Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-05-06
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY s, 1895
A DEVIL

The execution of the arch tiend,
Henry H. Holmes, in Moyamensing
prison, Tomorrow, will be the closing
chapter of a story of murder, arson.
forgery, and other phases of crime un-
paralleled in the criminals Of this or
any other age. The murders of which
he is charged are shocking alike for
their number, fiendlshness, enormity
and infamy. The c~arefulness, re-
lIgious training of a fond mother, and
the early life in the little Vermont
town, gave to the man the manners
and appearance of a gentleman, which,
together with his education, proved in-
~calculable aids in his deeds of dark.
ness.
His real name is Herman Mudgett,
but this he discarded for that of II. IL.
Holmes soon after he left New England
and entered upon the study of medi-
cine and bis career of crime at the
same time. His criminal operations
extended throughout the length and
breadth of the land, and If he had es-
capped conviction in Philadelphia, he
would surely have been brought to
trial and convicted in some other place
for mi of the many murders to which
he admitted his guilt. In Fort Worth,
Chicago, Indianapolis, and one or two
other cities, he was wanted for muir
der, besides numerous indictments
standing against him for forgery, ar
son, insurance swindling and other
forms of crime to which he resorted in
his efforts to gain sudden wealth.
The particular murder of which he
was convicted was that of Benjamin F.
Peitzel, whom he killed IN Philadelphia
in 1892, for the purpose of getting the
~insurance,,on Peitzel's life. His method
of killing was diabolical in the extreme.
He first got Peitzel intoxicated and sat
urating his clothes with oil set fire to
the man. The body was charred and
%disigured, but not sufficiently SO to
prevent Identification. The CRIME es-
capped the notice of the insurance com
panies, however, and they paid the
insurance to Holmes. Two years later,
though, a Fal of the murderer, wniiv
under arrest as a result of Holmes
treachery, divuIged the story Of the
crime. Holmes was arrested and the
crime was followed up Systematically
by Detective Geyer, and one hideous
fact after another was unearthed. 1t
seemed that after the murder Of Petit
eel, Holiness one idea was to get rid of
the entire Peitzel family, and everybody
who could betray him. Though the
correct list of Holmes murders will
probably never be known, about the
following there seems to be 10 doubt as
to his guilt:
Emily Cigrand, his stenographer,
whom he cremated in Chicago; Mrs.
Julia L. Conner, his bookkeeper, whom
he insured and killed; Pearl Conner,
the eight-year daughter of Julia; Rob-
ert E. Phelps. who incurred Holmes
displeasure by marrying the Cigrand
girl; Benjamin F. Peitzel, his partner
in crime; Alice and Nellie P%eitzel,
children of Benjamin, who were killed
in a house in Toronto; Howard Peit-
eel, killed in indianapolis; George II.
Thomas, killed for insurance near
Columbus, Miss. Emily Van Tassell,
who worked for Holmes in the Chicago
sscastle;" Naua Williams, sister OF
Holmes third bigamous wife; Minnie
Williams, his third wife, who disap-
peared one day and has never been
seen since. It was reported that she
was 10 hiding, but this was generally
disbelieved. The list of crimes with
which he has been charged certainly
gives credence to the boast that he was
born with the devil in him.
|
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and sfEi norados, laeeaoo had. Al 49,.