Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-30
Holmes Tells A Grewsome Tale.

PHILADELPHIA, July 30.-An entirely new statement has just been made by H. H. Holmes. In it the man of many crimes gives in detail his version of how Pitzel came by his death last September and al- so states his -(Holmes0 connection with the tragedy.
 Holmes says that on the Saturday night preceding the death of Pitzel the latter came to his house on North Eleventh street, where he was staying with Mrs. Howard" Pitzel told Holmes a heart rending story of his pecuniary difficulties and of the sickness of his daughter in St. Louis.
 II must have money, he said, or words to that effect, Ito send to my wife to St. Louis."
 Holmes demonstrated with Pitzel as to his spendthrift habits and spoke substan- tially to him as follows:
 Ben. you have been n good friend of mine. I'll admit have made lots of mon- ey through you, but I cannot keep this thing up. Where is that $50 gave you the other day? If you don quit drinking, you and I will have to separate.''
 This conversation is said to have been carried on along Eleventh street, the men walking north until Norris street was reached. When they arrived at the corner, Pitzel exclaimed:
 II am of no benefit to any one. Twill soon get rid of my difficulties. Life has become a nuisance to me-
 Holmes then ayers that he jOkingly re marked to Pitzel, Well, your body is as good as any other, but I wouldn't advise you to do anything rash.''
 Holmes accounts for making this re- mark by saying that he and Pitzel had under consideration the defrauding of the Fidelity Mutual Insurance company. Holmes says Pitzel then became angry and again avowed that l e would commit suicide.
 Holmes then explains that Pitzel left him with the intention of going home. Holmes says he gave Pitzel no money that night, but promised to meet him at the Callow Hill street house the following morning.
 The Discovery of Pitzels Death.
 It was about 10 o'clock the following day (Sunday), Holmes goes on to say, that he went to visit Pitzel at the Callow Hill street house. When he reached the place, no one apparently was about. Holmes sat in the kitchen for almost 20 minutes, waiting for Pitzel to appear. The latter, Holmes supposed, had gone out for break fast.
 Time wore on, and Beb was not to be seen. The conspirator then says that he became anxious about his friends where, abouts and began to search the house for Pitzel.
 "As I arose to go up stairs'' says the criminal, "I noticed a note lying on the counter in the front part of the house. Is was addressed to me"
 Then Holmes explains that he opened the note. It directed him to go up to the nVNd mud nlx, AwN .AlA he would find a large blue bottle contain ing another letter addressed to him. Holmes followed the directions He found the note in the bottle as described, and was mortified when he read 1t.
 It was from Benjamin Pitzel and ad- vised Holmes that his (Pitzel's) dead body could be found in the house. The letter pleaded that Holmes look after Pitzcl's children, and suggested that there would be no difficulty in getting the insurance money from the Fidelity company, now that the dead body of Pitzel could Do pro duced in evidence.
 Holmes "Dootorss the Corpse.
 Holmes then told of the appearance of the corpse, and said that he sat in the room with tho body for over an hour. He was dazed and hardly know what course to pursue. He finally made up his mind that since Pitzel had taken his life there would be no harm in destroying any evil dence of suicide, so that he might be able to get the insurance on Pitzel's life with out any difficulty.
 Holmes has confessed that he thereupOn dragged the dead body to the second floor, laid the corpse on the floor, pried open the mouth of the dead man with pencil and poured in quantity of explosive chemi- calls.
 He then, he says, placed q lighted match to the mans mouth, whom the explosion which so horribly disfgured the corpse followed. To give the more forcible im- RgeszAou that PLtxel esLlna tQ his death hy