The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-20
ONE OF cHARRED RIBS FOUND.
The Police Search His Private Office
in His Chicago Building.
They Find the Furnace Where the
Two Williams Girls and the Pitzel
Boy Was Burned-Mrs. PiIzel Iden-
titles the Remains OF Her Girls in
Toronto.


That Minnie Williams. of Fort Worth.
Tex, met her death at the nands OF
Holmes there is scarcely a doubt. That
she died in this city in a violent man
ner has been proved almost conclusive
iy. Late tonight the police found in a
stove in the three-stoTy brick building
at 70i Sixty-thjrd street. which was built
by Holmes. and in which both he and
the Williams girl lived, a quantity of
charred bones. some buttons known 10
have been on dress owned by Minnie
Williams, and partly melted portion OF
a watch chain. whicn was positively iden-
titled as having hesen the property of
the girl. The chain was instantly recog-
nized by C. f. Davis. who occupies a
portion OF the store formerly occupied
by Holmes when he was in the drug busi-
ness as one he had seen Miss Williams
wear and which ne had on two separate
occasions repaired for her. Davis also
claimed to recognize the buttons as those
he had seen on a dress worn by Miss
Williams.
The CHASTITY discovery was made late
tonight by a force of detectives who had
all day been at work searching the build
ing from cellar 70 garret. The floors were
taken up in parts. the walls were sound
ed, and the big iron vault carefully In
spected The walls of the vault were
found 10 be heavily packed with ashes
tos. which the police believe was placed
there for the purpose or ceadenihs she
sound.
T7he search or the house was undertaken
when the police this morning received
communication from the Philadelphia au-
thoritis The building was carefully gone
over and the dummy elevator which ran
from the floor OF the building where
Holmes had his office to the basement
without exit. On the top floor. in the
room which was used by Holmes as an
fflliy six
feet in diameter. with door sufficiently
large for the admission OF a human body
into the interior This stove had. in the
former examination of the house. never
been looked into. Inspector Fitzpatrick
opened the door and poked carelessly
among the debris with his cane AFmoSt
the first thing he turned up was human
bone badly charred. He hastily jerked 1t
out and found It was beyond all question
a human rib of an adult. The contents OF
the stove were then quickly dumped. and
other portions of bones. too badly burned
to admit of further identification as be-
longing TO any portion of the body, We're
also found. A number OF small buttons,
said to have been worn on the front OF
Miss Williams dress were picked up, as
were also about six inches OF gold watch
chain which she wore. All Of the ashes
and debris removed from the stove were
carefully preserved and taken TO the po-
lice station where more carefu e%-
animation will be made of them tomorrow
! The police are now Of the opinion that not
/ only Minnie williams. but her younger
I sister. Anna. and the boy Howard mt
gel, met death in this house.
/ Toronto. Ont July 19,-Today Mrs Pitzel
/ Identified the bodies Of the two children
/ found in the cellar on ST. Vincent street as
| those of her girls, Alice and Nellie Ihe
latter she identified by her har. ana the
| former by popularity OF the upper froht
1 teeth. She was not allowed to see any
! other part OF the bodies. Both were IN
! such a had state that IL was thought the
| eborL would derange her. AS IL was. Mrs.
Pitzel broke down completely ana sopned
throughout the trying ordeal ana lohs
/ afterward. The detectives ana the doctors
/ we're perfectly satisfied with the ident4h-
cation.
/ The case which the Canadian authorl-
/ ties now have against Holmes is very COM
/ nIete. ard much stronger than that maze
| ou, against him et Philadelphia which fact
/ leads a great many here 70 be'eVe tnal 'ne
! ,risoner will certainly he extradited.
! St,r,,oed nm this Is the case: Holmes has
/ bean traced from the United States 20 nns
~,., With the children. His tdenuiS W9s
csta1Hshes at the Palmer house. shc that
~ the children al the Albion. Then p9th
murderer and victims were recognized az
[ .bo very scene Of the crime, not by one
( motive for committing the ~ Is Clearly
sbov,r being due 10 the fact that Mrs.
pttzal vas IN the city and might at any
/ time meet the children on the street
/ Holmes borrowed a spade on fAe iasf day
/ that the girls were seen awe az we CO.
/ ,aoa or any where else. giving as ms rea-
! son FOR doing so that he wished - make
! - fo- some potatoes. which statement
- sbovvn 20 he palpably false All this
! ,s h5s going away the next day was
/ strong corroborative facts from "h'ch
I Homes will find II hard 70 escape
,T,,a inauest on the body of Alice, the
! olsazt girl. was resumed az the police
( -, to,,irht William Mcdonald. a lad
/ - lived with hts parents at NO. loo 81
/ y-t,cer, street after Holmes had left the
( ,,s~a was the first witness exaInlflt-l.
/ ue ,olg how he had found a snake toy
which Harold Pitzel used 10 pay W.
tn a sa.chcI IN a closet Of one of the oei-
/ .ov,s of the house He did not Know
( rst hacau,e OF any other articles. but
because of its popularity ne had Kept the
toy .. r.
/ Mrs pfzel was the next witness. For
! the first few minutes OF her eXalhiha t'oh
/ bo~ voice could hardly be heard. hut as
{ -, s,,onlrv, proceeded y gained strength,
Z - towards the ctess s'e was SPEAKING
/ 1a,t,- She told the story OF Holmes
,,-,75erlnvs with the children. as far as
/ She knew OF them; of her meetiis2s WIN
him in fact. the NAose story Nii@N ia
( -, ra,4a re,l,ise through NE press. Her
I sasg-vfr,tlor, Of the satchels SPOKEN of ~
( 1f~s xFenonad tailed with that given
7 -. ne la4v. She also stated THAT rne
( snake toy 9Id not belong 20 no" sra ~
I ,,-ss ora of the treasures of the Elrl Net-
Iis V-,o always carried it with her In the
/ sstchel. -...... -,
/ re .fc-ter making the post mortem ex-
7 ,-,.{,a.tor7 stated thst owing TO the de-
-.,7ar.~sa3 condition Of rhe BODY II Vas al
( ,noz+ t-,ro~Slh,}e 70 make any siatfmNt
/ concerning iBterns3 evidence 4 ne stoh-
/ - Rad not reen ansls-zed
( "a tngslest vas Ehen adjourned untu
I tba evening Of July p
/ -rhoueh the police think Howard PitzsL
3 .rA WrrIe brother Of tire murdered girls.
( as made away wirh in Detroit. theTe are
I ,.s.,,5r arces which VIII Justify furtaer
/ t-sAz.iasrtqn in THIS city. Mr Armbrusi.
/ ~ tenant Of the hcuse IN =. Vincent
I ..~...f made an effort 70 return - live
{ tha-e The house has been thoroughly
/ f,-nfra.eF hy the health department, and
I a. Arr,lsr7lSt z-as advised that ne could
I raasyr7e MS residence ~ A. lie moves ~
! .s-str, yesterday. hur found the stencil
I rr<r. ,s-s basement stiii 50 great that II
! 80 i--cfa~ss,le TnA 9sor. hoEeVer. does
/ ~ ar-asr 20 come from the cs.Isr where
/ tha Nstfe girls bodies wers found. but
! from tne northern front corner - the
| building. The detective department. ass