Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-01
The Career OF Holmes.

INt CdTeeT VI NUIHtS.
In our recent editorial concerning the
early life of Murderer Holmes we were
made, through an error, to speak of him
as born in the town of Guilford, N. H.
AS matter of fact he was born in Gill
manton, n. H., and educated at the aca-
denny in that town. His real name Is Her
man Mudgett He comes from family
In which there has never before been any
faint of criminality through long line
of industrious, God fearing ancestry.
His parents are most estimable people.
For a long time his father, Levi H. Mud
gett, was the postmaster at Gilmanton
Corner When eighteen years of age Her
man married Miss Clara Lowering, an &C
complished and beautiful young lady. He
taught school for year, and clerked for
time in country store With the money
thus obtained he entered the University of
Vermont In Burlington. The little wife
encouraged the ambitions of her husband
and went bravely to work as dressmaker,
not only supporting herself, but sending
small sums of money to Mudgett, who
was studying day and night In the uni
versity. He had an ambition to become
physician, and with all tho resistless
vigor which has since dominated his life he
worked his way forward in spite of all
discouragements. A year was spent in
the University of Vermont at which time
Mudgett determined to study medicine at
Ann Arbor, Mich, whore he was promised
chance to toll for his tuition.
1t was while at Ann Arbor that he
committed his first crime.
Mudgett proposed to his cbum scheme
for defrauding an insurance company,
and no time was lost In putting his plans
into execution. They managed to collect
enough money to go to Chicago, where
Mudgett's friend had his life insured for
S12, 800. The first premium was paid and
the policy made out in favor of Mud
gett Several months later the supposed
body of the friend was found in Connec-
ticut Holmes was then hard at work at
Ann Arbor. He was notified of the dis
covery and identified the body as that of his
friend He had little trouble in collect
ing tho face of the policy, and the two d.
vided the money, Mudgett completing
his course in college and some years later
meeting his friend in Chicago, W. here they
successfully worked the same scheme on
another insurance company.
After quitting Ann Arbor Mudgett began
the practice of medicine at Moore's Fork,
Pa. His wife was with him for while
and he seems to have made an effort to
lead an honest life. But the faint of dis
honesty and crime was in his heart He
built up good practice, but was not sat
isfed The patient little woman who had
borne him son was sent back to the old
homo IN Now Hampshire, Mudgett as
surlng her that 1t was best for him to go to
Chicago, where honor and fame awaited
him.
For years after this his devoted wife up
an ong the New Hampshire hills heard no
word from him. AS II. H. Holmes Mud
gett had entered upon a career of crime
which, it is believed, is almost without
parallel in history.
In the course of time his wife secured a
divorce; but did not marry again. Last
November Holmes visited her at her home
in Tilton, n. II. He said he had suddenly
lost his reason and had been incarcerated
in an insane asylum. His story was
implicitly believed. He went at once to
the homo of his parents in Gilmanton, as
noted in our editorial of recent date.
Here he used a portion of the SO, 00o Sc
cured by the swindling of the Philadel-
phia insurance company to pay OF the
mortgage upon his fathers farm, and leave
the old people few hundred dollars
But the detectives were on his track ard
soon after he was arrested in Boston. The
story of his various crimes has been told
at some length and nearly every day adds
a ,exx, victim tn the list