The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-05-08

way leading to the street and also to
the basement. The entrance 10 It was
through a trap door in the floor of the
bath room. This door was concealed
by a rug. There was a chute running
from the roof 10 the cellar, with an en-
trance in the bath room through the
trap door. and there was a blind wall
between the secret stairway and the
chute. On the third floor of the build
ing there were also trap doors One
led into a room which was used as the
laboratory of the drug store, which was
on the level with the street, and anoth-
er led into the bathroom. On the first
floor in Holmes offices there were vaults
capable of being made air tight, and
built around so that no sound could be
(heard from them, Then there were
rooms with no means Of ventilation ex-
cept the door. When that was closed
no air could get in.
IN THE CASTLE CELLAR.
1t was in the cellar that the police
made their greatest discoveries. Two
sheet-iron tanks entirely covered by the
cellar floor were found, and in the bot
tom were some bones, which were be-
lieved TO be those of human beings.
In an ash-pile near by were found pieces
of linen blood-stained. There was al
so fire-box, or furnace, in the base
ment. 1t was built into the wall. There
was crate covered with sheet-iron
seVen-eighths of inch thick. Under
meath was another crate, intended to
hold the fire. The top of the furnace
was two feet, six inches above the top
CRATE. There was an iron flue from
the furnace which led to a tank There
was no other entrance to the tank At
the bottom of the vault was a white
fluid, which gave forth an overpower-
ing odor. In hole in the middle of the
cellar more bones were found
Holmes case was appealed TO the Su-
preme court, which affirmed the jurys
verdict. Then he began to make yarns
in a desperate effort to gain a respite
All was Of no avail, and on the Both
of last month, Governor Hastings refus-
ed to interfere. On the same day Jep-
tha d. Howe. the st. Louis lawyer, was
acquitted of completely in the conspira-
cy against the insurance company.
One thing may be said of Holmes in
passing. To the woman he married
he was always a model of virtue. He
dispensed his money with a liberal hand
and was invariably kind and gentle to
them.
HOLMES AS A HOODOO.
Many imaginative theories have been
advanced regarding this marvellous
pervert, and whispers of "hypnotism"
and "the evil eye" have been frequent.
Without considering these,it's a strange
fact that a sinister fate has befallen
many of those connected with his case.
William A. Shoemaker, one of the law
yers, attempted to foist upon the court
a bogus affidavit, and was subjected TO
disgrace and finally disbarred for pc
riod. Then DR.. William K. Mattern,
the coroner's physician, who made an
autopsy of Pitezel's body, suddenly
dropped dead recently; and lastly, Lin
ford T. Biles, who was foreman of the |
jury in the trial, was few weeks ago
Shocked TO death by live wire Alto i
gether ii is safe TO assume that a sigh
Of relief will go up from the whole coun-
try with the knowledge that Herman
Mudgett, alias Henry II. Holmes, man |
or monster, has been exterminated-t |
much the same as a plague to humani- |
ty would be stamped out But the |
true story of his strange career will |
probably never be known.