The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-16
THE CRIME OF H. H. HOLMES
HE PUT CHILDREN IN TRUNKS AND
THEN AsPHYxIATED THEM.
The Notorious Swindler Will BE Ex.
tradited and Taken tn Canada ON
Murder Charge.

ing, a large, hat-top trunk was :aken out
of the rear entrance of the cid Circle
House, on Meridian street, near Monument
man Puryear, and in that trunk it is be-
Iieved was the body of a boy. one of the
Pietzel children, all three of whom are nov
thought to have been murdered by the
notorious H. III. Holmes. the insurance
swindler. A dispatch from Toronto. Ont.
says that the bodies of two Of the children
were found buried in a yard in that city.
There is little doubt but that they were
murdered in most fiendish fashion, and.
as they stood in the way Of Holmes OBJ
tanning the insurance money upon Pietzers
life, Holmes is the only one with motive
for the crime.
1t was with the hope of fixing the murder
OF the family upon Holmes that Frank
Geyer, Philadelphia detective, visited In
dianapolis three weeks ago. and spent sew
eral days in investigating the visit of the
children to this city, with the aid of Chief
of Detectives splann. The result Of that
investigation was that the trunk taken
from the Circle House contained the mur-
dered body of the boy. Where 1t was
shipped to is a mystery, for since the lad
was here no tidings have ever been heard
from him, nor has his body been found
The two bodies found in, the Toronto yard
were those of the girls.
Three weeks ago the Journal noted the
arrival of detective Geyer in this city. He
came to obtain some trace of the Pietzel
children, whose father figured in the cele-
brated Holmes case. Holmes was recently
convicted in Philadelphia of defraud-
ing an insurance company and now the off,
cials of that city expect to fasten upon him
the murder of Pietzel and his three chill
dren. While it was confidently believed
that Holmes had murdered Pietzel and then
burned the victims place of business, so
as to hide the crime, and, at the same time,
obtain the insurance. the companies were
not quite prepared to prove all this. 1t
was contended by Holiness attorneys, be-
fore the trial. that If Holmes was guilty
In the charred ruins was that of cadaver
obtained from New York and not the body
OF Pietzel. whom Holmes alleged was in
New York. Holmes had charge of the
Pietzel children. who would have been ben
eIicaries of any insurance on the faher's s
| life. To have obtained this insurance 4,
would have been necessary to have made
| away with the children. Detective Geyer
believed it could be shown that the chill
| dren were murdered and the finding of the
| two murdered girls In Toronto
strengthens his theory that the boy was
murdered in this city and that his body
was shipped away.
Mr.. Geyer and Chief Splann worked ener-
getically upon the case. 1t was learned be-
yond doubt that Holmes came here with
his wife and the Pietzel children Mrs
Holmes was an Indianapolis woman who
was defrauded by Holmes. She stopped
early in September at the Circle House.
The children were registered at the En-
glish Hotel for a time as the Kenyon chill
| dren. There were three of them, a bright
boy Of eight years. and two little girls, aged
respectively, ten and twelve The children
were removed to the Stubbins Hotel, or
South Illinois street. On the oath of Sep
| tember the Oldest girl received telegram
| from Cincinnati. calling her there The
| clerk at the hotel accompanied her TO the
| Union Station, where she was met by
Holmes. The hotel clerk identified ths
| photograph OF Holmes wi,ich Mr. Geyel
| carried as the man who met tn,
| girl at the Station 1t seems thai
while in this city Holmes was little seer
| in company with the children. He for.
warded the amount of their bills. but die
not associate himself with them. The little
girl returned from Cincinnati and the
| children were removed to the Circle House
Holmes spent but one day there and tha
was the day before the strange remova
OF the trunk and the disappearance OF tn,
boy. The children were known here as tn,
Kenyon children. AS the Circle House ha.
been abandoned a hotel the detective.
traced the children from there with 1
| great deal of difficulty.
On the morning of Oct Holmes lef
in company with the two girls. The DO,
was not seen upon that morning. Holmes
left no word OF where he was going Th,
attaches of the hotel at that time remembe
the departure and some noted the absenc,
OF the boy. but IT was explained that tn,
lad had gone down the street.
Before Holmes left he made arrangement
! with Louis driver for Mr.. Puryear, I,
take a trunk from the rear of the hotel
Louis has Identified the photograph O
Holmes as the man who paid him for re
moving the trunk. According TO direction
the trunk was delivered at the east end O
the Union Station baggage room. there be
Ing no intimation Of the contents Of tn