The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-31


Woncy-.Iea.jag Insurance Companie
by the Use of Cadavers His Schemes il
Chicago, and low lie Successfully
Worked Them-People Whom He i
Supposed to Have Murdered and the : p
parent Lack of Motive for Doing it,
Herman w. Midget, alias II. H
Holmes, alias II. NJ Howard, alias
Pratt, alias Gordon, has had carer OF
crime the equal of which is not TO be
found in the records Of this or any 9TH
er country So numerous were his mis-
deeds and spread over so wide an eX-
tent of territory it is practically impos-
sible for the average reader Of the
Eagle to keep them all in mind. For
this reason a brief summary Of the
principal crimes charged to Holmes ac-
count has been made.
Endowed with brilliant business tai
ents Holmes mind was so craven that
he chose dishonest methods for the ac-
quirement of fortune, when honesty
would have been more successful; and
IN addition to his propensity for swind-
ling he was possessed of a cold-blooded
diabolism which impelled him to com
nit murder after murder. in order that
his victims might not turn up as wit
nesses Of his crimes and bring upon
him the punishment he so richly de-
served. His supposed victims are ten
In number and their names are:
SUPPOSED VICTIMS OF HOLMES.
CIGRAND. EAIELINE, stenogra-
y1l,ar on, r,iax-a6 hr Holmes
CONNER, MRS. JULIA l., book
keeper employed by Holmes.
CONNER, PEARL. little daughter
of l. l.. ard Mrs. Julia /. Conner.
LEE. MRS.
~PITZEL. Il. F. associate OF Holmes
in insurance swindle.
PTTZE,L. ALICE: PITZEL. NELLIE:
PITZEL. HOWARD, three children of
i. F. Pitzel.
WILLIAMS. MINNIE, stenographer
employed by Holmes.
WILLIAMS, NINA, sister Of Minnie
williams
VAN TASSEL, EMILY, disappeared
shortly after making Holmes acquaint-
ance.
In addition to the foregoing, Holmes
is charged with making two attempts
on the life of Jonathan s. Belknap. his
father-in-law, ana Mrs. Pitzel thinks he
lured hey TO Burlington. VT, on the
false D:etense that she would meet her
children. Alice and Nellie there.
The police have no Information tend
ing to confirm the story that Holmes
had hand in the murder of Mrs. Mary
Cron in Wilmette in November. 1893.
HOLMES EARLY LIFE.
Mudgett, or Holmes as he is best
known, was born in the quiet village of
Giimanton, Belknap county, y. II. At
the age Of II he married Clara A. Low
ering Of London, \. H., and a son born
to them is now i years old.
Holmes wanted an education and for
that purpose went to Ann Arbor accom-
panied by his wife. who is said to have
paid for his tuition. II was in Ann Ar
hor that Holmes perpetrated his first
Insurance swindle. With the assistance
of another medical student he succeed
ed in passing a body from the disSecting
room as that of Holmes himself, who
had been heavily insured. From Ann
Arbor Holmes ard his wife returned
east going to Burlington. VT. where he
continued his medical studies. In 1883,
having acquired his education at the ex-
pense Of his wife and her family,
Holmes left her, telling her he was GO
Ing to Chicago. From that time until
November 5, 1894, his life was unknown
to her.
The exact date Of Holmes arrival in
Chicago is uncertain. He was first
known there as the proprietor of a con-
Germ known as the A Z c COPPER. which
was in fact an instrument that would
make copies, and about the only honest
device Holmes ever had anything to do
with. The office of the COPPER company
was located in the MOnon block. Holmes
paid for his interest in the concern with
4 -n
worthless. He failed in the business
and left the building. carrying away
fifty gallons of glycerine that did not
belong 10 him.
1t was about this time Holmes made
his appearance in Englewood. He oh
tanned employment in the drug store OF
Mrs. DR. Holden. which was across the
street from where the Holmes building
now stands. He soon made n propo-
sition TO buy the establishment, and II
was not long before Mrs. Holden
chase money. What became of that
suit is shrouded in mystery. Holmes
kept on running the drug store and the
suit was forgotten by his neighbors.
BUILDING HOLMES CASTLE"
His next enterprise was the conStruc-
ton of the now famous building al
SiXty-third and Wallace streets. with
its secret stairs. chambers. and vaults
When it was finished Holmes moved
his stock Of drugs into it and began the
remarkable series of SwindleS and
frauds with which the building is asso-
ciated.
The most notorious Of these was his
celebrated gas generator. He claimed
TO have discovered a method Of making
an Illuminating gas out Of water. He
set up a machine in the basement. con
nected few pines with il. built fur
mace under il, and when all was ready
he sprung his trap on a local gas com
pany. which sent an expert to examine
the generator. What the expert saw
was continuance such as he had never
seen before, with a stream Of water
running in at one end and strong
flow Of gas At the other. Holmes as
sured him the cost Of manufacturine
was next 10 nothing. and the result was
the gas company gave the inventor
such strong reCommenda ton that
Holmes was enabled to sell ii to a Ca
madam for S2.000. When the machine
was taken out II was discovered that
Holmes had tapped the gas company 5
main and thus generated his great IL
luminatOr.
The removal Of the gas machine lef,
hole in the ground which Holmes lost
10 time in utilizing. He announced 70
the people Of Englewood that he had
sunk an artesian well in the hasemen;
and struck flow Of the finest mineral
water that ever came out Of the earth.
This water became . great faVorite in
the suburb. and was retailed a > cents
glass from the soda fountain counter
entil 4 chemist snalyzed il and an
nounced il was aqua nUra from Lake
Michigan. Holmes had simply run a
water pipe into the hole and dubbed i
an arteSian well.
Holmes financial swindles. small and
large. were innumcrable and il : 4
wonder he managed 70 keep out Of the
clutches Of the law 50 long as he dif.