Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-04

and their names are
SUPPOSED VICTIMS OF HOLMES.
Emeline Cigrand, stenographer employed
by Holmes.
Mrs. Julia l.. Conner, booK-keeper en-
pIoyed by Holmes.
Pearl Conner. little daughter OF l. -
ana Mrs. Julia l. conner.
Mrs. Lee
u n Ptzel. associate Of Holmes In In
surance swindie. nj,
Alice Pitzal Nellie Pitzel, Howard Pit
zel three children Of j. +. PitzeL
Minnie Williams. stenographer employed
by Holmes. 1,,r
liams .,..,,,
after making Holiness acquaintance.
In addition 10 the foregoing, Holmes
ie charged with making two attempts on
The me- Of Jonathan S. Beknap, his
f,ttar-in-Layy. and Mrs. Pitzel thinks he
was Plotting 20 take her life when ne
lurel her 10 Burlington. Vt, on the false
pretense that she would meet her Children
Alice and Nellie. there.
HOLINESS EARLY LIFE.
Mudgett or Holmes, as he Is best
known was born in the quiet village or
GlmantOn. Belknap county y. H. AZ
thu axe Of Il DE married Clara \. Lover
INK. Of London. \. H., and a son born
t. them Is now u years old.
Holmes wanted an education, ana Tor
that purpose went TO Ann ArbOr, accom-
panied hy his wife. who IS said to have
pald for his tuition. il was in Ann Arbor
that Holmes perpctrated his first IN
surance swlndle With the assistance
Of another medical student, he succeeded
I'm passing n body from the dissecting-
room as that Of Holmes himself. who haa
been heavily insured. From Ann Arpor
Holmes and his wife returned East gong
to burlington. Vt. where he continued hls
medical studies In lsSS, having acqulrth
his education at the expense OF his Whe
and her family. Holmes left her, telling
her he was going TO Chicago. From th't
time until November o. 1891. his life was
unknown 90 her -
rne exact date Of Holiness arrival I'm
Chicago is uncertain. lie was FIRST known
There as the proprietor OF concern
I,novn as the A b. g. COPPER. which was
Z, f..t an instrument that would make
comics. and about the only honest de-
vie. Holmes ever had anything TO 90
vrith The Office OF the COPPER company
vas located in the Moron block. Holmes
raid for his interest in the concern win
a note for 5000. which, Of course. was
worthless. lie failed i'm the business ana
left the building. carrying away MY
gallons of glycerine that did not peiohs
To him.
IL was about this time Holmes maze
his appearance IN Erglewood. lie op-
,oinai employment I'm the drugstore OF
Mrs. Dr. Holden, which was across the
strcet from where the Holmes building
ON made nTgDOtl-
zion 10 buy the establishment. and II was
NOT long before Mrs Holden brought
,uit AGAINST him for the purchase-money'
WHAT became Of the suit is shrouded IN
mystery Holmes Kept on running the
drugstore. and the suit was forgotten by
his neighoors.
RI1TDfNG HOLINESS CASTLE"
His next enterprise was the eonstruc-
lion OF the now famous building at SIX
tv-tbirG and Wallace street, Chicago,
with IT'S secret stairs. chambers, anu
,.o,lIts When II was finished Holmes
,,,.y.g his stock Of drugs into II, and
h.ran the remarkable series OF swindles
ami frauds. with which the building is
associated. .,.
The most notorious OF these was his
celebrated gas-g generator. He claimed 10
have. discovered a method Of making an
Observation-Disclosures out OF water. lie set
up q machine In the basement, connocted
. f.w pipes with It, built furnace uhder
ia aul when all was ready he sprung
Dis tfsp on a local gas company, when
sent 4r expert TO examine the generator
What t.e expert saw was cOntrNahco
such as Do Lad never seen before, WIN
stream &C water running IN AT
one end ANA a strong flow OF gas at the
other Holmes assured him the cost OF
manufacture was next 20 nothing, ana
the result Uas The gas company gave the
invention such "a strong recommendation
that Holmes was enabled TO sell II 10
Canadian for $3.50 When the machine
was taken out 70 was discovered Holmes
had tapped Che ras company's mains ana
thus generated his great Nluminator.
The removal - the gas-machlne left
hole IN the ground which Holmes lost no
time IN uuIHrg he announced 10 the
people of Erg'ewood that he had sunk an
aitcsan w.il 500 the basement and struck
"a flow OF the finest mineral water that
ever came Out 90 the earth This water
became "a great favorite in the suburb,
and was retaiiod at o cents q glass from
the soda-lountain counter until a chemist
analN zed il and made the announcement
that DO was aqua pura from Lake Michi-
gan. Holmes had simply run "a water
pipe into the hole aud dubbed 1t an arte-
sian well
Holiness financial swindles. small and
large. We're iunumerable. and IL is a Won
der he managed 90 keep out OF the
clutches of the law so long as he did. One
evening "a customer went into his store
with roll OF small bills which he wished
10 change FOR large ones TO send by mail
to creditor Holmes had no large bills.
hut suggested that he should give his Gus
toner check. and the customer could
endorse ana mail II. which would answer
tnc same purpose. The customer ex-
changed Sl7s for Holiness check The
paper came back with the usual indorse-
r-nt on H5hnes's checks, mo funds"
..e man was angry but Holmes. with
Dis smooth talk. managed to keep him out
DIS money for two years.
SAMPLES OF HIS SwfNDLES
Holmes had established IN The corner
a.0 room OF the building a jewelFy
s.fa. which he ran in connection with his
.fH- business. and IN the adjoining room
restaurant Selling out these businesses
% unuspocting purchasers and getting
r.r back again was one OF Holiness IA
v.rte ADJUSTMENTS. The first purchaser
~ tho drugstore was Mr.. Jones, OF Peo-
rl Jones wanted TO know what Kind or
a trade the store was doing and put a
clerk in 10 watch the business for ten
drye. While he was there trade was
quite brisk Holmes sent bis typewriter
ana other persons about the building IN
rs employ 20 make various sized pur-
eh-sss all Of which were stored away IN