St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-11
MURDERER, III. III. HOLMES,
MADE PUBLIC.
THE DEVIL ALWAYS IN HIM.
GENIUS OF HIS DARK DES-
TINY.
coNFEssEs TO p MURDERS.
Not Satisfied With Ordinary Methods
but Sought Fantastical, Gro-
tesGue and Strange Devices.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, April 10-The North
American, of this city,ttwiIl tomorrow morn
ing print the confession alleged to have been
made by H. H. Holmes. Among other things
the story says: "In prefacing the confession
which covers in full, nearly three newspaper
pages, written in Holmes own handwriting,
and detailing his crimes with minuteness
that is at all times revolving, the author of
twenty-seven murders, as he admits himself
to be, states with something like pathos that
he does so simply that he may obtain enough
money to educate his boy. Holmes writes
of his blood-curdling atrocities with an aban-
don that appals one. Not one grain of re-
morse seems to enter into the construction of
the document, and never for moment except
in two isolated cases-where he refers touch
ingly to the memory of Minnie Williams, and
another time when he speaks of an outrage
perpetrated on his boy-does the redeeming
element of pity figure in the case. Regret is
never for moment expressed, and he comes
out boldly and without conjunction on the
very opening statement: IT was born with the
very devil in me-
Even now he believes that the evil spirit is
the guiding genius of his destiny. He even
gcessfurther. He asserts that he is gradually
changing in appearance; that his face is be-
coming distorted and he Sees whether in the
distortion Of his bloody Imagination, which
centuries up hosts Of vengeance calling, dead
or not, his face assuming the look, the eyes,
the leer and the very ears, the exact simili-
tude of the picture of Satan himself.
Il was born with the devil in me-" says he
l n
help the fact that was murderer any more
than the poet can help the inspiration to
song, nor the ambition of an intelligent man
to be great. I was born with the evil one
standing as my sponsor beside the bed where
1 was ushered into the world, and he has
been with me since. The inclination to muir
der came to me naturally as the inspira-
ton to do right comes to the majority of per-
sons. Where others hearts were touched with
pity, mine was filled with cruelty and where
in others the feeling was to save life reveled
In the thought Of destroying. 1 was not salts
fed in taking it in ordinary ways.
sought devices strange, fantastical, and even
grotesque. 1t pleased my fancy. 1t gave me
Joy to work my murderous will, and reveled
in 1t with the enthusiasm of an alchemist who
is hot on the trail of a philosophers stone.
II am convinced that since my imprison-
ment 1 have changed woefuly and gruesomely
from what 1 formerly was In feature and In
figure. If you look at my picture when I
was first taken into custody in Boston, and
look at my face now, you may observe what
I mean. 1 mean, in fact, that my features
are assuming nothing more or less than a
pronounced satanical aspect. From what I
can see believe fully that 1 am growing
to resemble the devil; that the osseous parts
of my head and face are gradually assuming
that elongated shape so pronounced in what
is called the degenerate head, and that the
similitude is almost completed. In fact, so
impressed am I with this belief" continued
Holmes, that I am convinced that 1 have
no longer anything human in me-"
Holmes confession from this on speaks Of
the early experiences of his boyhood and the
life he led until he entered college to study
medicine in Michigan. 1t was not until after
he was graduated and fully equipped with the
knowledge of poisons and the easiest way to
sever the thread of life that Holmes began his
career as a murderer and mutilator When
he began he admits himself, he was ruthless
and never once halted until he took twenty
seven lives. "And l would have committed
six other murders, he added, "had not GER
tain occurrences INTERVIEWED
Possibly one of the most brutal crimes this
arch-mutilator ever committed was one he
speaks of in a chapter devoted to his boy. The
only explanation he offers SIS that he did 1t
simply to crafty his loye Of mutilation. "It
was shortly after 1 was married he declares,
land our boy was then but youngster.
called him in from the road where he was
frolicking about with q lot of other lads. 1
don't know what it was that possessed me,
but took surgical knife nalong with me- 1t
was simply the craving Goft the murder within
me that inspired me I'd make subject of my
little one." With thefoutffost abandon and
here and there an EXPRESSED sign of regret