St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-28
RICHFIELD ONCE HARBORED A
MAN ANSWERING HIS DE-
SCRIPTION.
CALLED HIMSELF HoWELL.
WAS FROM PHILADELPHIA Am
APPEARED To BE In
HIDING. ssstsa
HAD LOST A DEAR FR1END.
Stayed in the House Five Months
and Never Told His BUSH
ness.

The little suburban farming town
of Richfield adjoining Minneapolis
on the south is all torn up over the
belief that H. H. Holmes, alias
/ Harry Mudgett, resided there for
five months during the summer of
1880. Early in the year a young man
answering to the description of
Holmes appeared at the home of c.:
w. Gilman, living a mile beyond the
city limits line on Lyndale avenue.
He applied for board, but did not
appear to know any one in the vi
cinfty. When questioned he stated
that his name was Howell, and that
he was from Philadelphia. He said
further that he had recently lost a
very dear friend in the city of broth
erly love, and that he had come
West to get away from old scenes
and associations that he might the
sooner forget his sorrow. He came
without baggage, although dressed
in fashionable attire and wearing
good clothes. Board was offered
him, and he decided to stay at the
Gilman residence. -
For several weeks after his ar
rival he remained closely at home
at times not even venturing out in
the yard of the Gilman residence for
days at a time, and only coming
down to his meals, then returning.
to his room, where he devoted his
time almost wholly to reading and
writing. During the first month
that he was in Richfield he did not
receive letter, and only a very
few during his entire sojourn there.
Finally, when six or eight weeks had
passed he was induced to attend the
Methodist church of Richfield. He at
tended at a time when revival serv-
ices were being held, and quickly sue
cumbed to the eloquence of the ex-
horter. joining the church under the
name of Howell.
From the time that he became a..
member of the church Howell seemed
to court publicity of a certain kind.
He made frequent loud-voiced prayers.
and, after a couple of weeks continual
attendance at the revival meetings, he
asked to be permitted to occupy the
pulpit on several different occasions
when the minister was not able topbe
present. His sermons We're short and
to the point, being well received, and
for a time Howell grew in public opin
ion. He was held up to the young
men of the town as a man worthy OF
emulation in every respect, and proud
mamas with eligible daughters bsgan
to figure on the extent of his bank
account.
But through all of the public inter-
est in his behalf, Howell, or Holmes,
if it was he, as many suppose, pre-
served a dignified silence, never men
tioning his own affairs, and saying but
little of his previous residence or the
cause of his sudden appearance in
Richfield. He seldom visited the city
of Ninnea polls, and carefully kept
away from visitors from the city
from any outside point.
He stuck to his original story of hav-
ing lost a relative in Philadelphia
upon every occasion when he was
questioned To several persons he
said that it was a sister, and on anoth-
er occasion it was claimed that he said
a mother and sister.
Finally, one day in August of 80,
Howell turned up missing. He re-
ceived a letter the night previous and
appeared to be much disturbed over it.
He told the family of Gilmans that
he was going to the city, and before he
left he settled up his board bill to
the last cent, never intimating his in
tention of leaving. Later in the day
he wrote a brief postal card to his
late hostess declaring that business
had called him East, but that he would
write a more detailed letter later. He
closed with a wish for the spiritual
welfare of the Gilmans, who were
prominent church members, and from
that day to this never a word has
been heard from him.