The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-08-26
SAID BY Mr.. HOLMES
The Accused Murderer of Many
Women Tells q Story.
WHEN HE FIRST MET MINNIE
And How He Disposed OF the Body
Of Miss Nannle-He Never
Cremated Human Bones
The Trunks.

New York. Aug. 25.-A signed state
ment written by II. III. Holmes. In pris-
on at Philadelphia. and certified to by
his lawyer. going into all the details Of
his acquaintance with Minnie II. Will
liams. is printed by a local paper.
Holmes writes that he first met Minnie
at an intelligence office kept by one
Campbell. on Dearborn street, Chicago,
In January. 1893. and employed her as a
stenographer. She was Installed in his
office in the building which has become
known as Holmes Castle" and from
March to May of that year occupied
rooms in that building adjoining the
office. Meals were served In the build
Ing, and IL any bones were found In the
stove. he writes. 1t will be found by
microscopic investigation that they
were the bones Of meat. He continues:
1T is certain that no human body was
cremated there during my occupancy
Of the rooms. my own experience. years
ago. being quite sufficient to show me
the danger Of such proceedings on ac-
count OF the awful odor. IL l had no
other motive to defer from such a
course"
Holmes says that In April Minnie
Williams. knowing him to be in need
of money. gave him a draft for $500.
the proceeds Of the sale of real estate
she had held In Texas. and asked him
to use 1t until she should need 1t. In
order that she should be protected,
he presented ITO her warranty deed to
house and lot at Willamette, ILL.,. val
ued at $500. The money was returned
to her In May. 1893. being paid by Isaac
r. Hit & Co. of Chicago. She desired
to convert her other southern property
into cash or improved northern prop
erty, and he advised her to execute a
worthless deed (by having some one
other than herself sign the same) to
a fictitious piece of land and offer the
property for sale at a very low price,
and years later demand an additional
sum in exchange for a good deed. This
was done, Clarence A. Phillips forging
the name of Alexander Z. Bond upon
the deeds so made, which deeds are
still in existence.
| About this time. Holmes narrates,
Miss williams was taken Ill. suffering
from acute pneumonia, and was re-
moved to the Presbyterian hospital.
being enrolled as Mrs. Williams. as her
ailment was such that 1t was prudent
for her to pass as married woman.
Minnie Williams condition was
brought about, so Holmes says she told
him. by q prominent Boston business
man. the head Of firm dealing in sur
gical Instruments, with whose wife she
visited at their home In Somerville.
This man had acquired an influence
over her which she was unable to resist
and betrayed her, and she met him fire.
quently at hotel near his place of
business. breaking her engagement to
marry an honest clerk. When she grew
better and returned to his house. her
sister. Mamie Williams. came from
Texas to visit her.
Returning one evening. early In June.
from a day in the city, he was greeted
by a cry from Minnie Williams In the
parlor: as that you? My God. /
thought you would never come. Nam
ME Is dead" She was seated upon the
floor, holding her sisters head in her
hands, rocking and moaning, as a
mother would over a child. He found
that Mamie had been dead for hours.
and laid her body upon the bed in his
own room. finding no mark of violence
but a slight discoloration on one Of her
temples. According to the story writ
ten by Holmes. Minnie Williams had
been away the preceding night, and
| Holmes had also been Unexpectedly
detained by business all night. When
Minnie Williams returned that MORN
ing she noticed that his bed had not
been occupied during the night.
This Is what Holmes writes: "And
| with only this one thought in her dis
ordered mind. had rushed into the ad-
| Joining room. where her sister then
sat, and in voice which only a very
] few who have been intimately ac-
quainted with Miss Williams can ap-
| preciate. had said: You devil. you
have stolen my husband from me- At
the same time she had struck her sis
! ter with a small footstool. causing her
TO fall to the floor. where, with hardly
| a struggle. she had ceased to breathe.
| At first Minnie thought her sister had
only tainted and tried to revive her
| Then she found her efforts useless and
| remained in the position in which he
! found her. Then came the question of
what to do
Holmes story of what was done is as
| follows: I'VE clothed Mamie in a
| light dress she had liked to wear and
took a large trunk she had brought
with her from Texas and placed her
! in It, / went to a stable and obtained
covered conveyance and upon my
/ return l engaged a man to accompany
me to ghe house and help me place the
| trunk In the carriage. | then drove TO
the lakeside and waited until night.
thus appearing to parties noticing me,
| IL any. that / was awaiting the return
OF some belated boating party. Then
! procured boat at some distance.
and took 1t near my waiting place and
| later. with considerable trouble. I
placed the trunk In the craft and pro-
oeeded about one mile from the shore.
| There. in the darkness, passed beyond
/ tie sight of this world In the ever
grasping depths Of Lake Michigan. all
/ that was mortal OF this beautiful
| Christian girl. Coming toward the
shOrc. l thought Il wise to deposit the
trunk upon another and more remote
| pOrl!Oa OF the beach. | did this, and
| after returning the boat, drove away