The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-07

IL was also during these travels that he
received from the children pathetic little
scrawls to their mother. whom they
thought was in st. Louis. He was to mail
them 10 her, but upon his arrest, long
after, nearly every one OF the childish let
ters was found on him, unmailed.
At goronto, Canada, Holmes, with the
two girls, hired house. The boy How
ard had previously disappeared in Indian
apolis, where his charred bones were az
terwards found in a stove. The girls were
murdered io this way: Holmes, probably
by playing hide-and-seek with them, in
duced them to hide In trunk. Then he
shut down the lid, and filled the trunk
witb.gas by means of rubber tube in
serted through hole. Then he buried
their bodies in the cellar.
All these discoveries were made by De-
tective Franz p. Geyer, of the Philadel-
phia department, VINO secured the coun-
Try unraveling tue mysteries OF Holmes
multifarious crimes.
The scene of Holmes other known
murderous operations was the notorious
"castle, in Chicago, the building
erected by him on the border OF the
Worlds Fair grounds. The place was
fitted up with padded rooms, secret
chambers, vaults, and quicklime watts,
and this part OF The story smaeks OF the
romances Of medieval times. Here 1t is
thought sudden and violent deaths came
to the Williams girls, Emily Cigrand,
Mrs. Julia Conner and her eignt-year-olo
daughter Pearl.
Minnie Williams, when a child, Inherit
ed $40, 600 from All uncle. When she be-
came of age she went on the stage. In
1892 she met Holmes in Chicago, and be-
came his steuographer, living with him
as his wife. In 1893, she invited her Sis
ter Mana, then a school teacher, IN Texas,
TO visit her at the Castle. She did So
Soon afterward both girls disappeared
forever. II is believed Holmes killed
them to get the $40, 900. The Chicago
police found several skeetons in the Cas-
tie, and two ot them, they think are all
that remain Of the hapless Williams sis
tiers. 10 should be stated here that
Holmes, making trade of murder, en-
ployed a private articulator, and had
the skeletons OF his victims mounted and
then sold for cash. He neglected no OPP
portunity.
Tn murder of Emily Cigrande comes
next in interest. She came from Lafay-
ette, Ind. She was bIonde and the
PRETTrEsr OF HOLMES VICTIMS.
When 10 years old she was employed as
a stenographer by pr. heely, the gold
cure man. Pietzel met her when ne was
in the institution, and when he got out
he told Holmes. Holmes wrote TO the
Rlrl, OHSIlIR u bdldTH tutu Eit
was then getting, and she came to the
Castle. While in his employ she became
engaged to be married TO Robert e.
Phelps, a very rich man, much older
than herself but one day she vanished
from the face CT the earth. and nothing
has since been heard of her. 1t is be-
lieved Holmes forced her to maintain
illicit relations with him, and that find
ing she was learning too much of his
affairs, he killed her.
The alleged marder of Mrs. julia Conner
and her daughter, Pearl Conner, aged
eight years, should be narrated next.
Z he Coaners went from Davenport, Iowa,
TO Chicago, about $780, Holmes was then
running drug and jewelry store at the
corer of v ailace and sixty--third streets.
Conner got job working in the jewelry
department OF Holmes store. Holmes
saw his wife, who was very pretty wo-
man, and offered TO give her a place as
book keeper. She accepted II. Holmes
made love 10 her, but Connor did not
suspect anything. The affair went on
for some time. and Coonnor heard of it
indirectly through Holmes himself.
Connor consulted his friends and separ-
ated from his wife, leaving her with
Holmes. She kept the child. Mrs. Con-
nor was woman of brains and Just the
kind that Holmes would pick out to help
him along in his schemes. She was last
seen alive still in Holmes employ, about
Septembe 1892. Then she disappeared,
like the rest of them. Her murder, II
she was murdered, is supposed TO have
been one of the first that Holmes COM
mitted. He wrote several letters about
her 10 a Mrs. Smytbe, who was a friend
of Mrs. Conner, which, it Is alleged,
were Intended to divert suspicion from
him on account of her sudden disappear
nnce. The police believe they unesrthed
Mrs. Conner's body IN their search of the
castle, and that the b mes of the the child
they found were all that were left OF the
little daughter.
Emily Van Tassel, was the name OF
girl w-no worked for Holmes in the
Castle, and who, like the others, suddenly
disappeared. Very little Is known of he
s ory. Pc haps she, too, fell victim TO
his lust for blood.
In the story OF Holmes and his crimes
there is nothing more interesting than
the description OF his castle, " here he is
accused OF having provided al sorts of
devices for disposing OF his victims. The
astle is at 70l Sixty-third street,
Chicago. 1T was built with the sole idea
of convenience for the commission OF
crime.
HOLMES BUILT 1T HIMSELF.
He selected the workmen. Until the
Chicago police began their investigation
OF place Holmes ana rat QulnlaD, the
janitor of the building, were the only
men alive who knew anything TO speak
of about the interior OF the placr.
The building is three stories high. The
style of architecture suggests the name,
the Castle. In the main II vas built with
the idea OF renting 10 out as fists, and for
business purposes. IL was In Holmes
apartments ana IN th- basement that the
secrets were found. The rooms used as
offices by Holmoe were In the iron. OF the
building. Both rooms were on the second
-four, just in the rear Of & G Offices. from
Holmes own bathroom there was a Sc
crot steirway leading TO he street and al
so to the b sement. The entrance TO il
was through ~ trap door in the iioor OF
the bathroom. Thi, door was concealed
by rug. There was O chute running
from the roof 90 the cellar, with an en-
trance In the bathroom through the trap
door, and there was n blind wall between
the secret stairway aud tire chute. ON Che
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