The San Francisco call., 1896-05-08

SOA--NSS@O~R N-~
authorities.
/ The insurance officials had good ground
for believing Holmes had murdered Piet-
eel and the three children, so when the
prisoner arrived III Philadelphia he was
urged to make another confession" And
he did SO without any hesitation, but 1t
varied somewhat from the one made in
Boston. 1t graphically narrated how the
| body was substituted for Pietzel III the
Callowhill-street house and its identitca-
ton by Alice Pietzel as that of her father
week afterward. holmes also related
how the money was received from the in
surance company and its subsequent di-
vision between Mrs. Peitzel, Jephtha d.
Howe, the ST. Louis lawyer, and himself.
1t was in this confession" that Holmes
accused Howe of receiving $500 for his
share in the transaction.
Howe was indicted for conspiracy, but
recently the case against him was dropped.
Soon after Holmes was brought to Phil
adelphia Detective Geyer visited him in
the County Prison in relation to the find
ing of the body at 1916 Callowhill streetlon
September 4, 1894. After an hours con-
versation with the willy Holmes the de-
tective emerged from the prison with a
confession" in which the accused said
the body was not that of Pietzel, but was
one substituted to defraud the insurance
company.
A week later Holmes honored Geyer
with another confession" "Mr. Geyer,"
he said, "that story told you about the
substituted body is not true. 1t is the
body of Benjamin f. Pietzel, but I did not
murder him or his children. On Sunday
morning, September 2, 1 found Pietzel
dead in the third story of the Callowhill-
street house. / found note in bottle,
telling me that he was tired of life and
had finally decided to commit suicide. He
requested me to look after the insurance
money and take care of his wife and
family. 1 then fixed up the body in the
position it was found. These children
you speak of are all right. They are with
Minnie Williams in London. 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"
Between this time and his trial for con-
spiracy to defraud the insurance COM
pany, to which he pleaded guilty, Holmes
made many other confessions" but they
differed very little from those already
given. Each time he pretended to tell the
truth, but he suddenly avoided doing so.
Nobody believed what Holmes said about
Pietzel, and he would not say anything
about the children, except that they were
all right.
In his many interviews with District At
torney Graham, Holmes persisted that the
three missing PietzeI children were with
Minnie Williams in London. He even per-
suaded Mr.. Graham to have an advertise
ment in the shape of a cipher puzzle in
serted in New York paper for the pur-
pose of bringing Minnie Williams and the
three little Pietzels back from Europe.
The District Attorney placed little faith in
what Holmes had told him, but the ''ad"
was published as sort of last and hope
less effort. When the bodies of Nellie and
Alice PietZei were unearthed in Toronto,
Holmes denied having killed them. When
Howard's charred remains were located in
a superannuated stove in Irvington, Ind,
Holmes calmly denied any knowledge OF
the lads death. When the murders of
Minnie Williams and her sister were dis
covered, Holmes said Minnie killed Nanny
| in jealous frenzy and he buried the body
in Lake Michigan. He vigorously denied
having put Minnie to death so as to secure
her property. The disappearance of Emily
Cygrand was traced 10 Holmes, but the
criminal said he knew nothing of the
girls fate. The partially consumed bones
that were found in the Chicago ''castle"
are known to be those of some of Holmes
victims. About the last time that Holmes
was taken to the District Attorneys Office
to Confess" Mr.. Graham lost patience
with him. Holmes gave a repetition of
his picturesque falsehoods. He actually
gave the District Attorney veritable
''jolly' about the Peitzel family and Min
ME Williams being still alive. The scene
that ensued was extremely dramatic. Mr..
Graham said:
Holmes, you are an internal, lying MUIR
derer. / will hang you in Philadelphia for
the murder of Benjamin Pietzel.'
Holmes nerve was still with him and he
said: 81 defy you. You have no evidence
to prove me guilty."
Mr.. Graham looked with disgust and de-
termination at Holmes and said: 'You
will surely hang in Philadelphia for mur-
| dering Benjamin Pietzel."
The trial and conviction followed. The
District Attorney endeavored to prove
during the trial through Detective Geyer,
that Holmes also killed the Pietzel chill
dren, but Judge Arnold, before whom the
case was tried, declared this to be lrreIe.
want. Geyer had unearthed the murder o1
the children after prolonged investiga-
ton, and the commonwealth was prepared
to prove that Holmes also committed
these crimes.
Holmes embraced the Catholic faith
when it became evident to him that he
must hang, and Rev. flasher Daley min.
istered to his spiritual wants. Through.
out his trial and subsequent imprison-
ment Holmes maintained a nonchalance
that was remarkable.
INDIAN POLIGAMISTS.