The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-08

ment, dream that he was suspected of
the murder of Pltezel. and he came to
Philadelphia without reQuisition papers.
He expressed Willingness to be tried
here on the conspiracy charge in prefer
enoe TO that of horse stealing at Fort
Worth. Before leaving Boston. Holmes
made this confession to Mr. Hunscom:
when concluded 1t was time to carry
out our scheme to defraud the insurance
comnany | secured stiff" in New
York and shipped II In a trunk to Phiia-
delphia. turned the check for the
trunk over to Pitezcl on the Sunday
nearest the 1st of September. | instruct
ed him how TO prepare the body, and I'm
three hours We were OH our way to New
York. Two days after the payment of
the money l saw Pitezel I'm Cincinnati
took the three children to that CITY,
where the father saw them. Pitezei
agreed to 20 South, and he took one
child-Howard took the two girls
20 Chicago because had business there.
We all met again in Detroit Pitezel
TOOK tho children and went to South
America. During all this time Mrs
Pitezel knew her husband was alive but
she did not know he had the children.
IL she was aware OF that fact she would
insist that the crooked business be
wound UP right away. In order to keen
Mrs. Pitezel away from her husband |
had TO tell her he was here and there.
travelling from one city TO another"
This was the first of "a number of al
legged confessions that Holmes subsc-
quentiy made. In fact, he acquired a
penchant for making confessions" that
surprised the authorities
The insurance officials had ground for
believing Holmes had murdered Pitezol
and the three children, so when the
prisoner arrived in Philadelphia he was
urged TO make another confession"
And he did so without any hesitation.
but II varied somewhat from the one he
lhaue III boston. 1t graphically mar
rated how the body was substituted for
Fitezel In the Callowhli street house.
and its identification by Alice Pitezel as
that OF her father IL week afterward
Holmes also related how the money was
received from the Insurance COMPANY
and its subsequent division between
Mrs. Pitezcl. Jeptha d. Howe. the St
Louis lawyer and himself 1t was in
this confession" that Holmes accused
Howe of receiving $500 for his share i'm
| the transaction. Howe was indicted for
conspiracy. but recently the case against
him was dropped.
Soon after Holmes was brought to
Philadelphia Detective Geyer visited him
| in the county prison In relation to the
hndine of the body ut 1916 Callowhill
street on September 4, 1894 After an
hours conversation with the willy
Holmes the detective emerged from the
prison with 'confession," in which the
accused said that the body was not that
OF PiteZel. but one substituted to defraud
the insurance company.
a week later Holmes honored Mr.
Geyer with another confession" MIR
Geyer." he said, that story | told YOU
about the substituted body is not true
II is the body of benjamin T. Pitczel
but did not murder him his children
ON Sunday morning, September .
found Pitezel dead In the third story of
the Callowhill street house. l found n
note In a 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. | then fixed up
the BODY In the position 1t 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 TO 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 plealed guilty, Holmes
made many other confessions bur
they differed very little from those AL
ready given Each time he pretended TO
tell tho truth. but he studiously avoided
doiEg so. Nobody believed what Holmes
said about Pitezel. as he would not say
anything about the children, eXcept that
they We're all right.
In his interview with District Attorney
Graham Holmes persisted that the three
missing IiteZel children were with Min
ME Williams in London. He even rer-
suaded Mr.. Graham TO have an advertise
ment in the shape of cipher puzzle in
serted in New York paper, for the pur-
pose of bringing Minnie Williams and
the little Pitc2els back from Europe
The District Attorney placed little faith
in what Holmes had told him. but the
advertisement was published as n sort
of last and hopeless effort. When the
bodies of Nellie and Alice Pitezel were
unearthed in Toronto Holmes denied hav-
ing killed them. When lIowarls charred
bones were located In II superannuated
stove in Irvineton, Ind. Holmes camly
denied any knowledge of the lads death.
When the murders of Minnie Williams
and her sister were discovered Holmes
frenzy, and he buried the body in Lake
Michigan He vigorously denied having
put Minnie to death 80 as to secure her
property. The disappearance of Emily
CygraNd was traced 10 Holmes, but the
crimina! said he knew nothing of the
girls fate The partially consumed
bones that were found I'm the Chicago
Castle" known to be bones 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
a yerita bile Jolly" about the Pietzel fami-
ly and Minnie Williams being stilll
alive. The scene that ensued was ey-
tremely dramatic. Mr.. Graham said:
Holmes. Won are an Internal lying