The herald., 1895-07-19
MRS. P|TZEl TELLS HER TALE
She Believes That Holmes Had
Hypnotized Her
HER CHILDREN LOVED HIM
And lie Slaughtered Them at His Leisure
In Canada
The wholesale Hurderer Sometimes Lost His
Nerve and This VIII Lead film to
the Scaffoid
Associated Press Special Wire.

CHICAGO, July 1S.--Mrs. Pitzel whr
left last night for Toronto to identify the
bodies of the two children found in the
cellar OF the house at l6 St. Vincen,
street, talked about her past life and her
husbands dealings with Holmes lust
before leaving. Mrs. Pitzel Is broken in
health and mind, the victim, she be-
lieves, of hypnotic infiue nee exerted by
Holmes. Her story was straig htforward
ly told, and it is impossible to believe.
after being any length of time in her
company, that she was either confed
crate or an accomplice OF Holmes in the
commission any of his crimes.
Holmes, whom l had never met but
once before the death of my husband"
said Mrs. Pitzel. Seemed from the TIM
he asked me for the care OF the children
until his final arrest, to have a peculiar
control over me. l felt controlled by
him. He had influnce over me that +
thought then to be natural. since he had
been the intimate friend OF my husband.
Besides. my husband had repeatedly told
me that / could trust him. that he was
good man. that he would always be
true to us. The children idolized him.
There was nothing that he could not do
with them.
Again and again my husband told me
how much he thought OF Holmes and
how honorable he was. until came to
the same opinion myself, although at
first l did not like the man and told ny
husband so and begged him to have
nothing to do with him.
II saw my husband last on August H.
1894. He had gone to St. Louis. He
was then heavily interested with Holmes
in whatever the enterprises were that
they had on hand together. and | was
lying sick with my baby. | was very
sick. l could not go to Philadelphia to
identify the body which they suspected
to be that Of my husband. / could not
be moved. Holmes came to me and
Alice was taken east and she identified
the body. 1t was after that that Holmes
told me that the body was not that of my
husband. that it was bogus body made
to look like him, and that if the children
SAID anything apout it the insurance
company would get hold of US and we
would be punished severely.
Holmes. He talked kindly and offered
to take Alice. Nellie and Howard away
from me and educate them. He said he
would put them to school and pay all of
their expenses. The children loved him.
and was alone in the world and poor.
] let him take them and they went away.
At this time ana all other times
He constantly. kept me under the i'm
preston. though. that l and the children
were to be mixed up in the bogus body
which he SAID was found in. Philadelphia.
He said Pitzel vas still alive, and that l
would see him again when this trouble
was over. He wished, though, to save
us from arrest, and after the three child
rem were gone l moved into the country.
| had to worry about the children. l
wanted to sea them. and wished to know
where they we're. Holmes always put me
off with the story that must keep quiet
until the detectives stopped their work.
when he took me to Detroit it was he
who registered me there as Mrs. Adams.
He told messo when he came to the room
where Desie, my oldest daughter, and
were: told him that he diu wrong to
put down my name wrong. but he ex-
planned that the detectives must be kept
off the track. and that was protecting
my husband by this. l finally heard the
were in Toronto. and Bessie, I
ana the baby went there at once to search,
but without success.
"Sincs then | have been working for
the location of the children. with District
Attorney Graham of Philadelphia. Mr..
the officers of the life insurance, have
done all in theirspower to aid me. You
must understand that when my children
were first really missing | was locked up
and could not communicate with anyone.
was not allowed to see the newspapers
or receive mail. In Holmes trunk there
was found letter from my daughter AL |
ice 10 me whicn never reached me, show
ing that my mail was intercepted. Since
have had my freedom the Philadelphia |
authorities and the insurance company |
have worked to bring my children back to |
me, and have aided them so far as | |
could.
when I gave the children up to
Holmes in st. Louis 1 was too sick and |
ion to what l did. He told me to go |
home and recruit there with my parents,
md he would keep the children in school. |
When be took me to Detroit andI supposed |
We were being hunted by detectives, |
Holmes paid most of the bills. Some
lines l. was compelled to pay my own ex-
oenses. | believe Holmes inten ded to
Kill me, think he intended to kill me
n Burlington, Vermont, but he must
lave lost his nerve, for he still had the
children on his hands aud hesitated. I
annot give any other explanation of why
lie spared my life. He intended to kill
ny entire family"
TORONTO, July 1S.-OwIng to mis-
by the present jury as to
he time and place of the inquest of the
'Jdles of the Pitzel girls, which was to
lave opened today, the inquest did not
proceed. The coroner has fixed tomorrow
vening for the inquest to open. Mrs.
':tzel, the wife of the murdered man,
rrived in Toronto tonight from Chicago.
he is In an exhausted state. The bodies
{ the two girls are being made as pre-
ermits she will view them tomorrow.
Still More Lies
LONDON July lS-In ouiries made in