The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-08-08
ONLY HJLMESCA TELL
Detective Geyer Quits the
Search For Howard Pitezel.
A DEATHTRAP IN FORT WORTH.
Holmes Building In That City Arranged
just Like the Chicago Cbarnal House.
Convict Allen May BE Witness
Holmes Talks About Miss Cigrand.

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 1.--"I think Wen
have to wait until Holmes tells where
to find Howard Pitezel. He knows, and
we cannot find out" So said Detective
Geyer, who has been in town over a
week hunting house supposed to have
been rented by Holmes while he was
here. So far the search has resulted in
nothing. Clews have been plenty, for
every day from one to dozen people
call upon the detective and in mysteri.
ous whispers, tell him that they have
found the house that Holmes rented.
No matter how impossible these stories
seem, every one of them. is investigated,
and now the detective says that he has
not the slightest clew to work on.
He says that he expects to be recalled
to Philadelphia soon, and says that If
the body of Howard Pitezel is found,
il will be because Holmes weakens
enough to inform the officers what dis
position was made of him.
A TT. Worth Special says: William
Capps, who is now in Chicago on the
Holmes case, belongs to the firm OF
Capps & Canley Of this city, who some
time ago instituted suit against present
holders Of property owned by the Will
Jams sisters. The suit is brought at
the instance Of the heirs Of the girls,
and it is claimed that the deeds were
forged by Holmes.
Allen the Arkansas convict, who is
so anxious to tell his connection with
the murders, was at one time in the
employ Of Holmes in this city. Allen
went by the name Of Mascot in the
city, and it is believed here that he can
tell great deal about Holmes and his
transactions. if he wants to- Allen was
an exconvict from the prison at Joliet,
While Holmes, or Pratt, as he was
known here, was living in this city, he
started to put up large building. 1t
was objected to on the ground that it
was a regular firetrap and the authori-
ties forced him to remodel it somewhat.
In view Of the recent developments in
Chicago, the authorities have made an
investigation of the building, which
leaves no room for doubt that Holmes
had planned it for deathtrap.
One room at the top Of the house has
10 exits by which a person can escape,
while an enclosed chute runs down to
the basement Of the building in which
body could be transferred without
anyone being the wiser In this base
ment large archway had been built
over the sewer in such way that he
could easily put in trapdoor opening
into the sewer. Under the floor of the
house was found large pit, the in
tended use of which can only be con-
jectured. Holmes probably intended
this building to be used as he after
ward used his house in Chicago.
A Chicago special says: Experiments
have been made with the liquid found
in the bottom of the vat in the cellar of
Holmes house, and it was found that
whenever mixed with benzine or kero.
sene, it would emit vapor so deadly
that no human being could live in it.
Whether or not Holmes used the vapor
for suffocating his victims is not
known, but the police are inclined to
favor such theory.
Attorney Capps declares that his
statements regarding the Convict Allen
had been exaggerated. ~ am not GER
man can convict Holmes" he said. II
am hopeful, however, and will 60 to
Little Rock to investigate. States
Attorney Kern thinks he can secure
Aliens pardon il we find it advisable,
and will at least make an effort if the
story develops"
Another link in the chain binding
Quinlan to the alleged crimes Of III. II.
Holmes was forged by an admission
made by Quinlan when questioned by
Chief Of Police Badenoch. He said he
was hired by man named Allen to go
to Fort Worth, Tex. Quinlan had previ-
ously claimed that he had no knowledge
of any crimes committed by Holmes,
although he had admitted that in Fort
Worth he met and knew man called
"Mascot." Now that Allen and "Mas.
cot" are practically proven to be one
and the same man, Quinlan's contra
dictory stories have placed him in a
still worse light with the police.
A Little Rock special says: Convict
Allen agrees to tell all he knows about
Holmes operations, If released from the
penitentiary.
When asked if he would parole Con.
vict Allen and under certain conditions
pardon him, Governor Clark said the
conditions would have to be presented
and taken up in legal form before he
could return an answer to that ques-
ton. The chief executive of Arkansas
would evidently do anything reasona-
BILE to assist in clearing up the mystery
surrounding Holmes, but he would
have to be convinced that Aliens story
was not made for the purpose Of secur-
ing pardon before he would grant
even parole.
A Philadelphia special says: H. II.
Holmes admits that he betrayed Emily
| Cigrand in Chicago. and that she after
ward told this fact to priest, who in.
sisted that marriage ceremony be per-
formed. Holmes says that he took her
to an obscure place in Minnesota, and
married her under an assumed name,
the ceremony being fraudulent. Pat
Quinlan, he declared, knew of Holmes
relations with the girl, having found
her in his room one night, when there
was fire near the castle" In may,
1892, the prisoner continued, Miss Ci-
grand left his employ and went into q
convent, where she now is. Quinlan,
he asserted, knows all about her and
can produce her at any time. Holmes
added that In justice to Quinlan and
Mascot, he desired to say that they
knew little about his movements.
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