The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-29
Anu 1HEK OF HOLM ES' VICTIMS.
The Charred Bones of Little Howard
PietZei Found at Last.


dianapolis will claim the right to try FL.
Fl. Holmes for murder. This claim will
be based upon the horrible develop.
ments of to day, which include the find
ing of the charred remains Of nine year
old Howard Pietzel, and evidence which
before any jury in the country would
convict Fl. FL. Holmes of having muir
dered him, and then partially burning
his body in a stove.
Detectives Geyer, of Philadelphia,
Richards, of indianapolis, and Inspector
Gary, of the Fidelity Insurance Com
pany, have been at work for weeks hunt.
ing for traces of the boys body. He was
traced here with Holmes and disappeared.
The city was secured and work began in
the suburbs hunting for house rented
by Holmes on October 10, II or 12 Of
last year.
This morning the Butler detectives
went to Covington, pretty suburb OF
the city and the seat of Butler College
and before they had been at work an
an hour, their attention was called by
a local real estate dealer to- small vacant
cottage situated in the woods at the edge
of town and far from any other dwell
ing. The party went to the house and
few minutes later the officers found be-
meath the porch the missing trunk which
was taken from the side door Of Circle
House in this city, October 10, by FL. FL.
Holmes and which was thought to con-
tain the body of the boy.
Great excitement followed and hun
dreds fiocked to the scene as soon as the
discovery leaked out, although the off
GERS endeavored to keep the matter a
secret. The house was guarded and
work began searching for additional
evidence. Developments followed thick
and fast and the chain of evidence is
damning.
In barn connected with the house
was large stove of cylindrical shape of
the same pattern as Holmes bought in
Cincinnati. He rented the house under
the same alias The stove had been
moved from the house to the stable by
the owner of the house after Holmes
left. 1t was at once concluded that the
body had been burned in the stove and
search began for the remains.
Late this evening DR.. j. F. Barnhills
attention was called by small boy
named Walter Jenning to the above hole
where the stove had been. 1t was filled
with refuse. This was pulled out and the
remains of the boy were found. Physl
clans and dentists were there and in this
pit of refuse hundreds Of pieces of
charred bones were found. The teeth
showed that the body was that of boy
between eight and ten years of age, and
all the other bones confirmed this. All
were charred land pieces of flesh chung to
some of them. The skull bones and
pelvis added to the same convincing
truth.
The boy had evidently been burned in
a cob fire and in the huge stove found
in the barn. Towards Overcoat was
found at grocery store near by, where
Holmes had left it, saying the boy would
call for it. He never came.
Owners of the house recognized Holmes
from the pictures shown them. All
identify him as the man, who, last
October, rented the hosue with the same
story he told in Toronto and other places.
He came with the boy and the big stove,
wash stand and bed, stayed two days
and then disappeared. Several people
have identified him, and all doubt is re
moved. Other developments are expect
ed tomorrow, and with this evidence
Indianapolis will demand Holmes for
trial.