The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-05-08

AZ o'clock Fathers Daily ana Mac
Peak arrived. Holmes received them
silently and knelt with them while they
went over the communion service: ac-
cordIng to the rites of the Catholic
church to which he had been converted
during the past week.
The gates were opened at 9 o'clock and
the party filed In.
The instrument Of death 1oomed high
In the centre OF the corridor on the first
floor Of the convict side Of the prison.
The platform which stood eight feet
above the level OF the floor was ap-
preached by a flight OF stairs.
The witnesses passed around the
structure and faced 1t. Silence followed
for moment. Then a murmur arose
from the other side Of the scaffold. It
was the prayers of the priests who wore
eScortlnE Holmes to the Eallows.
A moment later they mounted the
stairs and came Into view, the priests
stood on either side OF the condemned
man and chnnted the psalm Mlsererc.
Holmes, his eyes fixed upon cruclN&
which he clhsped IN his hands. walked
steadily between them. II" wore n
sack coat and trousers 0f grey material,
and n white Shlr.. TherC was a thin
gFOWth NJ heArs On ELS cum.
There was n pause aH they reached the
trap and then Holmes stepped forward
and delivered his speech. II took him
exactly two minutes to utter what every
ninn there regarded RS the last nR q SER
les OF liea. Father Daily knows. II nny
living man does, whether or not Holmes
went into eternity with lie on his lips,
for 10 him Holmes, either Inst night or
to-day, made final confession. What
the murderer cOniidCd to the priest Is a
secret OF the confessional and II Will not
be made public.
After shaking hands with his lawyer,
who then left the scaffold. Holmes turn
ed and badc farewell to suporintendsnts
Perkins and Richardson and the priests.
who were tho other occupants OF the
Eallows. Then he and tho clergynien
knelt In silent prayer. They arose Mt
1912 o'clock In another half minute
tho end had come.
The Grimes.
The murder OF Benjamin F. Pltezel,
for which Herman MudEett, alIas II.
II. Holmes. was hanged to-day, occur.
rcd on Sunday, September ., 1894. The
crime was the elimination Of con-
spiracy between the men TO defrnud
the Fidelity Mutual Life Association,
Of this city, Of $4,000. and the swIudle
was successfully accomplished.
Holmes and PltGzcl became Rc1uaint-
cd IN Chicago In 1890. PlteZel was mar
rloI and had nix children. He was
poor and WIS not averae to engaging In
dishonest business II It were lucrative.
Holmes had been prhctiClnE forgery.
and he induced PiteZcl TO enter the
same "itne." In January, 1893, PitcZel
was arrested In Terrc Hnutc, Ind, for
passing forged paper Holmes went
there and gave 1880 straw bail for
Pltezei who thcreupOn ran away.
Holmes sent linn TO Fort Worth, Tex
as,u under the name of Renton I.
Lyman. HG had with him deed to
prnporty there valued at 100000. which
belonged to Minnie Il. Williams an
other df Holmes victims. Holmes and
n wOnnn he called his wife subsequent
Iv Joined him there, and, giving out
thut they Intended to build the finest
huIldlng IN the town, the men succeed
cd In borrowing something like $4,000.
Then they fed, stealing two carloads
of horses na they went, and shipping
them To st. Louis.
It was after this incident thNt Holmes
conceived the Idea OF having PIteZelS
llfo Insured lie told PiteTcl how cnSy
II was to boat nm insurance company
with n substitute body, and PiteLcl fell
into the scheme. A 5000 policy was En-
cured In tho Washington Life Insurance.
Company, Of New York, but Tor somn
rtnS1n Or other It was permitted To
lapse. Thcn the Fidelity policy was
taken out Tho application was mnde at
the Chicago agency. PltGE0l was In hlu