The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-20
WORK OF FIRE-BUGS
HOLINESS CASTLE" PROBABLY
FIRED BY INCENDIARIEs.
Gasoline Found Under the Secret
Stairway, and Two Men Seen Run
ming Away from the Place.

CHICAGO, Aug 19.-H. H. Holiness
Castle" at Sixty-third and Wallace
streets, which is said to have been the
scene of numerous murders by the owner,
discovered to be fire at Il: 80 clock
this morning. After an hour of hard work
the firemen succeeded in getting the flames
under control, but not until they had left
the building in a condition to become more
of a curiosity than it was while being
searched by the police for evidence of
crime.
Discoveries made by the police to-day
lead to the belief that the fire was of in
cendiary origin. Several people living near
the burned building saw two men enter
the house shortly before the fire broke out
and leave with great haste. A search of
the place revealed half can of gasoline
in the secret stairway leading to the base
ment, and search is being made for the
men who are supposed to have started the
blaze.
An immense crowd gathered to witness
the fire, and during it's progress the re-
marks of those present indicated that the
neighborhood was not in the least sorry
to be rid of the notorious building. Some
one caused considerable excitement for the
time by asking where the Quinlan family
was. Pat Quinlan and his wife and farmer
Owen were seen by the police Saturday.
but none of them has been seen about the
building since. When the fire had eaten
its way through to the second floor it
began to consume the effects of the Quin-
lans, and for time it was thought that
some member of the family might be in
the apartment. Investigation by the fire
men, however, disclosed no sign of life,
and ii was afterwards said that the Quin-
lans had gone TO the farm in Michigan.
-Icrr hair do ar T<,ro h0a hoo
ing since their arrest. The household fur
niture of the Quinlans was destroyed. The
total loss, however, will not, Ii Is said, be
much over $4,000. The flames were first
seen in the restaurant on the ground floor.
They leaped up through the dummy ele-
vator and burned the asbestos of the dead
walls in such a manner that the police
will be unable to make any further inves-
tigation, even If it was desirable to do So.
People remained about the building for
hours, and the police had hard work keep
selves in positions where they were liable
to be injured by falling timbers or busy
firemen.
Hatch's Whereabouts Unknown.
BELLOWS FALLS, VT. Aug. ia re-
porter to-day located in this city Mr.. and
Mrs. z. II. Brace, the parents of Charles
Brace. alias Hatch, said to be concerned
with H. H. Holmes in the numerous crimes
with which the latter is charged. Mr.. and
Mrs. Brace say they do not know the pres-
ent whereabouts of their son, and have not
heard from him for some time. He has not
been to his home for four years. They say
that eleven years ago their son lived with
DR.. H. Fl. Mudgett. and then went to Provi-
dence, X. L., where his wife, they claim,
left him because of scan6alous stories
which were circulated concerning him.
Braces parents say their son has not been
with Holmes to Their knowledge since he
lived in Moores Forks, and they never
knew that he gave the name Of Hatch.
He Constructed the "Castle."
EAU CLAIRE, Wis, Aug. 19.-Charles
Berger, who drew the plans for Holiness
castle" and superintended it's construction
in 1887. lives here. He was partner in the
firm of Gellaner & Co., architects. Berger
says he knows nothing about the secret
part of the castle and thinks 1t must
have been contrived later. He says Holmes