The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

in the third story of the Callowhill
street house. l found a note in a bot
tie, telling me tn at he was tired of life
and had finally decided to commit sui
eide. He requested me to look after
the insurance money and take care ol
his wife and family. 1 then fixed up
the body in the position it was found.
These children you speak ofare al
right. They are with Minnie Will
Jams in London. I gave Howard to
Minnie Williams in Detroit and I 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 conspiracy to defraud the in
surance companies to which he plead.
ed guilty, Holmes made many other
confessions" but they differed very
little from those already given. Each
time he pretended to tell the truth,
but he sedulousy avoided doing so.
Nobody believed what Holmes said
about Pitezel, and he would not say
anything about the children, except
that they were all right.
In his many interviews with Dis
trict Attorney Graham, Holmes per,
sisted that the three missing PItezei
children were with Minnie Williams
in London. He~even persuaded Mr..
Graham to have an advertisement IN
the shape of a cipher puzzle inserted
in a New York paper, for the purpose
OF bringing Minnie Williams and the
little Pitezels back from Europe. The
district attorney placed little faith ia
what Holmes told him, but the adver-
tisement was published as a sort of
last and hopeless effort. When the
bodies of Nellie and Alice Pitezel
were unearthed in Toronto, Holmes
denied having killed them. When
Howard's charred bones were located
in a superannuated stove in Irving
ton, Ind, Holmes calmly denied any
knowledge of the lads death. When
the murders of Minnie Williams and
her sister were discovered, Holmes
said Minnie killed Nancy in jealous
frenzy, and he buried the body in
Lake Michigan. He vigorously de-
MED having put Minnie to death so as
to secure her property. The disap-
pearance of Emily Cygrand was trac-
ed to Holmes, but the criminal said
he knew nothing of the girls fate.
The partially consumed bones that
were found in the Chicago "castle"
are known to be those of some 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 repetition of his pic
turesque falsehoods. He actually
gave the district attorney veritable
Jolly" about the Pitezel family and
Minnie Williams being still alive.
The scene that ensued was extremely
dramatic. Mr.. Graham said:
Holmes, you are an Internal lying
murderer. I will hang you in Phila-
delphia for the murder of Benjamin
Pitezel."
Holmes nerve was still with him
and he said:
II defy you. You have no evil
dence to prove me guilty"
Mr.. Graham looked with disgust
and determination at Holmes, and
said:
"You will surely hang in Philadel.
phia for numbering Benjamin Pitezel." !"
The trial and conviction followed.
The district attorney endeavored to
prove during the trial, through De.
tective Guyer that Holmes also killed
the Pitezel children, but Judge Arnold,
before whom the case was tried, de-
clared this to be irrelevant. Guyer
had unearthed the murder of the chill
dren after a prolonged investigation
and the commonwealth was prepared
to prove that Holmes also committed
these crimes. Holmes embraced the
Catholic faith when it became evident
to him that he must hang, and Rev.
Father Daley ministered to his spirit.
ual wants. Throughout the trial and
subsequent Imprisonment, this arch
criminal maintained a nonchalance
that was remarkable. Herman Web
ster Mudgett was born in Gilmanton,
N. H., May 16, 1860.