The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-06
MURDERER HOLMES.
Extracts From the Story OF His Amaz-
ing Career.
New York sun.

Born OF reputable parents, reared un-
der the influence OF a Christian home,
surrounded in all his early years by re-
timing influences, married TO beautiful
woman whose influence on him could not
but have been for the best he deliberately
chose life of crime because he thought
he could obtain with less difficulty In
that way the living which II would have
been easy for him TO make by honest
means. Seemingly he had no conscience.
lie had nerve such as Is possessed by not
one man in thousand. He was dull to
all human instincts Robbery, arson, Sc
duction, murder, any crime, seemed the
same to him. All brought him pleas
ure. Most OF them brought him money.
lie accumulated a fortune he says, OF
700, 900. How many lives that represents
the authorities do not know. Holmes
says II may represent many crimes, but
not a single murder. He ridicules the
police and says they have gone murder
mad, that they find him convenient
scapegoat, and accuse him OF making
away with everybody who has been re-
ported missing in the last 10 years.
Next thing we hear, he says, "they
will be accusing me of the Custer mas
sacre"; and the other day when he read
in paper the headlines, IAN dead at
Jaeksons Hole he said: 'Thank
heaven I'm in jail or they would accuse
me of that
There is no parallel case in recent years
TO Holmes. Deeming, Australian,
killed five persons TO obtain the insur-
ance on their lives. But they were MEM
bers OF his family. Meyer, who is now
serving a life sentence in Sing Sing,
was alleged to have killed many, but II
was with difficulty that the authorities OF
New York succeeded in convcting him
of murder in the second degree. Meyer,
L. .l,vo nj hA M ~.
dene OF his victims sufficientlyto marry
them. In only one case, that in which
he was convicted was his victim not
member of his family. But Holmes, the
authorities say, killed all whose conf
dence he could gain sufficiently to get
them within his grasp. lie killed adults
ior their life insurance, and he killed
their children merely TO avoid the trouble
OF supporting then.
The facts about these Chicago cases are
these: number of persons known to
have been in the employ of Holmes at
one time or another are now missing.
They were last seen when they were
working and living with him. For weeks
now the papers have been filled with
stories about Holmes. The names OF
these missing people have been printed
almost daily. There is not a town or
hamlet in the country where the news
has not penetrated and where some
people are not talking about IT, Yet not
one OF these missing persons has been
heard from. There is no evidence, other
than this, that they are dead. Here Is
list of the persons he is accused up to
this time of having made away with:
Conner, Julia l., divorced wife of i.
l.. Conner and bookkeeper for Holmes.
Conner, Pearl, daughter OF Mrs.
Conner.
Cigrand, Emeline G., daughter OF Peter
Cigrand OF Anderson, Ind, stenographer
for Holmes.
Phelps, Robert E., who says Holmes
married Miss Cigrand.
Pietzel, Benjamin F., confidential agent
and fellow criminal of Holmes, killed in
Philadelphia.
Pietzei, Alice, daughter of b. F.
Pietzel, Killed in Toronto.
Pietzel, Nellie, daughter OF B. +.
Pietzel, killed in Toronto.
Pietzel, Howard, son OF b. +. Pietzel,
supposed to have been killed in Indiana
polls or Detroit.
Van Tassel, Emily, daughter OF Mrs.
NJ l.. Van Tassel OF Gal North Robey
street, Chicago
Williams, Mana, of Fort Worth, Tex,
was visiting her sister when she dis
appeared.
Williams, Minnie r., OF Fort Worth,
Tex, private secretary TO Holmes.
But this is not all. Every day has
brought new developments. The author
tiles say the list may reach a score. 1t
may go higher.