The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-27
The Father of One Victim Tells
the Story of a Terrible
Killing.
FIRST sMoTHERED BY GAS.
Then the Unfortunate Woman's
Body Was Cut to Pieces and
Burned.

least EClltleSS OF the murder OF little
11-year-old Cora Quinlan, whatever his
other crimes may be. Cora is the daughter
of Patrick Quinlan, one of Holmes bench
men, and the police feared for her safety.
To-day the following telegram, which sets
at rest the entire matter, was received by
Inspector Fitzpatrick:
LAKOTA, MICH, July 26.-Cora Quinlan is
at Johnsons', and has been here for two weeks.
n. S. TAYLOR, Justice of the Peace.
The Johnsons referred to are the grand
parents of the little girl. Mrs Quinlan,
who has always maintained an air Of crafty
reserve, was forced to admit to-day that she
had lied to the officers on at least one
point, and this had the effect of weakening
her story. Her husband spent large part
of the day in the sweatbox, and as result
of to-day's developments Chief Badenoch
decided to formally hold both for trial on
the charge of being implicated in various
insurance swindles. He also believes they
are guilty of the crime of assisting Holmes,
if not directly, at least indirectly, in max
ing way with some of his victims, but the
charge of fraud is quite sufficient to hold
them, and no other will be made just at
present.
Joe Owens was brought in to refute one
of Mrs. Quinlan's statements, and he told
her fatty that she had lied. Owens will
probably be released tomorrow. Mrs.
Quinlan was forced to admit during the
course of the examination that she had
impersonated dead woman, re presenting
herself as the beneficiary of fire insur-
ance company in order to gain the money,
which, of course, went into Holmes
pocket.
Little of startling nature was found by
the workmen in the old house at Sixty
third ana Wallace streets. A stained table,
which the detectives at once jumped to the
conclusion was discolored by blood, was
uneartked. They think it may have been
used for the gruesome purpose of cutting
up victims ON. Two or three more bones.
pronounced by competent authorities to be
those of human beings, were also dug up.
William Capps of Fort Worth, Tex, is
here to-day looking after the interests of
the Williams heirs. He believes that the
deeds to the property were forged. He
tells the following story: .s.s.s ....;
"The two Williams girls were left prop
erty by their uncle, DR.. Williams. While
both were in possession of it, Minnie was
the real owner. Both girls were well edu-
Gated, well behaved and virtuous so far as
is known. 1t is scarcely possible they
could have been corrupted by Holmes in
so short time as has been stated. Min
ME, after she became of age, started to
organize theatrical company and sunk
$15, 900 in the project. She shortly after
that came to Chicago and there met
Holmes. In June 1893, she wrote to her
sister to come up and visit her; that she
was very wealthy and was going to marry
Harry Gordon and take trip to Europe.
After her sister came Annie wrote letter
to forward her trunks, which were sent on
in June, but were never called for. The
trunks were finally returned to her aunt in
Mississippi. The deed to the property was
purported to have been made to one A.
Bond in April, 1898. I believe there is no
such person. The property is worth
000O. This deed purports to have been
acknowledged before Holmes as notary in
May, 1898.
"An investigation shows that he did
possess this qualification. The deed was not
sent to Texas until June, 1894. IL was not
properly acknowledged, and was returned
by the clerk so that it might be made to
conform to the Texas laws. Shortly after
this Holmes and Pietzel appeared in Fort
Worth under the aliases of Lyman and
Pratt. They came to sell part of the prop
erty, which they got $l50ofor. On the rest
of it they built house, which is almost
exactly like the one in Chicago, evidently
made for selling purposes only.
"Quinlan was with them in Texas.
Holmes and Pietzel got in debt to nearly
everybody in town, and then left the city.
don't think there is the slightest ques-
ton that Holmes killed the Williams girls.
His story of one killing the other with a
chair is too absurd to be believed for an
instant"
Several other witnesses were examined.
but none made any startling revelations.
Chief Badenoch said at the conclusion of
the days work: ''I don't believe 1 ever
saw case where we made such slow prog
ress. Most of the evidence we have had is
utterly worthless, and out of this great
mass of chaff we are obliged to sift the
wheat, and it is very thin at that. .
The missing girl whose name the police
have been keeping from the press is Miss
Wild, Chicago girl, who has not been
seen or heard from for two years. She
was employed as a clerk for Holmes about
two months before her disappearance
She was 16 years old then. in the spring of
1893, and left her home to go to work as
usual, and never returned. She was
pretty, and Holmes affected to be sur
prised when told of her disappearance.
Colonel Jonathan L. Belknap, an uncle
of the father of the Wilmette wife of
Holmes, who has resided for many years
at Big Foot Prairie, L. l., has made
startling statement to the police regarding
the death of Mrs. Julia L. Conner. Accord
ing to his statement Mrs. Conner was
killed by Holmes in the Englewood build
ing four and half years ago. He believes
she was asphyxiated in her room while she
slept. Her room was a small dark one ad-
joining the dark bathroom.
Mr.. Belknap's theory is that the MUIR
derer entered the woman's room by the
secret door from the bathroom, when he
killed her by turning on the gas, carried
her body to the bathtub, cut it to pieces
and fed the parts to furnacs-like fire in
the stove.
When the process of cremating was com.
plete, Holmes carried the bones and ashes