The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-11
AN ALLEGED CONFESSION.
Holmes Tells of His Many Revolving
Grimes and Atrocities

Grimes and Atrocities.
PHILADELPHIA, April 1O.-.The North
American of this city will tomorrow
morning print what purports to be sem
fences from the confession alleged to
have BEEN made by the murderer, II.
RtH 'lr zAmong other things the
' Wing the confession which
coy ctn iull nearly three newspaper
wrihng, and detailing with a minute
ness: that ia simply ss times revolving,
the arch-mutilstor and author Of
ewenty-seven murders, as he admits
himself to be, states with something
like pathos that he does so simply that
he may obtain enough money to educate
his boy.
"Holmes writes OF his bloodcurdlinp
atrocities with an abandon that simply
sppals one. Not one grain OF remorse
seems to enter into the construct ton of
that document and never for a moment
except In two isolated places-one
where he refers to the memory OF Min
ME williams, and another time when
he psthetically speaks Of an outrage
perpetrated on his boy,does the redeem
ing element, pity, figure in the case.
Regret Is never for . moment ex.
pressed and he comes out boldly and
without compuncsion in his very open
Ing with the statement: Il was born
with the very devil in me-
lie believes he is under the spell OF
the damned. He feels that he 10 lost
hopelessly. He asserts that he is grad
ually changing in appearance, in figure,
that his face is becoming distorted.
II was born with the devil in me-"
says he in one part of his confession.
VI could not help the fact that 1 was q
murderer no more than the poet can help
the inspiration OF song nor the am bition
of the intelligent to become great.
The inclination to murder came to
me as naturally as the inspiration to do
right comes to the majority OF persons.
"Where others hearts were touched
with pity, mine was hlled;with cruelty
and where in others the feeling was to
save life, revelied in the thought OF
destroying the same.
mot only that / was not satisfied in
taking 1t in the ordinary way, sought
devices strange, fsntastical and even
grotesque. 1t pleased my fancy. 1t
gave me play to work my murderous
will. and 1 revealed in it.
This inclination came to me early in
life. remember when mere lad nv
ambition was to study medicine that 1
might know the relative effects of
poisonous gases that 1 might fully be-
come acquainted with their uses and
learn to be an expert in handling them
II am convinced that since my im-
prisonment I have changed woefully
and Rruesomely from whas I formerly
WAS in feature and in figure"
If you look at my picture when 1
was first taken into custody in Boston
nearly two years ago and ook OF M y
face now you may begin to observe
something Of what mean
VI mean In fact that my features are
assuming nothing more or less than
pronounced satanicsl cast; that 1 have
become afflicted with that disease, rare
but terrible, with which physicians are
acquaintet, but over which they seem
to have no control whatever.
From what can see believe fally
that l am growing to resembls the
devil; parts Of my head and face are
gradually assuming that elongated
shape 30 pronounced in what Is called
the degenerated head and the simili
tude.
lin fact am 80 impressed with this
belief" continued Holmes. that am
convinced that have no longer sny-
thing human in me"
Then follows q list of his many crimes,
with all the revolving details.