Rock Island Argus., 1895-07-30
DEATH OF PITZEL
Narrated by Holmes, the Man
Of Many Grimes.
STORY he Is SAID TO HAVE TOLD,

Tho Case One Of Suicide, A ccordIng to the
Champion Rascal of the Century-Found
the Dead Body and Proceeded to Make
Use OF 1t for Revenue Only-How He
Destroyed the Evidence OF Suicide by
Using an Explosive.
PHrLADELrH1 July so-The Bulletin
prints the following: An entirely new
statement has just been made by H. II.
Holmes the supposed murderer of the
Pitzel children. In it the man of many
crimes gives in detail his version of how
Pifzel came by his death last September,
and also states his (Holmes) connection
with the tragedy. The statement was
given to close friend of Holmes in
Philadelphia who gave It to Bulletin
reporter Holmes says that on the Satur-
day night preceding the death Of Pitzel
the latter came to his house on North
Eleventh street, where he was staying
with "Mrs. Howard" Pitzel told Holmes
a heartrending story of his pecuniary diff
fcuIties, and of the sickness of his daugh-
ter in st. Louis. II must have money"
he said, ito send to my wife in st. Louis"
Life a Nuisance to Pitzel.
Holmes demonstrated with Pitzel as to
his spendthrift habits and spoke substan-
TALLY to him as follows: "Ben, you have
been n good friend of mine. I'll admit I
have made lots Of money through you,
bat / cannot keep this thing up. Whera
Is that $50 l gave you the other day2 II
you don't quit drinking you and will
have to separate" This conversation is
c.id tf hoo ,;nI
Eleventh. street, the men walking north
until Norris street was reached. When
they arrived at the corner Pitzel ex.
claimci: II am of no benefit to any
one will soon get rid of my difficulties
Life hes become a nuisance to me-"
hvows lie VIII Commit Suicide.
Holmes then ayers that he jokingly re.
marked to PtZcl: "Wcll, your body is as
good rs any other, but would not advise
you to do anything rash" Holmes ac.
counts for making this remark by saying
that he and P.tzel had under considera-
tion the defrauding Of the Fidelity
Mutual Insurance Company. Holmes
says P.tzel then became angry and again
avowed he would commit suicide. Holmes
then explains that Pitzsl left him with
the intention of going home. Holmes
says he gave Pitzel no money that night,
uut prSUil>cu 10 lileeJ ulin " tnc Sal-
lowhill street house the following morn
ing.
Goes to Sec His Dscoursged Friend.
1t was about 10 o'clock The following
day Sunday, Holmes goes on to say,
that he went TO visit Pitzcl at tho Callow-
hill street house. When he rcachGd the
place no ono apparently was about.
Holmes sat In the kitchen for almost
twenty minutes, waiting for Pitzel to ap.
pear. The latter, Holmes supposed hal
gone cut for breakfast. Time wore on
and Ben was not to be seen. The con-
spirator then says that he became anxious
about his friends whereabouts and be-
gan TO search the house for Pitzel 'As
i arose to go upstairs" says the criminal,
Il noticed "A nUtc lying on tho counter in
the front part Of the house 1t was ad.
dressed to me-"
Then Holmes explains that he opened
the note. L. directed him to go up to the
second n,or and open closet in which
tanning another letter addressed TO him.
Holmes followed the directions. Ho
found the note in the bottle as described
and was Mortified when no read it, l. was
from benjamin Pi,zcl and advised
Holmes that his ptzrrs) dend body
could DO found in the house. The latter
pleaded that Holmes look after PiJzels
children and suggested that there would
be no difficulty Ia getting the insurance
money from the Fidelity company; that
the dead body OK piizsl could b, produced
in evidence