The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-08
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HIS CRIMES.
Interesting Review of Holmes

Fiendish Work.
The murder of Benjamin Pietzel, for
which Herman Murgett, alias H. H.
Holmes, was hanged TO-DAY. occurred
on Sunday, September 2, 1894. The
crime was the elimination of conspir-
acy between the men to defraud the
Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance asso-
citation of this city out Of $4,000, and
the swindle was successfully accom-
plished
Holmes and Pietzel became acquafnt-
ed in Chicago in 1890. Pietzel was mar
ried and had six children. He was poor
and was not averse to engaging in dis
honest business if it were lucrative
Holmes had been practicing forgery
and he induced Pietzel to enter the
same line" In January. 1898, Pietzei
was arrested in Terre Haute, IND, Tor
passing forged paper. Holmes went
there and gave S1,S00 straw bail for
Pietzel who, thereupon ran away.
Holmes sent him to Fort Worth, Texas.
under the name of Benton T. Lyman.
He had with him a deed to property
there valued at $4,000 which
BELONGED TO MINNIE WILLIAMS,
one of Holmes victims. Holmes and a
woman he called his wife. subsequently,
Joined him here, and gave out they in
tended 10 build the finest building in
the town. The men succeeded in Dor
rowing something like $4,000. Then
they fed stealing two carloads Of hors-
es as they went, and shipping them to
st. Louis.
It was after this incident that Holmes
conceived the idea of having Pietzers
life insured He told Pietzel how easy
1t was to beat an insurance company
with substitute body, and Pietzel fell
into the scheme. The. application was
made at the Chicago agency. Pietzel
was in full health, and the risk was
considered first rate. They left Chica-
go together to
SEARCH FOR a BODY.
In August 1894. Holmes and Pietzel
came east and Holmes rented the house
at 1916 Collowhill street, ramshackle
old building, for Pietzel to start in the
patent rights business under the name
of B. F. Perry. Holmes called on Pet
eel frequently. Pietzel was seen up to
10 o'clock on Saturday night, Septem-
Der 1. That night he drank a great
deal before he went to bed. Nothing
was again seen of him until the follow
ing Monday, when Eugene Smith.
carpenter who had been employed to
do some work in the house, found his
body lying on its back on the floor of the
second story back room. The face was
blackened and blistered, as if from
burns. and near by lay a broken bottle
which had contained benzine. By the
side of the body was a pipe, partly
filled with tobacco. Appearances
seemed that an explosion had occurred
while the man was lighting his pipe.
The police believed that the affair was
an accident, and no one for a moment
entertained
THE THEORY OF MURDER.
The coroner's jury gave a verdict of
death from inhaling the fumes of chic
reform.
About three weeks after this occur
renee, Jeptha D. Howe, q st. Louis at
torney, after corresponding with Coro-
ner Ashbridge of this city, came here
and asserted that the body was that
of Benjamin Pietzel. and that he
(Iowe) was here to collect $4,000 insur
ance from the Fidelity company, for
which amount a policy had been made
out in favor of Mrs. Pietze in Chicago
a year before. Meanwhile Holmes, who
had introduced Pietzel to the insurance
agents. was induced by them to come
to Philadelphia and identify the body.
This he did positively. and so did Alice
Pietzel. the 16-year-old daughter of the
dead man. With this unequivocal tes-
timony the insurance company paid the
money.
A CONFESSION.
Some time afterward. Marion c.
He6speth, the notorious train robber. in
jail at St Louis. declared that Holmes,
while in an adjoining cell. had told
him of a conspiracy with Pietzel and
Howe to swindle 9 Philadelphia insur-
ance company by the substitution of
a body Holmes was captured after a
long chase by the detectives.
From the moment of his arrest.
Holmes has been telling stories ingen-
iously conflicting First he declared
that the body found was not that of
Pietzel but substitute and that Piet-
eel was in South America. Then re re-
tracted this statement and averred that
the body was Pietzels and that he had
committed suicide while Respondent,
and that he CHolmes) in order to Sc
cure the insurance money had given it
as a case of accident.
Holmes was placed on trial in this
city for Pietzel's murder on Monday,
October g. last. The trial ended on
Satur lay night in verdict Of
MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
The jury was out two hours and half
for the sake of appearances" They
had agreed upon their verdict in one
minutes time The trial was one of
the most sensational known to this or
any other city.
This is the story of the murder of
Benjamin Pietzel. but with 1T was in
terwoven the schemes and acts which
brought about the killing of at least
eight other victims. These were Alice
and Nellie Pietzel, the little daughters
of Benjamin. who were 'asphyxiated in
a trunk in Toronto, Canada; Howard
Pietzel, the young son. killed in Indian
apolis, Holmes cutting up and burning
the remains in q stove; Julia L. Con-
nor, the divorced wife of A L. Conner.
and a bookkeeper for Holmes: Pearl
Conner, her daughter; Emiline G. CT
grande. of Anderson, Ind, stenographer
for Holmes; Minnie r. Williams, of
Fort Worth, Texas his private secreta-
ry. and Mana Williams, her sister
The murder of these persons has been
fixed upon him almost certainly. but
there are at least
A DOZEN OTHER CASES
which have been laid at his door
Holmes was born in Chinatown. N
H. thirty-eight years ago His parents
were some Of the most respected per
sons in their part of the state. His
father had been postmaster for more
than twenty-four years. Holmes had
two married sisters, living in Boston,
and one brother.
Holmes was first married to Miss
Clara A. Lowering. of London, n. H,
in 1878. He afterwards studied med
icine and lived with his wife but lit
tie. Later he married Miss Myrtle a.