Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-23
A Crlmino1OCjCal Curiosify

The reading public will hardly be edited
by the announcement that Fl. III. Holmes,
the notorious murderer, Is said to be en-
gagged in writing another confession" for
publication The people do moi care for
any more copyrighted criminal literature
by Holmes, especially as he has already
written at least half dozen alleged con-
LESSONS. The conflicting character of
these different statements stamps their
author as a fictionist OF great powers of
invention, but 1t is always to be borne in
mind that the man who makes a true con-
fession assumes the role of historian and
not of fiction writer.
The authorities in different cities have
shown conclusively that many of the state
ments made BY this fiend are absolutely
false. The Chicago police assert that sew
eral of Holmes alleged victims are still
alive, Robert Latimer, the ex-janitor Of
the castle being a f,agman at a rail-
road crossing in the city by the lake, and
Warner. the originator of the Warner Gas
Bending company, being engaged in busi-
ness.
1t is not doubted that Holmes murdered
Mrs. Connors and b. f. Pietzel and three
children. but the list of his victims is
believed to number less than a dozen in
stead OF q, as claimed In the latest author
lied confession. Holmes has now made so
many conflicting statements in relation to
his crimes that the public can never be
satisfied as to just what murders he did
commit. The people are satisfied that he
Is q brutal murderer, without the least
vestige of humanity, and the sooner he is
executed the better.
During the shor. time Holmes has to
live, however, he may be made of some use
to the public in a strictly legitimate way,
by students OF criminology as we'll as other
scientists. Some idea of how this can be
done Is furnished by the results attained
by DIR. Arthur Macdonald, expert of the
United States on criminology, who has Wis.
tied Holmes in his cell at least twice. In
speaking CT these results DIR. Macdonald
says:
II have measured him with instruments
of precision, such as the kymogrion
which gives the effects of emotions and
thoughts OIL the breath; ! measured him
also with the aesthesiometer, which give.
| MS acutencSb OF uullIesb 10 ScnSlDlHty Ol
locality on the wrist; also with the Their
maesthesiometer. which gives the acute
ness of his sensibility to heat, also use(
an algomster of my own construction OF
the temporal muscle giving his acutenes:
OF sensibility to pain. ] also measured thu
| length and breadth Of his head and the dis
lance between the orbits, and other meas
urements generally taken of criminals. NJ,
object in doing this was simply to And on
his physical, his moral and his nervous
equations"
Any idea lined by crimlnologlsts in re
gard to the characteristics of q natura
criminal like Holmes helps them to bette
understand the influences to be overcom,
In tho prevention of crime. and It would
be difficult matter to conceive of a sub
jeot, embodylng more evidences Of a de
PRAYED nature than does Holmes. II thu
testimony of those who have visited hin
Is to DO believed. he has yet to show tn
least trace OF genuine remorse for tn
crimes he has committed. and morally h.
is a human monstrosity. While his fur
Their literary efforts win be likely to deser
vedly fall fiat, the whole world will be in
terested In the results reached by thos
who are making his case the subject o
archaeological investigation