The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-04-13
HOLMES CONFESSES
EXTRACTS FROM THE CONFESSION
OF THE ARCH-M URDERER.
He Gives Details of the Murder OF
Txventy-seven People, Whom He
Said He killed to Secure Money
to Educate His BOy-HOlmes De-
c1ores That He Took Pleasure in
killing People.

Philadelphia. April l.. = The North
American of this city this morning
prints what purports to De sentences
from the confession alleged to nave
he,.n made by Murderer III. II. Holmes.
Among other things the story says
In perfecting the confession when
covers in full nearly three newspaper
pageS written in Holmes own nanu-
writing. and detailing with a minute
ness that is simply at times reVolllnS'
the archmutilator and author OF tWeH-
+y-sevnn murders. as he admits hlmser
to he states with something ike
patbos that he does so simply that he
may obtain enough money to educate
his boy. Holmes writes OF MS Dlood-
enrolling atrocities with an abandon
that simply appals one. NOT one grain
of remorSe seems to enter into the COLI
struction of that document, ana never
for a moment, except III the TWO $50
lated caSeS-where he refers toucnlHS-
ly to the memory of Minnie Wllllalns,
and another time, when he pathetlcal-
ly speaks of an outrage perpetfated Oh
his boy-doeS the redeemlng element
pity figure in the case. Regret is never
for moment expressed ana ne COMES
out boldly and without cOmpunctlon
on his very opening statement:
was born with the very devil in me"
Even now he believes that 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
ocixnpocc on1 ro1iUiO11 no fools that no
is lost hopelessly. He even goes fur
Their. 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-
lures up hosts of vengeance calling
dead, or not. his face assuming the
look, the eyes the leer, and the very
ears the exact similitude of the pic
ture Of satan themselves.
Born a Murderer
81 was born with the devil in me"
says he in one part of his confession.
81 could not help the fact that | was
a murderer no more than the poet can
help the inspiration to song. nor the
ambition Of the intelligent man to be
great l was born with the evil one
standing as my sponsor beside the bed
where | was uShered into the world,
and he has been with me since. The
inclination to murder came to me as
naturally as the inspira ton 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 save life
/ revelled in the thought Of destroying
them.
Not only that I was not satisfied in
taking it in extraordinary way. 1
sought devices strange, fantasical and
even grotesque. 1t pleased my fancy
1t gave me JOY to work my murderous
will and l revelled in it with the en-
thusiasm of an alcoholist who is hot
on the trail of a philosophers stone"
'This inclination." continues Holmes,
"came to me early in life. | remember
when a 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.