The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-11

do right comes to the majority Of
persons.
Where others hearts were touched
with pity, mine was filled with cruelty
Not only that,I was not satisfied in
taking it in the ordinary way,I sought
devices strange, fantasdcal and even
grotesque. 1t pleased my fancy. 1t
gave me play TO work my murtlerous
viii and / revelled in itRith enthu-
siasm Of an alchemist who is hot on
the trail of the philosophers stone
This inclination" says Holmes,
came to me early in life. remember
when a mere lad my ambition was
to study medicine, that I might know
the relative effects Of poisonous gases;
that | might fully become acquainted
with their uses, and learn 10 be m
expert in handling them.
II am convinced" :" he declares, that
since my imprisonment J have changed
and gruesomely from what formerly
was in feature and in figure
IF you look at my picture when I
was first taken into custody in Boston
nearly two years ago, and look at my
face now You may begin to observe
| something of what / mean
Il mean in fact that my features are
| assuming nothing more or less than
pronounced satanical cast; that I have
| become afflicted with that disease, rare
but terrible with which physicians are
acquainted, but over which they seem
to have no control whatever.
From what | can see believe fully
| that I am growingto resemble the devil,
| that the osseOus parts of my head and
face are gradually assuming that
| elongated shape 50 pronounced in what
is called the degenerated head, and
| that the similitude is almost completed.
In fact, so impressed am I with this
/ belief, continues Holmes, that ] am
i convinced that have not longer any
| thing human in me"
| Holmes confession from this on
speaks Of his early experiences, Of his
boyhood days, On the farm mp in Yer
| mont ard the life he led until he enter
ed college to study medicine in Mich
gan.
lit was not until after he was grad
uated, fully equipped with the knowI-
edge of persons and the easiest way to
sever the thread of life. that Holmes
| legan his career as a murderer and
/ mutilator.
When he begun, he admits himself,
he was ruthless, and never once halted
/ until he took 27 lives
II would have committed six other
| MURDERS he added, "had not certain
! occurrences intervened. I had planned
/ them and was several times about to
carry them out when something inr
/ tervened."
4 pc1vsiLIvy ono ce 4la x.,o,-.4 ,,,cs-t
brutal, revolving and disgusting crimes
this arch-mutilator ever committed
was one he speaks of in a chapter de-
voted to his boy-the son Of his first
| wife, when he married in New Eng
land, while but youth The chapter
| in question tells a story that is hardly
| creditable, coming as it does from the
| lips of father and outran4xs, for bar
barous cuelty, any other act he ever
committed.
The only explanation he offers is that
he did it simply to crafty his love Of
| mutilation.
II was shortly afterwards married !"
he declares, "and our boy was then but
o younster playing about with other
lads Of his own size and age, that I
! was seized with wild desire 20 de-
! stroy.
II called him IN from the road, where
he was frolicing about like an inno-
cent lamb, with lot Of other lads and
took him out to rear barn.
Il don't know what it was that pos
/ sessed me but took surgical knife
| along with me. lit was not the sudden
| impulse nor the maddening desire OF q
father, seeing his child about to grow
up and enter a world Of sorrow and
sin that led me to the deed. No il was
not that. was simply the craving Of
the murderer within me that inspired
rne to make subject of my little one.
! "T noticed that there was a terrible
look of fear on the little fellows face,
as / took him into the barn, and he
| trembled as I took the knife and told
him to undress.
Il have often Thought since that it
was like the look Of the scared rslbi1it
laid on the operating table as its pitt
ful eyes search the group about him
| and see them all intent only on tine
| anticipated incision.''
| With the utmost abandon and with
| here and there AN expressed sigh OF
regret Holmes then tells how he went
| through the operation OF mutilating
/ his own son.
! He tells how his own flesh and blood
! was made 10 submit to the barbarous
/ blade and there and then was mutilated
| simply to pacify the cravings Of a muir
/ derous heart
Finished with that Holmes felt salts
fed and did not murder his boy Oub-
right
MURDER IN SECOND DEGREE.
Iennir. N q Anril 10 -lSnaciaM-