Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-05-07
GONE TO HIS DOOM.
Holmes, lhi suIll-Eurd'rer, EIpIat.S
His Grimes on The GallOTs,
PROTESTING HIS INNOCENCE.
Religious Ceremonies on the Scaflold-
The Crime for Which lie Was
Executed,

iOIgH. Hall an hour later he was
pronou need dead. The neck was
broken by this fall.
Even on tho scaflold be was pro.
baby the coolest man In the solemn
HsssmblAge. la few we'll chosen
words he proclaimed his innocence Of
hay murder, including that for which
he was convicted and hanged. liz
declared the only wrong.doing in TAX.
Ing human life for which he could be
held responsible consisted Ia the death
oi Two women who died ~ result Of
criminal operations nj bis hnnda. He
did not name these victims.
HolmOa spent the greater patt Of his
last night writing letters. Atmiduight
he won't 10 bed and silent s0undiy until
O'Clock this morning. IL took two
calls 90 awaken him. Promptly arising
he received visit from hia spiritual
advisers, Fathers DAILY and hnopeak,
" the Church Of tho Anbuncintlon.
They administered the last tnofament
nud did not leave him until nearly S
O'Clock. During their absence no ate
breakfast Of eggs, dry toast aud coffee.
At 1902 O'Clock the sheriff called TO.
Roihor tie official jury and after each
man had answered 10 his namo aud
subscribed 10 a certificate, the march
~ tho rallows was begun.
Aa itho gathered persons stood I'm
tilcnce before tho scati1ld, n mutmur.
ing sound came from tho PARTITION
erected Immediately back OIL 10 was
the dolofous chant Of the two priests
accompanying the doomed man TO the
aHmNFwNn Nhauf al Nss. Vsafa
A. lWO5 they mounted tho fatal plat
form. a gmoment of prayer followed.
Then Holmes stepped 10 the front Vi
the scafiOld and resting his hands on
the rail before him, made y statement
tf hia Innocence. 40 was received Ia
absolute silence. Two minutes later
hp had nnihhei his valediolofy, Then
Ht silent eirunl from the pfigute, ho
hlut his knees, his eyes fixed on the
CfucinN, clasped In mis- tnin hands.
Uniil lO:l2 the prayer continued. Im.
mediately afterwards he srOse, SHOOK
han,e with the priests AID lawyers
NM ia firm voice babe them "Eood
hye.D Without an instAnps delay his
iaHdA were bound aud the black cap
adjusted. Sheriff Clement placed tho
LgUuo ADouth Ills neck and after an in
slant Of ttillnesa the murderer Tell 70
bic doom.
HOLINESS MANY GRIMES.
Tire murderer OF Benjamin +. Pit
~, tI which Herman Murgeit, alias
II. II. Holmes, was hanged today, &C.
Cured on Sunday, Sept, 2, 1894. The
crime was tho culmination OF n con-
tpiraey between the men 10 deiraud
tue Fidelity Mutual Life Association
OF this city Of $40, 600, aud the swindle
wac successfully accomplished.
Holmes hud Pitzel boohmo &C.
quainted In Chicago In 1880. Pltzel
was married and had Elk children.
lie WAS pour, ana was not avofae 90
engaging In dishonest business n II
were lucrative.
Holmes mad been praoticing forgery,
and lac indHced PlIEel 10 enter the
tams SLIME" In January, 1898, Pitzel
WAS arrested In Torro Hnute, Ind, for
passing forged paper. Holmes went
there and gave $500 straw bail for
PltEel, who thereupon ran away.
Holmes sent him 10 Fort Worth, Tex,
under the name OF Fsnton T. Lyman.
He had with him deed 10 property
there valued at $4,000, which be-
longod to Minnie Williams, one OF
Holiness victims. Holmes aud
woman, that he called his
wife, subsequently, Joined him here,
ana gave out they intended 10
build the hnost building In tho
town. The men succeeded In borrow
ing something like 100000. Then they
lied, stealing two carloads OF horses NJ
they went, and shipping them TO 81.
Louis.
II was after this Incident that
HnlUnaa aaHauiNaA NAna .f
Pliz6ps liie Injured. He told Pitzel
how easy II was to beat an insurance
company with n substitute body, and
Pitzel iell into the scheme. The appli-
cation was made at tho Chicago
agency. Pltzel was in full health, ami
tue tisk was considered first rate. They
LETT Chicago together to search for
body. In August, 1894, Holmes anu
fllzel came east anu Holmes rented
the hOusi 1916 COllowhill street, u
Tamshackle ole building, Tor Pitzel 10
start Ia the patent rights business
under tho name OF Is. II. Perry,
holmes called ON PitEel frequently.
FiiEel was Heon up 10 10 o'clock on
hatufdny night, September /. That
night he drank a great deal before he
went to bed. Nothing was again seen
OF him until the following Monday,
when Eugene Smith, IA carpenter, who
had been employed 10 do sOme work In
the house, found his body lying on its
back on the floor OF the second story
back room. Ths face was blAckened
and bllsteTod, ns N from burns, and
near by lay a broken bottle whioh had
coniained beuzlne, BY the side Of the
BODY was pipe, parity filled with to.
baoco.
Appearances seemed that m explosion
had occurred while the man was light
ing his pipe. The police believed that
Tue affair was an accident, anu no one
l0f moment entertained the theory
OF murder. This coronef'a Jury gave
verdict OF death from inhallng the
fumes u ohloroform.
About three weeks after this occur
enoe, Jeptha ID. Howe, 81. Louis at.
torney, alter corresponding win Core.
ner Asnbrldge Of this city, came here
ana asserted that the body was that
% Benz. Il. Pilzel, ana that he
(howe) was here 10 collect $4,000 Ia.
tuTanoe from the Fidelity company,
Tor which amouot policy had been
made out In favor OF Mis-. PitEel IN
chicago year before. Meanwhile
dolmet, who had introduced PitEsl 10
lhe lnturaI CO agents. was induced by
lhsm to come to Philadelphia anu