Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-25
MORE Or HOLMES MOVES.
Took the Pietzel Children to
Milwaukee.
STRANGE ACTIONS IN THAT CITY
Probably Caused the Death of
Mrs. Connor.



CHICAGO, ILL, July 1s.-.Mrs. Pietzel,
who left late last night for Toronto, to
identify tho bodies Of the two children
found IN the cellar Of the house at 20
81. Vincent street, talked about her past
life and her husbands dealings with
Holmes just before leaving. Mrs. Pietzel
is broken in health and mind, the VIC
tim, she believes, Of hypnotic influ-
euce exerted by Holmes. Her story
was siraightforwardly told and il is i'm
possible to believe. after being any
length of time Ia her company, that she
Was an accomplice Of Holmes in the
commission OF any of his crimes.
MRs PIkTzEL's STORY OF noLMrs.
Holmes, whom / had never met"
said Mis- Pietzel, shut once before the
death'of my husband, seemed from tho
time he asked me for the care Of the
children until his final arrest, to have a
peculiar Influence over me. felt con-
trollod by him. lie had n sway over me
that then I thought natural, since he
had been the intimate friend OF my hus-
band. Besides, my husband had re-
peatedly told mo that could trust him;
that he was a good man, and that he
would always be true to us. The chill
dren idolizel him. There was nothing
that he could not do with them.
again and again my husband told
me how much he thought of Holmes
and how honorable lie was until |
came 10 have the same opinion myself,
although at first / did not like the man
and told my husband 10 and begged
him 10 have nothing TODD with Holmes.
II saw my husband last on August
gath, 1894. He had gone TO ST. Louis.
He was then heavily interested with
Holmes in whatever the enterprises
were they had Oh together. and was
lying sick with my baby. | was very
sick. could not GO to Philadelphia TO
identify the body which they suspected
10 be that OF my husband. IL was after
wards that Holmes told me the body
was not that of my husband; that II
was y bogus body made up to look like
him, and that If or the children said
anything about ii, the insurance COM
pany would get hold Of US and we
would be punished severely.
SIZE LOVED HOLMES.
~ was very sick and loved Holmes,
He talked kindly and offered 10 tuke
Alice, Nellie and Howard from me and
educate them. He said that he would
put them to school and pay all their ex.
,penscs. The children loved HIM, and
as was alone in the world and poor, /
let him take them and they went away.
At this time and at all other times
Holmes acted to me like gentleman.
He constantly kept me under tue i'm
preston, though, that and the chill
dren were to be mixed up in the affair
of the bogus body, which he said was
found in Philadelphia. He said that
Pietzel was still alive and that I would
sec him again when this trouble was
over. He wished, though, to save us
frcm arrest and after the three children
were gone, l moved about the country
began 10 worry about the children. |
wanted to see them and wished TO know
where they were. Holmes always put
me OF with the story that must keep
Quiet until the detectives stopped their
work.
GUARDING AGAINST DETECTIVES.
"When he took mo to Detroit, 1t was
ne who registered me there as Mrs.
Adams. He told me go when he came
UP To the room where DosIe, my oldest
daughter, and / were. told him that he
did wrong to put my jamestown moor
rectly, but he explained that the detec-
! tives must be kept off the track, and
! that was protecting myself and my
husband by this. finally heard the
children were at Toronto, and Dosie,
and the baby went there alone to search
MET HOLMES ON THE STREET.
.'After searching the city I went into
department store on Young street to
h frr h. l.al.
we camo out of the dress pattern de.
partment on this street, met Holmes
face 10 face. He was concerned. He
said, Why, l was looking for you. Just
wait here minute while go into the
store. have some things In there l
want to get. / will Join you in an
instant Before could ask him ques-
tion he entered the store. | waited there
until the baby began crying; then told
Dosie TO go into the store and look for
him. She did so. but could not find him.
Then went myself, but could not find
him and never saw him again. be.
lieve that at the moment Holmes met
me my children were in the store, and
that he took them out by side entrance
aud hid them where | could not find
them / am positive in my own hear,
this was SO.
SEARCHING FOR THE LITTLE ONES.
4 "Since then have been working fol
d the location OF the children with District
"a Attorney Graham of Philadelphia, Mr.
!. Geyer, the detective Of Philadelphia, and
al the officers Of the life insurance com
Apany have done oil in their power to aic
oakme. You must understand that wher
nd ny children were first really missing
ssoGas locked up and could not communi.
Dr. cate with any one, l was not allowed
10 sec the newspapers nor to receive
> mail. In Holmes trunk there was fount
q letter from my daughter, Alice, to me
which never reached me, showing tha
my mail was interrupted. Since / hav,
had my freedom the Philadelphia au
thorities and the insurance compan,
have worked to bring my children baci
to me and / have aided them as far as
could.
TRUSTED HOLMES TOO MUCH.
"When / gave the children up I,
Holmes in st. Louis, was too sick ant
trusted him too much to pay careful at
tention to what l did. He told me L
go home to Calva. to recruit with m,
parents and he would keep the childrel
in school. When he took me to Detroi
supposed We were being bounded b.
detectives. l believe Holmes INTENDED
to kill Inc at Burlington, VT, but h
must have lost his nerve, or he still ha,
the childten on his hands and hesitateo
cannot give any other explanation q
why he spared my life. He intended I
kill my entire family"
WITNESS IN PHILADELPHIA.
Counsel for H. II. Holmes Thursda
produced a mysterious witness who, &C
cording to the attorney, has just arrive
from Toronto, knows who killed III
Pietzel children and that Holmes had n
hand In the mnrdarn DisIrict A ttnrne