The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-08

and. as the accused believed hOrse-stcal-
ing 10 be a hish crime in Texas he Vohin-
tarily confessed 10 Deputy ty-Superintendent
lianscom TO the insurance fraud. lie did
not for q moment dream that he was
then suspected OF the murder OF ItcZcl
and dee came TO Philadelphia without re-
Quisition papers, lie expressed a willing
ness TO be tried here on the conspiracy
charge in preference TO that Of horse
stealing at Fort Worth. Before leaving
Boston, Holmes made this confession TO
Mr. HanScom
THE FIRST CONFESSION.
when 1 concluded # WIS time to carry
out our scheme To defrgud the Insurance
company. ] secured a ftin' I'm New York
and shipped Il i'm a trunk TO Philadelphia.
i turned the check for The trunk over
90 Pitezel on The Sunday nearest the lst
of September. / instructed him how 10
prepare the body. and IN three hours we
We're on our way 10 New York Two
days after the payment of the money.
1 saw PitcZcl i'm Cincinnati. i took the
three children 10 that city. where the
father saw them. Pitczel agreed 10 go
south. and he took one child. Howard.
j took the two girls TO Chicago because
] had business there We an met again
fra Detroit. Pitezel took the children and
mt 20 South America. During an this
{ me Mrs. pitczel knew her husband was
alive. but she did not know be had the
children. II she was aware of that. she
would insist that the crooked business Doe
wound mp right away I'm order TO keep
Mrs. Pitezel away from her husband +
had to tell her he was here and there
travelling from one city 20 another"
CONFESSION NOS 3 AND 4.
soon after Holmes was brought to
Philadelphia Detective Geytr visited him
in tho county prison in relation 10 the
hnding VI the body at 1916 CallOwhiu
street on September 4, 1894. After aH
hours conversation with tho willy Holmes
the detective emerged from the prison
with Confession iu which the accused
said that the body Was not THAT OF Pte-
zel, but was one substituted 10 dcfraud
the insurance company
A week later Holmes honored Geyer
with another confession" Mr.. Geyer
he SAID, that story j told you about
the substituted body is not true. IL is
the body OF Benjamin II. Pitezel, but /
did not murder him or his children. on
Sunday morning, September %, l found
Pitezei dead in the third story OF the
Callowhi.l-stroet house. l found "a note IN
IA bottle telling me that no was tired
Of life, and had finally decided to commit
the insurance money, and take care Of
his wife and family l then fixed up
the body in the position 10 was found.
These children you speak of are all right
They are with Minnie Williams in Lon
don. / gave Howard TO Minnie Williams
in Detroit. and ] sent Alice and Nellie
10 her from Toronto. They met Miss
Williams in Niagara Falls, and sailed for
Europe from New York"
Attorney Graham. Holmes persisted that
the three missing Pitezel children Were
with Minnie Williams in London. He
even persuaded Mr.. Graham to have an
advertisement in the shape of a cipher
puzzle. inserted in New York paper
for the purpose of bringing Minnie VIII
liams and the little PiteZels back from
Europe The District Attorney placed lit
tie faith in what Holmes had told him,
but the advertisement was published as
a sort of last and hopeless effort. When
the bodies Of Nellie and Alice pitezel
were uncarthed I'm Toronto, Holmes de-
MED having killed them. When Towards
charred bones We're located in superan-
nuatod stove, in Irvington, Ind.
Holmes calmly denied any knowledge OF
the lads death when the murders Of
Minnie Williams and her sister We're dis
covered. Holmes said Minnie killed Nancy
i'm "A jealous frenzy and he buried the
body in Lake Michigan. He VIGOROUSLY
denied having put Minnie 20 death so as
to secure her property.
EMILY CYGRAND.
The disapl earance Of Emily Cygrand
was traced to Holmes, but the criminal
said ne knew nothing of the glrls fate.
The partially-consumed bones that were
found I'm tho Chicago castle are known
10 be those Of some Of Holmes victims.
About the last time that Holmes was
taken 10 the District Attorneys Office g.
confess" Mr.. Graham lost patience with
him. Holmes gave a repetition of his
picturesque falschoods. lie actually gave
the District Attorney a Veritahle 'joliy'
about the pitczel family and Minnie VIII
lams beng still alive. The scene that
ensued was extremely dramatic Mr..
Graham said:
Holmes, YOU are an Internal lying
murderer. / will hang you I'm Philadelphia
for the murder Of Benjamin Pitezel."
Holmes nerve was still with him, and
he said:
Il defy you. You have no evidence to
prove me guilty"
NIr Graham looked with disgust and
determination at Holmes. and said:
''Nou will surely hang in Philadelphia
for numbering Benjamin PiteZel"
The trial and conviction followed The
District Attorney cndoavorcd 90 prove
during the trial. through Detective
Geyer that Holmes also killed the Iitczcl
children. but Judge Arnold. before whom
the case was tried. declared this to be
irrelevant. Geyer had unearthed the muir
der of the children after a prolonged
Investigation. and the Commonwealth
was prepared 20 prove that Holmes also
committed these crimes.
Holmes embraced the Catholic faith
when ir became evident 20 him that he
must hang and Rev. Father Daley min
istored to his spiritual wants Through
out the trial and subsequent imprison-
mcnt. This arci criminal maintained q
uonchalance that was remarkable.
MARRIED MANY TIMES
Herman Webster Mudgett was born in
Gumanton. y a.. May l6 1850. on July
A. 1875. be married Clara a. Lowering,
al Alton, n. H., and ON January - 1877,
under the name OF Harry Howard
Holmes he committed bisamy by marry
ing Myrta Il. Bciknap. A few weeks
thereafter Holmes applied in Chicago for
ia divorce. and the suit was pending
until June g. 1891. when the court dis
missed it, owing 20 the uon-appearance
Of the complainant Holmes continued
his business career by marrying Georgian
ma Yoke. IN Denver. COL on January IT,,
1891. DE assuming the name of Henry
Mansfield Howard ON this occasion A
son was born To the first wife. and this
is the hoy whom Holmes is said 20 have
made the chief beneficiary OF the pro-
ceeds of the alleged confession OF whole
sale murders.