Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-07-24
BURNED IN THE STOVE.
Evidence Of Horrible Crime
Fround In Holmes Chicago
Home.

to, the police of this city began a sys-
tematic search yesterday of the building
in Englewood built by II. II. Holmes,
the insurance swindler, and once occp-
pied by him. Neither digging in the cell
lar nor tearing down of walls will disclose
the bodies of the Williams sisters if the
suspicious of G. E. Davis, who afterward
occupied a room in the building, shah
prove true.
Mr.. Davis says that the emptying of a
stove which had been Holmes property,
showed that body or bodies had proba-
bly, been burned in it. Remnants of
what looked like human bones ratified out
on the floor, together with a gold watch
and chain, which he identified as having
been worn by Minnie Williams, hooks and
eyes and other incidents of woman 9
apparel. The stove was amply large
enough to have contained a human body.
Two charred bones, resembling human
ribs, were found among the ashes of
the stove. The bones were badly burned
and were handled with great care to
prevent their breaking. The finding of
supposed ribs with the burned woman
shoe, the buttons and pieces of clothing
were considered by the police as practi-
cally proving that at least a portion of
woman had been cremated. The stove
is about 6 feet high and 4 feet in di-
ameter and would easily have held a
body. The ashgrate. in which the two
bones were found today, had been re
moved from the stove, thus accounting
for the fact that the discovery was not
made at previous examinations.
An important discovery was made dur
ing the search in the stove in which hui
man bones were said to have been found
While examining this stove today the po-
lice found several shoe buttons and the
charred portion of a woman's shoe, with
several shredS of cloth and portions of a
"hook-and-eye" 1t was rumored that
several more bones had been dscov cred
but this was denied. All parts of the
house were thoroughly gone over in the
centering in the cellar. The place was
filthy, being filled with old boxes and all
sorts of refuse.
Later this afternoon a bunch of human
hair was found in the chimney of the
Holmes house by several newspaper re-
porters. The stovepipe had been taken
down and, clinging to the bricks of the
chimney, was found a quantity of hair.
The police were notified and upon ex-
animation the hair was pronounced that
of woman. The appearance of locks
led to the belief that they had been
burned from the head and drawn up the
stovepipe. The discovery was considered
of the greatest Importance by the detect
ives in charge of the search.
Among the debris found was a bottle
of carbolic acid, which gave rise to Il
wild rumor that opiates had been dlscov-
cred, with the other evidence that Holmes
had killed his victims with poison and
afterwards burned their bodies. The po>
lice. however, declared that the carbolic
acid had probably been used as a disin-
fectant
While the workmen were digging in the
cellar they struck some kind of an OBJ
struction. 1t exploded with terrible force,
seriously injuring four men, two of them
thought to be fatally hurt
The men had been searching for a
hidden we'll in which it was thought
that the bodies might have been buried.
When the well was opened quantity
of gas rushed out into the cellar, over
towering the men. One of the laborers
who was in the house above rushed
match, the explosion followed.
-Four men were carried out badly
burned, but contrary to first reports it
is not thought that any were badly in
jured. The search was Immediately re-
sumed by another force of men. When
the explosion occurred it was at first
thought by the officers in charge that
the explosion was caused by dynamite.
They hastily surmised that trap had
been laid by Holmes to prevent the pos
sibility of a discovery of the bodies sup
posed to be buried there.
Philadelphia, Pa, July 2O.-The Press
today prints an interview with II. II.
Holmes, who was visited in his prison
cell by a reporter of that paper. Holmes
insists that he can prove an alibi with
reference to the murder of the Pietzel
children in Toronto, and says the author
tiles here cannot prove that PietZel was
murdered in this city. In view of the
finding in Chicago of charred bones sup
posed to be those of Minnie Williams,
Holmes statements with reference to
that young woman are interesting. He
states:
L am as innocent of the charge as of
numbering the Pietzel children. l don't
believe they were ever murdered, and if
they were | am not guilty. Why, the
last time | saw the boy, Howard Pietzel
was in Indianapolis. Miss Williams
was then in Detroit and we had ar
ranged that she take Howard East
Soon after | sent the boy to Detroit, in
tending to follow. Before reaching De,
troit Minnie Williams had taken How
ard East and stopped in Buffalo. | then
came East with the two girls, and finally
wound up in Toronto. We had been
there a short time when my wife ar
rived. She knew nothing of the exist
ence of the Pietzel children. Mrs
Pietzel came to Toronto shortly after
Neither Mrs. Pietzel, my wife nor Alice
knew of each others presence in that
city"
Toronto, Ont, July 2O.-NIrs. Pietzel is
Frustrated today. The terrible ordeal
of viewing her children's bodies. the de-
tails of the crime that were brought out
at the inquest and the sight of her chill
drens toys combined to break her down
She will probably start on a journey tc
Chicago tonight