The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-04-16

Philadelphia. April II. - The North
American of this city this morning
prints what purportS To be sentences
from the confession alleged To have
been made by Murderer III. III. Holmes.
Among other things the story says:
In %perfecting the confession which
cOvers in full nearly three newspaper
pages written in Holmes own hand
writing. aud detailing with II minute
ness that is simply At times revolving.
the archmutilatOr and author Of TWEEN
ty-seven murders, as he admits himself
10 be, states with something like
pathos that he does SO simply that he
may obtain enough money to educate
his boy. Holmes writes of his blood
curdling atrocities with an abandon
that simply appals one. Not II grain
of rem0rse seemsstO enter into the con-
StructiOn of that document. and
for a moment. except in the two iSO-
lated cases-where he refers touching
ly 10 the memory of Minnie Williams,
and another time. when he pathetical-
ly speaks Of an outrage perpetrated on
his bOy-does the redeeming element
pity figure in the ease. Regret is never
for Il moment expressed and he comes
out boldly and without conjunction
on his very opening statement: Il
was born with the very devil in me-"
Even now he believes hat the evil
spirit is the guiding genius of his
destiny. He believes that he is fully
under the spell Of the damned. and.
despite the assertions TO the contrary.
that he is receiving the attentions OF
a minister Of God and is gradually be-
coming imbued with the spirit of for
g~iv"ness and religion he feels that he
is lost hOpelessly. He ever goes fur
ther. He asserts that he is gradually
changing his appearance, and in figure,
that his face is becoming distorted,
and he sees. whether in the distortion
of his bloody imagination which con
jureS up hosts of vengeance calling
dead, or not, his face assuming the
look. the eyes the ieer. and the very
ears the exact Similitude of the pic
turc of satan themselves.
Born ~ Murderer.
Il was born with the devil in me-"
says he in II part of his confession.
Il could not help the fact that | was
a murderer no than the poet can
help the inspiration to song. nor the
ambition of the intelligent man TO be
great. / WIS DDIn Win the pNlI one
standing aS my sponsor beside the bed
where ! was uShered into the world.
ard he has been with me since. The
inclination to murder came to me as
naturally as the inspiration to do right
comes to the majority of persons.
Where others hearts were touched
with pity, mine filled with cruelty, and
wherein others the feeling To ave life
! revealed in the thought of destroying
them.
Not only that | was o satisfied in
taking it in extraordinary way. |
sought devices strange. ~fantasical and
even grOteSqUc. II pleased my fancy.
II gave me JOY TO work my murderous
will ami | revelled in it with the en-
thUSiasm Of an alcohOlist who is hot
Oh the trail of Il philosophers stone"
This inclination" continues Holmes.
came To me early in life. | remember
when Il mere lad my ambition was to
study medicine that | might know the
relative effects Of poisonous gases; that
| might fully become acquainted with
their uses. and learn to be an expert
in handling them"