Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-05
"MUDGETT" WAS HOLMES The Story of His Launching Into
 Infamy'S Sea. W0MAN'S INSTINCT WARNS There Is Something Lurking in That Mans Character-He'lI Commit Murder" DISAPPEARANCE OF HIS FIRST VICTIM Holmes Lost on Cleveland's Election. 'This Bet,'' He Said Grimly, "Will
 Cost You Dear''-Once
 Knight of Honor.
DISAPPEARANCE OF HIS FIRST WCTlh

Mooers Forks, N. Y, Aug. 4.-Herman Webster Mudgett, alias H. H. Holmes, came to this place in the summer of 1884 as agent for a nursery firm in Maine. In the fall of the same year the trustees of the Mooers Forks graded school, inl- pressed with Mudgett's gentlemen1y manners, engaged him as principal of the school. Miss Minnie Everett, now Mrs. John Stewart. of Potsdam, N. Y., was engaged as primary teacher. The rela- tions between the two were at first friendly, and a course of study in French was planned a lesson to be given twice a week at the Catholic rectory by Fa- ther La Chance. Miss Everett did not ap- pear after the second lesson, and when Father La Chance asked the cause, she said she did not like Mudgett's manner and did not wish to be in his company any more than was necessary
 "There is something lurking in that mans character that time will reveal" she said. q do not like him. I firmly be- lieve that he would commit murder"
 During the remainder of the year Miss Everett was continually harrassed by Mudgett's disagreeable manner towards her.
 The school closed in June, 1885, and Mudgett, in company with a son of w. H. Waugh, the man with whom he boarded during the winter, left for Til ton, N. H., for visit. Mudgett had rep resented himself as single man, but on the return of Master Waugh the people were informed that he had a wife and child at his home in New Hampshire. and that Mrs. Mudgett met them at the Tilton station and seemed delighted to see her husband. During the winter two young ladies here had received propo- sals of marriage from Mudgett He told them he had begun suit for divorce and would have no trouble in getting it from person bearing such character as that of his wife
 After his return from New Hampshire sMudgett continued to board with MT. .augh, and practiced medicine. In the spring of 1885 he went to board with D. 1S. Hays.
 MT. Hays was suspicious of the man from the start and kept quiet watch on him. Mudgett frequently exhibited large sums of money, but showed a dis position to shirk his debts, including his board bill. Besides, he would mysteri- ously'disappear for days at time, and evade questions as to his whereabouts on those occasions Another circum- stance that is now recalled is the strange death of a man named Clarke of Chazy, whom Mudgett attended and whose daughter had been receiving attention from him. Hays also found certain odd shaped boxes at the back entrance to Mudgett's office. Hays found him on several occasions pacing the streets at midnight.
 In the fall of 1885 Mudgett showed Hays telegram announcing the death of an uncle in New Hampshire, who, Mudg- cit said, had wiled him several thou sand dollars. At midnight of that day Hays found Mudgett packing his office effects ready for departure. He owed Hays heavy board bill. Hays waited until the goods were packed and placed on a lumber wagon at the back door of his office, and then stepped from his hid ing place and took the horse by the bit and demanded his pay. At this Mudgett drew a revolver and whipped up his horse, and the animal broke away from Hays and was driven by Mudgett to- wards the Canadian line.
 Mudgett was not seen here again until the summer of 1888, when he returned and went directly to the home of one of Mooers Forks prominent citizens. The next evening Mudgett, in company with daughter of this man. left on the eastbound train. The two had been en- gagged, and 1t is supposed that they were married and went on bridal tour. Mudgett had given her many presents, including a gold watch and diamond ring Some time afterwards she re- turned home alone and in state Of melancholy. Her depression of spirits continued until letters from Mudgett ar rived, telling her to prepare to meet him in Chicago About the same time many packages of toilet articles and wearing apparel were received by her. She made preparations to rejoin Holmes, but her father with much difficulty persuaded her to remain at home. She yielded mainly because her father was Ill at the time. Soon after this she went to Low ell. Mass and Mudgett visited her there several times. She is now in Mooers Forks. but will not talk about Mudgett.
 Mudgett was not seen in Mooers Forks again until October, 1894, the year of his arrest. He arrived here one day in com pany with a young woman ana small bow They arrived on the 2:3O D. m. train, went to the Hotel Riverside and had dln- her and took the 6:30 D. m. train east. Mudgett had no conversation with any one during his stay. It was not long after that he was arrested.
 Previous to his sudden departure for Canada in 1885 Mudgett placed in J. M. Corkin's safe metallic box, saying: ..rrhis contains valuable papers; keep it in your safe, and at some future date will call for it." After the arrest of Mud gett under the name of Holmes MT. Cor kins determined to open the box. But as he was about to do so he recalled re- mark of. Mudgett's when the latter, a year before, handed him $50 that he had lost to Corkins on C1eveland'S election. This bet" said Mudgett, will be dearly won" The box might contain una mite, thought Corkins, and so decided not to open 1t. But on last Saturday Corlkins gave the World correspondent permission to open it, and he did so. It contained nothing more deadly than pa- pers, few letters, certificates, receipts and the like Among them is a letter from F. S. Dunster, apparently an official or professor of Ann Arbor university, re- ferring. to some "disagreeable matter" the nature of which does not appear.
 Following is copy of the letter:
 Ann Arbor, May 10, 1884. H. w. Mudgett--
 Dear Sir: Your note of Sd instant