The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-04-24
A TALE OF HORROR.
CONFESSION Of \. n. HOLMES, the
WHOLESALE MURDERER.

CONFESSION OF \. n. HOLMES, TEE
WHOLESALE MURDERER.
How He Killed the Williams Girls and
Their Brother.
The New York Journal, OF Sunday
last, prints page and more, profusely
illustrated, OF the confession OF II. II.
Holmes, the Wholesale murderer, now
in prison in Philadelphia under sent
ence Of death for the murder OF Ben.
jamin Pietzel in that city. In his
confession, which is written and
signed by the fiend, he tells OF killing
no less than twcnty-scven men,
women and children, including the
two Williams girls and their brother,
who, as will he remembered, were
originally from Mississippi. BY spe-
cial arrangements with the Journal
(the confession is copyrighted and all
rights rcServcd) the Times Democrat
is enabled to reproduce below an ac-
count which Holmes gives in his con-
fcssion OF the murder by him Of the
Williams girls and their brother.
|
WHY lie TOLD THE STORY.
A word as TO the motives OF causes
that have led to the commission Of
these many crimes and | will proceed
to the most difficult and distastcful
task in my life, the setting forth in
all its hOrrd nakedncSs the prcmedi-
tatcd killing OF many beings and the
unsuccessful attempt to take the lives
Of others, thus branding myself as the
most detestable criminal Uf modern
times. A task 50 hard and distatc.
full that beside it the certainty that |
am in few days to be hanged by the
neck until | am dead seems but a
pastimc.
No cause save the occasional oppor-
tunlty for pccuniary gain Occasioned
my crimes, and in making this state
lnent at this time do not do 50 with
the expectation Of mitigation Of
public condemnation or that it will
in any way read in my favor Had
this been my intention, should have
considered it at the time OF my trial,
and had it used as NY defense.
All criminologists who have exam
incd me here seem to be unanimous in
the opinion they have formed that
while committing the crimes these
abnormal symptoms were not present;
they commenced to develop after my
arrest. Two years ago l was thor
0ughly examined by four men Of
marked ability, and by them pro-
nounced as being both mentally and
physically healthy man. To-day l
have every attribute OF dengenerate;
a moral idiot. Is it possible that the
crimes instead Of being the result of
these abnormal conditions, are in
themselves the occasion of the degcn.
eracy? Even at the time Of my arrest
in 1894, no defects we're nOticeab bic
under the searching Bcrtilliou system
of measurements to which was SUBJ
jected, but later, and more nOticeably
within the last few months, these
defects have increased with startling
rapidity, as is made known to me by
each succeeding examination, until l
have become thankful that ! am no
longer allowed glass with which TO
note my rapidly deterioating condi-
tion. Nature, ever kind, provides in
this, rs in the ordinary forms Of in.
sanity, where the sufferer believes
himself to be insane, that unless
called to his attention lie does not
notice himself his inllrmity nor suffer
therefrOm.
The first taking OF human life was
Il torturing thought. This, It will be
understood, was before my constant
wrongdoing. l had become wholly
deaf to the pr0mptings Of conscience
for, prior to this, bcg to be believed
In stating that l had never slnned So
heavily either in thought or deed.
Later, like the nian-eating tiger OF
the tropical jungles, whose appetite
for blood has once been aroused, ]
roamed about the world seeking whom
| could destroy.
THE WILLIAMS SISTERS.