The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-07-24

OuIcAao, ILl-, July 23.-Ths rem arka'
bic series OF crimes, Of which II, II,
Holmes, tho insurance SwIndIer, now in
iail in Philadelphia, stands charged
has scarcely a parallel In tho criminal
annals Of this country. ItBeemI almost
incredible that this man, who appears
to have murdered people by tho whole
sale, merely to satisfy his greed for
gain, can maintain his coolness under
the great mass OF evidence that Ia pill
ing up against him-showlng that no
committed the murders deliberately al
ter having Insured the lives OF his VIC
Tins, and then as deliberately commit
ted further murders to rid him Of the
obstacles that stood between him and
the full enjoyment Of his blood money.
Tho story Of his crimesiS like the wierd'
est OF tragic novels and Is developing
RAPIDLY. A summary Of these develop
ments at this time is intensely interest
ing. Pirsl hOre IL a list OF tho victims
which ii is alleged were murdered either
by Holmes or by some ono hired by
him for the purpose:
LIST OF HOLMES VICTIMS.
Holmes victims either dead or mys'
teriously missing are:
PirzRi. BENJAMIN T., found murdered
at 1916 Caiiow hill street, Philadelphia,
PirzEL, ALICE, found murdered at 10
81, Vincent street, Toronto.
PIrzEL. NELLIE, found murdered at 10
St. VINCENT street, Toronto,
PTrzEL, HowAHD missing; supposed
to have beenmurdered at indianapolis
WILLIAMS. MINSIE Il. supposed TO
have been murdered at Sixty'third and
Wallace streets, Chicago.
WILLIAMS, INA or ASSIE, supposed to
have been murdered nj Sixty.third and
Wallace streets, Chicago
OWENS, J%osEPl, formerly %janitor and
agent ior Holmes; had a row with him
aud disappeared detectives Caunot lind
him; his home was in Lima, Ohio.
CoSSoRs, JULIA L., OF Muscattne, H.,
vas known to DO at Holmes Chicago
house ia 1892; myStsrionsly diIap.
pGAred, aud has not been heard Of
since supposed to have been murdered
by Holmes.
MR,. CosSoRs' child disappeared
with the mother.
Death seems to stalk wherever the
handiworE OF Holmes il found. The
vraiths OF his victims appear to be on
every spot he touched, and in tho de-
serted, ruined rooms OF what was called
his castle on ~Sixty.third street, at Chi.
cagO, one eau almost hear the voices Of
title children pleading for the mercy
Shich his lust for wealth denied them.
THE qksTlE.
In searching this house the dotoc.
tlvsS found much to battle them on the
second and third hnou. The widest
romance Poe ever wrote, tho mysteries
Of Reade, the Imagination OF Verne
furnish no parallel for the plan by
which Holmes constructed on these
floors a house within a house. OItena.
IDLY in 1889 he came TO this corner to
build u large fiat and stors building.
Four years the workmen toiled on 1t,
and thon 1t was not completed, Each
new financial difficulty Of Holmes bred
in him some now device by which with.
in the building he might hide all trace
OF his crimes. lie was mysterious in
all that lie did. A winding stairway
led to his apartments on the third
floor, facing Sixty.thlrl street. Flee.
triCal apparatus connected with these
stairs and told him Of the approach Of
anyone.
Ia his office swung the door of m ap.
parontly large vault. This door Is Que
Of the DisboId sRte pattern With combI-
nation lock. inside Of this door were
two others Of iron, always tightly Clp'.
ell. Here, Holmes explained. he Eopt
his valuable papers. hut a pull at the
inner doors told q different story. As
they opened there was seen TO DO be-
hind them nothing but tho wall OF tina
adjacent room. The door vera a blind
for tho unwary who sat in that office
and listened to the honsyad tales Of the
schslnor. llecOuld stop from his Office
II he wished to be- rid OF an objections
bic visitor and Ia an instant DO hidden
from all finding, unless walls worO torn
down. Railways narrow and dark
cross and rocrosa at every point.
Closets ars innnmerable, many with
doors on two sides. II no wont into his
bathroom there was undor his ieot d
trapdOOr. lie had only to rNisO II and
descend 10 another floor OF tho building
and thence to tho street by ono OF hall
n dozen why's. Or there was above him
tFapdoOr and hn could ascend.
lie could stand in tho closets and oVer.
hear what night he said Ivy ths occu.
pants Of tho rooms. II his vito came
unexp0ctedly aud It was exneiiont to
have out OF tho way Mimic Williams or
Ina or whatever woman might 10 with
him, he had but to above them into one
OF tho closets with tho double doora.
They could pass thence 20 another room,
thence to a bathroom, down tho sOcret
Btnirs, through any ono OF tho side
balls, aud out Of doors.
A VERIrAnLE nm. iEEYLb AND mh HYDE.
Holmes used those secret aud somi.
secret ways for himself as vol. Robert
Lallmcr, Of 1916 Maple s!root, was In
hia employ whom tho building was con.
HsfHeted. tie teilao 81 tbs iaibB moHatnotns,
ialIU beardg, complete changes oi cloth.
ing aud hats, which Holmes alwayp
kept In his room. Tho remarkable
spectacle was often pro5cntei Of Dr.
Jokyll-HolmGs entering his drug store
Holmes ~ hu WIS known 10 tho poo.
plo Of E%nplswood. Ho would 20 up Tho
6tniFi to liH Office. snlsr and close thu
doors behind him. Twenty minutes
later lntimor al his 1nlips In tla hall,
would zen tho door Of tina Office OpOn
and Mr. HYDE llolmOs comes oul--bnt
he did not know then that II was llol.
mos. Ito looked upon tho person ~ n
stranger 10 all appearance ho was a
prosperous. planter from Mississippi.