The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-04-16

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LATEST PICTURE OF HOLMES.
Even now he believes that the evil spirit is
the guiding genius Of his destiny. He believes
that he is fully under the spell of the damned.
and despite the assertions to the contrary that
he is receiving the attentions OF q minister Of
God, and is gradually becoming imbued with
the spirit Of forgiveness and religion he feels
that he Is lost hopelessly. He even goes fur
ther. He asserts that he is gradually chang
ing In appearance, In figure; that his face is
becoming 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 himself.
II was born with the devil in me-" says he
in one part OF his confession II could not
help the fact that was q murderer no more
than the poet can help the inspiration to song,
nor the ambition of an INTEL ectual man to be
great was born with the evil one standing
as my sponsor beside the /bed where was
ushered into the world, and he has been with
me since.
The inclination to murder came to me as
naturally as the inspiration to do right comes
to the majority of persons. Where 9th ers
hearts were touched with pity. mine filed
with cruelty, and wherein the others the fe ell
ing was to save life, reveled in the thought
Of destroying the same
mot only that, was not satisfied in TAX
ing it in the ordinary way. I sought de-
vices strange, fantastical and even grotesque.
1t pleased my fancy. 1t gave me play to
work my murderous will. and reveled in
1t with the enthusiasm Of any alchemist who
is hot on the trail of the philosophers stone.
This inclination" continues Holmes, "came
to me early In life. ! remember when mere
lad, my ambition was to study medicine. that
I ivt,t tho lat Of
gases; that might fully become acquainted
with their uses and learn to be an expe rt in
handling them.
II am convinced" he declares, that since
my Imprisonment have changed woefully and
gruesomely from what 1 formerly was in
feature and In figure"
III you look at my picture, when 1 was first
taken into custody in Boston, nearly two
years ago. and look at my face now, you
may begin to observe something Of what l
mean a
''Imean, in fact, that my features are ASSUME
ing nothing more or less than pronounced
satanical cast; that have been afflicted with
that disease, rare but terrible, with which
physicians are acquainted, but over which
they seem to have no control whatever.
THAT disease" said he, "is a malformation
or distortion of the osseous part, causing de-
formity SO marked that in many cases men
are made to assume likenesses to the inferior
animal
"The horror OF the thing did not pail on me-
for 1t was quite In keeping with my nature,
and, like true medical student began to
study the new conditions that had arisen.
From what can see I fully believe I am
growing to resemble the devil; that the osse-
Gus part Of my head and face ore gradually as-
suming that elongated shape so pronounced In
what is called the degenerate head, and that
the similitude is almost completed.
I'm fact, 80 impressed am with this be-
a ~ HnlmpA C0nVinO0d
that have no longer anything human in me
Holmes confession from this on speaks OF
his early experiences of his boyhood days on
the farm In Vermont and the life he led, until
he entered college to study medicine in Mich
igan.
1t was not until after he was graduated, fully
equipped with the knowledge OF poisons and
the easiest way to sever the simple tn read OF
life that Holmes began his career as O mur-
derer and mutilator
When he began. he admits himself, he was
ruthless and never once halted until he took
81 lives.
sand I would have committed six other
murders" he added, had not certain occur
rences intervened"
Possibly one of the worst, most brutal, re-
voting and disgusting crimes this arch-muti-
lator ever committed was one he speaks of in
o chapter devoted to his boy the son Of his
first wife The only explanation he offers Is
that he did it simply to crafty his love Of
muttlatton
1T was shortly after was married." he de-
clares, land our boy was then but youngster.
II called him In from the road, whore he
was frollicking about like On innocent with q
lot Of other lads, and took him out to rear
barn.
II don't know what II was that possessed me
but took surgical knife along with me. It
was simply the craving Of the murderer within
me that inspired me to make q subject Of my
little one"
With the utmost abandon. and with here
| and there an expressed sigh Of regret, Holmes
then tells how he went through the operation
| Of mutilating his own son.
Finished with that, Holmes felt satisfied and
did not murder his boy outright
station Agent Held Up By Trsmps.
SOUTH BEND, Ind, April 1s.-At an
early hour Saturday morning two
tramps entered the station Of the Lake
shore and Michigan Southern railway
at Mishawaka, this county, and held
up the station agent, R. R. NcGladery
and friend, VIM. Lsmphere, who also
was in the Office. From Lamphere they
secured e1.25, and from McGladdery 81
and Q pair Of shoes. They overlooked
$3.50 which McGladdery had in one OF
his pockets. After taking 81 from the
till of the ticket office the trampe
marched their victims to box car,
where they locked them in and then
J escaped.