Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-04-14
Ruled by an Evil Spirit.

3
pearance in figure, that his face is becom-
ing distorted. and he sees. whether in the
distortion of his bloody imagination. which
conjures 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 picture of Satan them
selves.
II was born with the devil in me-" says he
In one part of his confession. II could not
help the fact that I was murderer. no
more than the poet can help the inspiration
to song, nor the ambition of an intellectual
man to be great. The inclination to murder
came to mo as naturally as the inspiration
to do right comes to the majority of per-
sons. Not only that, was not satisfied in
taking 1t in the ordinary way. sought de-
vices strange, fantaStical, and even gro
tesque.
Growing in Form and Feature Like Satan.
81 am convinced" he declares, that since
my imprisonment have changed woefully
and grewsomely from what formerly was
in feature and in figure. I mean, in fact,
that my features are assuming nothing
more nor less than a pronounced satanical
aspect; that have become afflicted with
that disease, rare but terrible, with which
physicians are acquainted but over which
they seem to have no control whatever"
THAT disease" says he, "is malforma-
ton or distortion Of the osseous parts, caus-
ing deformity SO marked that in many cases
men are made to assume licensees to the
inferior animal.
from what can see, believe fully that
am growing to resemble the devil; that
the osseous parts of my head and face are
gradually assuming that elongated shape
SO pronounced in what is called the de-
generate head, and that the similitude is
almost completed"
Holmes confession from this on speaks
of his early experiences. of his boyhood
DAYS on the farm up in Vermont, and the
70 ha lad n
medicine in Michigan
1t was not until after he was graduated
and fully equipped with the knowledge o:
persons and the easiest way to sever the
thread Of life. that Holmes began his ca
leer as a murderer and q mutilator.
When he begun, he admits himself, he was
ruthless, and never once halted until he
took q lives.
"And I would have committed six othcl
murders" he added. "had not certain oc'
currences interviewed"
NIutilated His Own Son.
"Possibly one of the worst, most brutal
| revolving and disgusting crimes this arch
| mutilator ever committed was one h,
speaks Of in a chapter devoted to his boy
| the son of his first wife. The only ex
PLANTATION he offers is that he did 1t simpl.
to crafty his love of mutilation.
1T was shortly after 1 was married,
he declares. and our boy was then but
youngster. called him in from the road
| where he was frolicking about like an limo
cent with lot of other lads, and took hin
| out to a rear barn. don't know what /
| was that possessed me, but took surgic
| al knife along with me. 1t was simply thu
| craving of the murderer within me tina
| inspired me to make subject of my littl
one With the utmost abandon and her
| and there an expressed sigh of regret
Holmes then tells how he went through til,
| operation of mutilating his own son. Fin
ished with that, Holmes felt satisfied an,
did not murder his boy outright"