The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1896-04-18
RESEMBLES THE DEVIL.
The Revolving Cosfsssiso Of Arch ; II NJ
dsrsS H0lmss.

The ksvoltisg ConfsssiOn Of Arch u Ut
| dssss neimss.
Philadelphia. April i8.-The Nortl
American. Of this city. prints whs
purports 10 be sentences from the con
fession alleged TO have bsen made b,
murderer 81. b. Holmes. Among othe
things. the story says:
In prefacing the confession, which
covers in full three newspaper pages
written In Holmes own hsndwritiu,
and detailing the crimes with q min
utsDsas that 10 simply at times revolt
Ing. the arch.mutilstor and author Of
twenty-seven murders. 40 he admit,
himself to be. states with somethins
like psthos. that be does 20 simply thai
he may obtain enough money to educsts
his boy.
Holmes writes Of his blood-curdlina
atrocities with An abandon that sim.
ply sppalls one. Not one grain OF 10
morse seems TO enter into the oonstruc
ton Of this document. He says:
II was born with the devil in me.
! could not help the fact that ] was 9
murderer any more than the fact that
the poet can help the inspiration to
sing. nor the ambition Of An intellsc.
tusl man TO be great.
This inclination came to me early
In life. ] remember when q mere Lad
my ambition was to study medicine
that ! might know the relative effects
OF poisonous gasses that l might fully
become acquainted with their uses and
learn TO be an expert in handling them.
II am convinced that since nv i'm.
prisonment. have changed woefully
and grussomely from what formerly
was In feature and in figure. From
what can zee. believe fully that
am growing 70 resemble the devil;
that the osseous parts OF my head and
face are gradually assuming that elon.
gated shape called the degenersted
head. In fact. 20 impressed am with
this belief. that l am convinced that |
have NO longer anything human in
me-
Holmes confession from this on
speaks Of the early experiences Of his
boyhood days on the farm up in Yer.
mont and the life be led until he en-.
tered the college to study medicine in
Michigan. Il was not until after he
was graduated. fully equipped with
the knowledge Of poisons and the
easiest way TO sever the simple thread
Of life. that Holmes began his career a.
= murderer and mutilator. When he
began. he admits himself, he was ruth
less and never once halted until he
took twenty seven lives.
And I would have committed six
other murders. be added, had not
occurrences interviewed.
Possibly one Of the worst, most re.
volting and disgusting crimes this arch
mutilstor ever committed was one he
speaks Of in q chapter devoted to his
boy-the son Of his FIRST wife. The
only explanation he offers il that he
lid II simply to crafty his love for
1T was shortly after l Was mar.
ned, he declares. land our boy was
hen but a youngster. called him
rom the road where he WAS frolicking
about like an innocent. with lot Of
other lads. and took him out to rear
barn. don't know what il was that
me, but ! took a surgical
Knife along with me. Ii was simply
he craving Of the murderer in me that
inspired me to make a subject Of my
little one"
Holmes then tells how he went
through the operation Of mutilating his
,wn son. Finished with that. Holmes
elt satisfied and did not murder his
10Y outright