The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-29
Mrs. Pitzel Identifies the Trunk
Found in the Iryington House.
Convict Allen. Holmes Former Assist
ant. Throws Light on the Murder Of
Annie Williams and Pltzel. and
Tells of Two People Who Were
Killed in the Castle at Chicago.


bones iammed into the chimney hole. IL
was learned today that the trunk which
mysteriousiy left the hotel was taken To
1rvington by train. IL contained the
clothing of the girls which he wanted 10
dispose of before taking them to Toronto.
wnere they were murdered.
Coroner Castor took charge Of the bones
today. and tonight held an inquest. at
which the officers and others testified Mrs.
Pitzel viii he telegraphed for tomorrow.
The grand Jury is in session. and Judge
McCrary ordered IL 10 proceed 10 take tes-
t'mony. Tomorrow witnesses will be ex-
amined The court says an effort viii he
made 10 bring Holmes here for trial.
Indianapolis. Aug. eS-To make sure
that the trunk found AZ Irvington yester-
day belonged to the Pitzel family Detee-
tive Geyer last night telegraphed TO Mrs.
Pitzel. at Galvs, Ill. inquiring If the chill
drens trunk had a strip OF calico pasted
over crack on the bottom. The reply re-
ceived al a late hour was: Yes the trunk
had a strip of blue calico. white fcare.
pasted over crack the entire length OF
the trunk" This is conclusive evidence.
The portion or the trunk found included
the top and hottom with about SAX inches
of the sides from the bottom up. over "A
crack In the bottom, where a cieat had
been nailed. is pasted a narrow strip Of
blue calico goods torn from an old dress
or apron.
Little Rock. Ark. Aug. 2s.-J. g. Allen.
alias Caldwell. the convict serving Ten
years sentence here for horse stealing.
has made statement 10 Warden Moore OF
II. H. Holmes and his operations. The
warden believes the man knows a great
deal more than he has told. but he had the
statement put in writing. read to Allen and
verified in every particular. Following IS
his story.
II FIRST met Holmes. alias Pratt. alias
Howard, in Tennessee In the fall of 1892.
Soon after that we weat together 10 Hot
Springs, Ark We remained at Hot Springs
one week. and from there went 10 Texas.
Holmes going to FL paso and stopping in
Taylor county. Holmes soon Joined me at
Abilene. and from there We went 10 Kan
sas City thence to Hot Springs. From
there we went to Chicago where re-
manned seven days. In about three weeks
therea fter Holmes, Pitzel U-ymanl and
myself met at St Joseph, Mo. Minnie
Williams accompanied the men 10 st JOS
eph from Chicago. At this meeting had
the first knowledge of the Fort Worth
property deal. The Minnie Williams prop
erty IN Fort Worth WAS then and there
decided 10 me in the name of a. +. Bond
from Minnie Williams. notary public
whose name I have forgotten acknowlede-
ing the transaction. The deal was made
with the understanding that II was TO be
a swindiing operation. II was my opinion
at the time that Minnie Williams was per
suaded or scared into making the transfer
OF the property by Holmes From st. JOS
eph Holmes. Pitzel and myself went To
Denver. where we remained one day, and
from there we went to Ieadvilie, where
Holmes and Pitzel had In view some swim
ding operation, but failed IN IT, From
I.eadville the three Of us. with Holmes
so-called wife. Mrs. Howard went To Fort
Worth 10 commence operations there We
arrived at Fort Worth as entire strangers.
The Iiomes-Pratt transactions at Fort
Worth are already familiar to the public.
PitZeIs conduct at Fort Worth caused
Holmes to send him TO Kansas city While
in Kansas city Pitzei wrote several threat
euing letters TO Holmes. In which he said
that ne would turn up all the rascality un-
less Holmes sent him money, Pitzel was
furnished with money three times. sent by
me at Holmes request. Holmes visited
Pitzel at Kansas City 70 get him to sign
the necessary papers 10 secure loan OF
sl6oo0 on the Fort Worth property.
while Pitzel was i'm Kansas CITY
Holmes and Pat Quinlan. who had joined
us at Fort Worth short time before We
left that place. had several talks about
putting Pitzei out Of the way, because
Holmes had become afraid Of him on ac-
count Of his drinking too much and know
ing too much II was known 10 us all that
Pitzel carried a $4,000 life insurance pol
icy At our last talk upon this subject
three davs before leaving Fort Worth. u
was understood that Pitzel was 10 be
killed was selected to assist Holmes In
doing the iob. hut ~ what manner ~ was
10 he done WAS not definitely settled only
that Holmes remarked that he had some
thirg that would make the work easy. and
a large trunk was purchased In Fort
Worth i'm which 10 place Pitzefs body after
ha was killed. Al tsls point Holmes patted
me on the back and said Mascot II IS
sia00a and a trip 10 Long Branch. ana from
there 10 California. and more buildings
That night I advised Holmes to quit such
business. as he had enough money not 10
resort 10 murder He replied that he had
been At such business SO long that II had
become nerfectly natural 20 him. and ne
could not duit it, The plan agreed upon 10
disnose Of Pifzel WAS that We were 20 meet
him I'm 81. Louis and together go from
there to Chicago. whore ne Was TO be
fixed.
III was between Fort Worth and Deni-
son that Holmes told me that ! must have
nv life insured for $1,000 in favor Of ny
IittIe niece. Remembering the large trunk
bought FOR pitzei's body. determined 10
mart company with him. which ! did AZ
D.4fson and have never seen him since.
but have received As many as three letters
from him.
"rhe last time : saw Minnie Williams
was At our meeting in - Joseph Holmes
told her that SHE must tedfF w" fittti
states for a period of three ar four Years.
II everything worked satisfactorily tn Fort
Worth she vas "a return and claim the
property on the ground that the title UaS
obtained from mex frAu1ulentlv. she estsh-
fishing proof that she Was out of The MT
81 states az ne time india WAS agreed
,;uo~ as fhe country 70 which she would
70 vent 70 the derot win ner. while
Holmes bought her ticket and checked her
baggage. huf where - / did NOT KNOW
Wnile a. Fort Worth 7 read three letters
from Minnie Williams 20 Holmes. They
puroe-red 20 be from India. the place J
have forgotten believe Holmes sent
Minnie williams g 50 from Fort Worth 10
India n Minnie Williams is dead she has
been fuf out ~ the WAY since this excite
rnert has got out ln regard 60 Holmes
The building IN ''hiCago known ~ fh@
.f.zsfle. was erected especially f1r
aeatbtren. ard during my association "iih
Holmes J was i1 st often. iu fact "cct-
I.ied a room there s stranger 90 ihe city
during ths- Worlds fair WAS decoEed into
that castle ard murdered for his money.
We sif nos have as murh money as Holmes
tbs,sszhf-onlv s37uo \ bright l5ttis boF
veas eafired into the fastlc during the TAR
and held an "A room for hNe DAYS Tor Tr-
warA for h5s recOvery. NJ reward '%thE