The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-08

q separation between ner and ner huSpand.
among the missing. BENJAMIN Pitezel and
atrck 0nnan went 70 Fort M1rsn 20 i Tbs
taken for moneyed men of the North. They
borrowed $4,000 from q bank on the strength
OF their claims. stole a carload OF horses and
escaped from the town.
THE MURDER OF PITEZEL-
Holmes then began to figure on new
scheme. TO which Pitezel readily agreed.
Pitezel was insured in the Fidelity Life As
surance Company, OF Philadelphia, In the
sum of $4,000. Holmes and Pitezel then went
to Mississippi to secure body, but returned
without one In June, 1894. the two conspir-
ators went East. Pitezel located on Cal
lowhill street, Philadelphia, and he advertis-
ed himself as patent agent. His room con-
tained but few articles Of furniture. Pite-
eel at that time was living under the name
of Il. +. Perry. On the night of Sept. !
PitezelS body was found in this room, with
the face badly mutilated. Holmes soon ap-
peared on the scene and identified the body
as that of BENJAMIN Pitezel. He was pres
ent at the coroners investigation and gave
one OF the most startling demonstrations on
record. There was some doubt about the
body being that of PiteZel, but he pointed
out the marks Of Identification. To make
the work more complete he took one OF the
Pltezei children In has arms and brought her
fcation was complete. The insurance money
was paid
Holmes then assumed the role of guardian
10 the Pitezel children. He came 10 Indian
apolis with Howard. Alice and Nellie, it be-
ing understood that they were to be put In
school here. The detectives had been lnves-
was decided that the body was not that of
BENJAMIN Pitezel, but a. substituted one and
a reward was offered for the arrest of
of Howard. While the detectives were
searching for him Holmes had the audacity
to demand $500 from Mrs. Pitezel, claiming
stated, he was then living in indianapolis
under the name of Howard. The Pitezel chill
dren were in his charge.
few articles of furniture were taken there
and the next day Holmes disappeared. Last
fall the bones Of Howard Pitezel were found
few articles OF furniture and portion of a
trunk known TO have belonged to the Pite-
gel children. From indianapolis Holmes
went 10 Detroit, where he prepared to Kill
the girls but he was forced to fly, for the
detectives were after him. He then went to
Toronto, where the bodies of the two little
girls were afterward found buried in a cell
lar. Then he wandered back toward the
scenes of his childhood. One night he
climbed the hill leading to the home OF his
first wife, who had waited patiently for his
was not doubted, saying he had been held
a prisoner in a pauper lunatic asylum. He
III,
a blank. For a brief space of time
Holmes became Mudgett once again. He
did not linger in the neighborhood, but the
story of his return created excitement Be-
fore starting East he had said he was 60
ing TO New Hampshire to visit his parents
The statement OF his intentions and the
which he was arrested in Boston and taken
to Philadelphia. He pleaded guilty to de-
frauding an insurance company and was
sentenced TO two years in prison.
FINALLY TRAPPED.
About this time 1t developed that after the
death of Pitezel an effort was made to blow
up the house which Mrs. Pitezel occupied
at Burlington. VT. An explosive was found
under the front stair, and 1T was shown
that Holmes was in town at the time. 1t
developed that Holmes was in Philadelphia
at the time of Pitezers death. and the de-
tective department of Philadelphia began to
believe that a charge more serious than de-
frauding an insurance company could be
placed against Holmes Detective Frank
Geyer was started out, backed by
of the case. Holmes was tracked to
Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit and Toron-
10. and awful evidence Of his visits was
found at Indianapolis and Toronto: Link by
link the chain of circumstantial evidence
had been wound about the fiend until It
appeared he planned the murder of Pitezel,
have been necessary had the Philadelphia
scheme proved successful. 1t was not ex-
pected by Holmes that the body of Pitezel
should be identified as his own. Holmes in
tended the body should be buried as that
of Perry, but Mrs. Pitezel saw descrlp-
ton in a paper and wrote to Philadelphia.
All that remained for Holmes to do was TO
play a bold hand, and, seeing the money
within his grasp, he did not propose 10 let II
slip through, even at the cost of an innocent
woman and four children. Holmes said in
one of his confessions that Pitezel committed
suicide. He said he returned to the house
and found the body and a note to him; put
fearing no insurance would be granted IL a
suicide was shown, he mutiated the body
so that II appeared that Pitezel was Killed by
s sm ay Holmes said that Mnne
Williams Is alive and we'll. he said ne did
not know VINO killed the children, and he ex-
pressed pity because tne si,, met aeatni MI, he
man named Hatch, but no such person mas
~ver been found and Hatch is thought to
be no other than Holmes.
The career of Mudgett, or Holmes stretch
es over a period Of ten years. He confessed
to innumerable crimes. HIS methods were
unknown, but Ii Is thought that he employed
gas or some quick drug. Had he not violat-
ed the confidence of the train robber, Hedge
peth, at St. Louis, he might still be muir
dering people in his wholesale manner. Had
he not ted his confederates that he was
going home TO visit friends ne might never
have been captured. Had he not told the
the fact that Holmes and Mudgett we're one
might never have been known. In his career
is seen criminal mind at its best He planned
well and used great forethought. but he al
lowed himself to be tripped up by imprudent
after-acts. In this city he did shrewd work
from criminal standpoint In the murder OF
Howard Pitezel. but he acted unwisely aft
erward in leaving the bones hid in one place
and portions of the tell-tale trunk behind
After his transformation, crime to him
seemed an instinct.
Choctaw Homes Legally Shot.
ANTT.FRS. I. T, May 7.-Charles Homes,