The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-30
HOW PIETzEL DIED.
Holmes Tells an Uncanny Story
of His Death.
An Entirely New Account by
the SWindIer.
DISFIGURED HIS FACE.
Pietzel Killed Himself and
Holmes Mutilated Him.
DISFIGURED HIS FACE.

new statement has just been made by
II. Fl. Holmes, the supposed murderer
of the Pietzel children. In it the man
of many crimes gives in detail his YER
sion of how Pietzel came by his death
last September, and also states his
(Holmes) connection with the tragedy.
Holmes says that on Saturday night
preceding the death of Pietzel the lat
ter came to his house on North
Eleventh street, where he was staying
with MRS. Howard" Pietzel told
Holmes heartrending story of his
pecuniary difficulties and of the SICK
ness of his daughter in st. Louis. Il
must have money he said,
send to my wife in st. Louis.
Holmes demonstrated with Pietzel as
to his spendthrift habits, and spoke
substantially to him as follows: ''Then
you have been a good friend of mine;
I'll admit it. l have made lots of
money through you, but can not keep
this thing up. Where is that $50 1
gave you the other day? If you don't
quit drinking you and 1 will have to
separate"
This conversation is said to have
been carried on along Eleventh street
the men walking north until Morris
SbESSb was 1SdCA1CNA w ASA bACy
rived al the corner Pietzel exclaimed:
81 am of no benefit to anyone. l will
soon get rid of my difficulties. Life
has become nuisance to me-" Holmes
then AYERS that he jokingly remarked:
''Well, your body is as good as any
other, but L would not advise you to
do anything rash.
Holmes accounts for making this re-
mark by saying that he and Pietzel
had under consideration the defraud-
ing of the Fidelity Mutual Insurance
company. Holmes says Pietzel then
became angry and again vowed that
he would commit suicide. Holmes
| then explains that Pietzel left him
with the intention of going home.
Holmes says he gave Pietzel no money
that night, but promised to meet him
at the Callowhill street house the fol-
lowing morning.
! It was about 10 o'clock the follow
ing day Sunday, Holmes goes on to
say, that he went to visit Pietzel at the
| Callowhll street house. When he
reached the place no one apparently
was about. Holmes sat in the kitchen
for almost twenty minutes waiting for
| Pietzel to appear The latter, Holmes
supposed, had gone out for breakfast.
| Time wore on, and Ben was not to be
| seen. The cOnspiratOr then says that he
! became anxious about his friend S
| wherea bouts and began to search the
house for Pietzel. LAS 1 arose to go
upstairs says the criminal, Il noticed
a note lying on the counter in the front
part of the house. It was addressed
to me-" Then Holmes explains that
he opened the note. 1t directed him
to go up to the second floor and to
open a closet, in which he would find
a large blue bottle containing another
letter addressed to him. Holmes fol-
lowed the directions.
OHe found the note in the bottle as
described, and was Mortified when he
read it. It was from Benjamin Plet-
eel, and advised that his dead BODY
could be found in the house. The let
ter pleaded that Holmes look after
PietzeFs children and suggested that
i there would be no difficulty in getting
the insurance money from the Fidelity
com pany now that the dead body OF
Pietzel could be produced in evidence.
Holmes then told his friend of the
| appearance of the corpse, and said he
sat in the room with the body for over
an hour. He was dazed, and hardly
knew what course to pursue. He final
ly made up his mind that since Pietzel
had taken his life there would be no
harm in destroying any evidence of
!
the insurance on PietzeIs life without
any difficulty.
Holmes has confessed that he there
upon dragged the dead body to the sec
ond floor, laid the corpse on the floor,
pried open the mouth of the dead man
with pencil, and poured in quantity
of explosive chemicals. He then, he
says, placed a lighted match to the
mans mouth when the explo-
sion which so horribly disfgured
the corpse followed. To give
the more forcible impression that
Pietzel came to his death by an acct
dental explosion, Holmes stated to his
friend that he got pipe of Pietzel's
filed it with tobacco, lighted it, an6
then blew out the fame after the to
bacco had been partially consumed
and placed the pipe beside the dead
mans body.
1t was nearly o'clock in the after
noon before he left the CallowhiIl
street house. He put on a hat o.
Pietzel's to partially conceal his iden
tity and placed his hat, which was
felt, under his coat. He and his wife
Holmes alleges, left for Chicago tha-
| night.