The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-28

active In the case were talking together re-
garding what new step was the best one to
take. Mr.. Geyer asked Richards about Irv-
ington. and the result was that trip was
made to the suburb yesterday morning.
Inquiry was first made of Charles Brouse.
a real estate dealer, who has office near
the railroad station Of the suburb. Mr..
Geyer asked questions. and Mr.. Brouse
called that some time last fall the Union
avenue property was rented to stranger
who occupied 1t but few days and then
departed. leaving behind some furniture.
Mr.. Geyer took a look at the house and De-
gan to make further inquiries regarding its
ownership and occupants in. the last year.
He learned that the house was built by DR..
T. L. Thompson three years ago for home.
Last September the doctor moved out, and
the next month 1t was rented by man
answering the description of Holmes. In the
spring Of 1895 the family Of Edward Bren-
nan. who lived there but two months. occu-
pied the place. Since the Brennan family
moved away the house has been vacant
DR.. Thompson sold the property to George
w. Lancaster, living near Mapleton. who
owned it at the time Holmes rented it. MIR
Lancaster has since sold the property to X.
r. Miles.
Mr.. Geyer lost little time in beginning a
search of the premises for the body OF
Howard Pietzel 1t was about 10 O'Clock
when the work was commenced. The cellar
was first examined One portion of it is
cemented. as Dr. Thompson expected some
time to add to the house. and this cellar he
proposed to use as laundry. There are
six rooms to the house, counting one open
room in The rear. which is used as a kitch-
en-. Adjoining the cemented floor is low
cellar, which Mr.. Geyer at first thought
might have furnished grave for the lad
The ground was hard, however. and there
was no evidence of a grave having ever
been made there. There Is a chimney with
foundation in the cellar, which runs
through the dining room. This was hastily
examined at the time. but Mr.. Geyer
thought 1t would be we'll to search for a
buried body first for he was inclined to be-
lieve Holmes had disposed of the boy as he
had the two girls. Mr.. Geyer was more
anxious TO find a body than charred re-
mains. Two hundred feet back Of the house
is large stable, and in one corner
was a soft place. Mr.. Geyer regarded
this as suspicious, so ne began TO dig
The search was kept up until late in the
afternoon. The news of the search and
the digging spread through the town, and
so large a crowd collected that the work
had to be stopped. Drs. Thompson and
Barnhill were present. For the benefit of
Mr.. Geyer and the reporters. Dr. Thompson
told what he knew Of Holmes and his stay
at the house. DR.. Thompson said:
II moved out the latter part OF last Septem-
ber. built the house for a home, intend
ing to add to 1t some time. / decided to
move on Washington street, however. so
sold this property TO Mr.. Lancaster. Some
time in October, have no way of fixing the
date, the house was rented to stranger.
He said he wanted the property for his
sister, it being his intention to furnish it
for her. He said he thought his sister
would want to buy the property"
THAT was Holmes as sure as 1 am lv-
ing" interrupted Mr. Geyer. He sang
the same song at Detroit and Toronto
II saw the man but once" continued DR..
Thompson. "but he looked very much like
the photograph which Mr.. Geyer has. He
was in the house but a few days, how long
cannot say. had a base burner all ready
fixed up in the sitting room. which / Of
fered to sell to him. He said he thought
his sister might want it, and said he would
write to her advising that she sell her
stove and buy the one 1 offered. He did
not buy the stove. After he departed, we
found large stove which he had left,
besides a bedstead and wash-stand and the
portions of a trunk. His actions struck
me as strange, but 1t never occurred to me
that perhaps the man was Holmes / have
boarding with me a young man named
Mooreman, who was here last fall and held
a conversation with the man. He has been
away all summer, but returned three weeks
ago, and one Of the first things he said
upon returning was to ask me If the
thought had ever occurred to me that the
man who occupied the house was Holmes,
the murderer. 1 laughed and told him to
go tell the police and perhaps he could get
his picture in the papers. He did not tell
anything at the time, but / guess his sus-
picions have leaked out
OWN STYLE OF STOVE.
The stove referred to by DR.. Thompson
was found in the stable. 1t was brought
there by Holmes. DR.. Thompson alone oc-
cupied the house before Holmes came and
he knows the stove does not belong to him,
while Mr.. Brennan says he never owned
such a stove. 1t is mammoth affair suit
able for the burning Of a body. There is
a large lid to it which permits the en-
trance of large articles The stove was
found standing in the ona by ONE Toom
After Holiness departure under the side
porch was found the portions of a trunk
referred 10, which are thought TO be parts
of a trunk belonging TO the Pietzel children
The lid and bottom are preserved but the
middle portion containing the lock has
been destroyed. On the bottom there is
calico cleat which may serve as means or
Identifying the property as that OF MIS-
Pietzel. The cleat is so placed as to look
as if il might be the handiwork of
woman. The bedroom set left In the house
was still there when the family of Mr..
Brennan moved in. Mr.. Brennan says the
trunk was also there and DR.. Thompson
says it was not left there by him. The
furniture is very ordinary, such as might
be purchased at any secondhand store
The most interesting story OF Holmes
and his doings in this city is told by Elvet
Mooreman Butler student. He is young
man twenty years of age, and while at
tending college he boards with DR.. Thomp-
son, doing chores as a means OF earning
something AT the time the house was oc-
cupied Dr. Thompson was keeping a cow
in the stable. Young Mooreman attended to
the milking and he saw more Of Holmes
than anyone else. He says:
'I am positive that the photograph of
Holmes is that of the man who came here
last October with a little boy about ten
years of age. He moved some furniture in
and that night he was out in the back
yard when I came to milk. The boy
playing with little toy fire engine which
/ afterwards found and still have. He was
a good looking boy. much better looking
than the pictures published him The man
did not bring very much furniture here,
but said the house was for his sister and
he -r.,11 1.A har nrr1a IL