three days before
leaving Fort Worth, it was understood
that Pietzel was to be killed. I was
selected to assist Holmes in doing the
job, but in what manner it was to be
done was not definitely settled, only
that Holmes remarked that he had
something that would make the Job
easy, and large trunk was purcha sed
in Fort Worth in which to place Piet-
zel's body after being killed. At this
point Holmes patted me on the back
and said: Mascot, it is $4,000 and a
trip to Long Branch, and from there
to California and more buildings.
That night advised Holmes to quit
the business, as he had enough money
not to resort to murder. He replied
that he had been at the business SO
long that it had become perfectly
natural to him, and he would not quit
it.
'sThe plan agreed upon to dispose Of
Pietzel was that we were to meet him
in st. Louis and together go from
there to Chicago, where he was to be
fixed 1t was between Fort Worth
| and Denison that Holmes told me
that mrst have my life insured for
$4,000 in favor Of my little niece.
Remembering the large trunk bought
for Pietzeps body, determined to
part company with Holmes, which I
did at Denison, and have never seen
him since, but received as many as
three letters from him.
1.-THE last time saw Minnie Will
Jams was at our meeting in ST Joseph.
Holmes told her that she must leave
the United States for period of three
or four years. India was agreed upon
as the country to which she should go.
l went to the depot with her. while
Holmes bought her ticket and checked
her baggage, but where to did not
know. While at Fort Worth I read
three letters from Minnie Williams to