The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-29
AN IMPORTANT WITNESS
MAN WHO MOUNTED SKELETONS OF
THREE BUTCHERED PEOPLE.
Pat Quinlan and His Wife Now Bc-
iieved to Have Been Equally Guilty
with the Arch Criminal

Lafayette mercantile agency. This murder
is shown to have been prior to or during
1891. b. +. Pietzel. who later fell VIC
tim. was a participant in the murder of
this man. and. attorney Chamberlain says,
equally guilty with Holmes The crime
was committed in Chicago either in 1891 or
early in 1892. Again the victim was traced
to the Holmes building in Engle wood.
There it was. Mr.. Chamberlain gives the
impression, that the crime was committed.
The police do not think that this body
has been found. The skeletons that were
articulated were furnished a year and
two years later. 1t is the belief that the
body was dissected and cremated. or buried
deep in auickime in the bottom of the
basement.
The name was kept from the public. the
attorney says, to allow the police 20 work
up further evidence. 1t is believed that
this is the first victim of II. III. Holmes.
The list Of his victims to date are as fol-
lows:
JULIA l.. CONNER. divorced wife of 1.
L. Conner and bookkeeper for Holmes
PEARL CONNER, her child. and daugn-
'eF ETEiINb VI g. CIGRAND, daughter of
Peter Cigrand, of Anderson. Ind, and ste
Y RoBERT E. PHELPS, supposed to have
been married to Miss Cigrand
BENJAMIN F. PIETZEL, confidential
agent for Holmes and killed IN fniiadei-
pn.Gl ALICE pIETzEL, daughter of B. f.
Pietzel killed in Toronto
NELLIE P1ETZEL, daughter OF b. r.
Pietzei killed in Toronto
HOWARD PIETZEL, son of B. +. Piet-
eel supposed TO have been killed at In
Emily EMILY VAN TAssEL. daughter Of Mrs.
NJ. L. Van Tassel, of No. GAL North Rooey
s'FHe HORACE WILLIAMS, brother of Minnie
r. and Ina williams. of Fort Worth. Tex,
killed in Denver. -
INA WILLIAMS, of Fort Worth. Tex
visiting her sister when she disappeared;
MINNIE r. WILLIAMS, OF Fort worm,
Tex. private secretary 10 Holmes
No trace of any of these people has been
found save the charred bones of little Pearl
Conner, the bodies o. Annie and Nellie Pit
gel. and what was unearthed last night as
to the articulation sseletons for Holmes.
Charles ". chappf4i. of Ne. 100 Twenty
| ninth street, is the man who gave the po-
lice Saturday night the Information that he
had articulated skeletons for H. II. Holmes.
and had had bodies taken away from the
castle. Chappell is a maehinist, carpenter,
| painter and engineer-a sort of Jack-of-
all-trades. From the information which
| Chappel1 gave to the police Saturday night
and yesterday they learned that Chappell
| Holmes and had built two tanks in the
| basement of the castle for the destruction
!, of bodies which Holmes might wish to get
rid OF. These tanks will be opened in the
morning In them went the bodies of that
long list of women once tenants of the cas-
| tie and now numbered with the dead.
| Chappelps admissions are the most re-
markable and damaging yet received by the
| police against Holmes and his confederates
| They reveal the existence of complete
| system of machinery in the castle" for
| the commission of murder. commencing
with the steel chamber, or vault, the dis
| secting table, and ending in the acid tanks.
| where all evidences of the deed but the
| bones were removed.
| In addition to the confessions of Chap
| pell, the police also located some of the
| clothing of Minnie r. Williams and Julia
L. Connor, which Holmes gave away after
| they disappeared. The combination to the
| steel vault has been found in The possession
| of Chappell.
Tomorrow morning Chappell says he
will lead Inspector Fitzpatrick to the place
where the skeleton Of Anna Williams will
| be found. He has told the police that it
| is in the possession Of a West-side medical
| student who does not suspect its identity.
| 1t was feared that IL the location was
published the young man might be moved
to dispose of it. Chappell was hired by
! Holmes to clean the flesh off this body and
rig up" the skeleton, as he had others,
but failing to get his pay, he kept it. 1t
| was the last work he did for him.
| In another place Chappell will recover the
| arm and hand bones of Mrs. Julia L. Con-
| ner. They are articulated and doing serv-
| ice also for the science OF surgery From
| the same place come the skull which was
taken into Central Station by detective
| Fitzpatrick and Norton Saturday. The po-
| lice thought at first that this was part of
| the remains of Annie Williams. Chappell
| does not make plain just how he knows to
the contrary--in fact. the police do not see
| how he will do so without bringing strong
suspicion upon himself, but he says un-
| equivocaliy: THAT head belongs to Mrs.
| Conner-I know that absolutely
| Besides these matters, the police have Sc
| cured the trunk which Holmes said he had
used in sinking Annie Williams in the lake.
| There are plenty of signs that it once held
| body freshly murdered and Chappell says
| Holmes brought the trunk to his home with
| the remains of Annie Williams in it.
I'm this way" said Inspector Fitzpatrick
| tonight, Eve are told four victims of the
| Englewood house were disposed Of This
| witness took away the skeletons partly
| cleaned and asked no questions. He got
$3.50 for each job. One of the bodies was
| that of a man. We have not been able tc
conclude who he was There is only sup
position that this was Robert L. Phelps
| who was supposed to have married Miss
Cigrand. Holmes said he wanted him Il
take care Of the bodies OF two children, anc
was so anxious about il that he offered te
| pay him $3.50 for the work Our witness says
! he refused to mount the bodies OF any chill.
| dren, but he does not say anything to ex.
plain what distinction he saw between chill
dren's bodies and any others. IL his business
| was legitimate and he had no knowledge o1
| foul play. You see. it's all very suspicious
1t is now believed by the police tina,
Howard Pietzel was killed In Chicago anc
his remains disposed Of In the castle"
Developments in the investigation in the
criminal deeds of II. H. Holmes In Chi
cago closed the net still tighter around
..sst -