The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-12-01

SNNFtl CF FOIrlcA OdSrIe
Dr kelling's face. actuely solemn,
SsCoNled iretfully in the subdued
lsht dinusad by the library lamp
TOE long time his shrewd little eyes
hau peered between narrow Sits al
tlhy OBJECT that | thought was a
copper plate. Now he laid Il aside
ana turned 10 me with a look that
vas bali a challenge.
There are times" he remarked.
when think these crime discus,
a.ons OF ours are Just a foolish waste
OF valuable hours What do We a.
compiishF Occasionally We build up
q solution on the basis OF some link
IN Ine known facts that is so Oh
sure mat ~ has been overlooked
py the police. We reason from sur
lace phenom ma TO motives and from.
motives TO personalities Occasion
aly We build up case that Is pretty
STRONG and that offers an explanation
@, every known fact in the case Hut
thats as far as We get. OF the
deeper. swirling under,ow in human
hature-the underlying and funda-
mental passions whose only visible
enects are the ripples on the sur
face-of these we know nothing"
lie took the little copper plate from
, ,ne table and regarded IL medita-
1T is only when the ripples becom.
rapid that We begin TO suspeS-
sohethlng ntghtier beneath the sur
race. he continued And then Ne
are barled. for We are face to face
with the Inknowable. those queer
twists and distortions in human ma
psychologist"
He smiled apologctically. Il don't
IKE these academic discussions any
more IMAM you do he said. but this
/ crazy little copper plate got me side
tracked II Is a relic from what YOU
newspaper men once upon n time
called the Holmes murder castle.
from the viewpoint Of the average de
,tgC'lNe. me case was solved long tgo.
ne sees no mystery In 10. They
hanged Holmes with the strongest
piece OF rope they could md in Penn
1 syiNanla after ne had con -essed TO
string OF murders so brutal that the
story he blurtod out might have been
the dream Of hashish fend
But thai didn't solve the Holmes
mystery. True, detectives discovered
that he had prohied financially from
many OF the thirtytwo murders he is
believed 10 have committed in Chi
CasO and elsewhere But they never
analysed or explained the subtler ma
ma that compelled him 20 slay wan
tonly and capriciously. 10 exercise
gleeiully all the marvellous cunning
- A4A' bAfAAh III NAf anhtIlIll4E OF new
and more horrible methods OF muir
der 20 watch gioatingly and with a
fascinated smile the agony Of men
ana women and children slowly tor.
tured TO death Men don't do such
things for money. not even the mos;
ceprayed OF them. Listen TO few
lines from Holmes confession and tell
me- II You think that heudish murder
lust could have been iustillcd by de-
sired for money
The doctor tumhlod among the IT.
ter OF papers on his desk. produced
a clipping and read this from the
Holmes confession.
Like the man-eating tiger In the
tropical Jungles whose appetite for
blood has once been aroused, roamed
about the world seeking whom ]
could destroy. Tho least
can do Is 10 spare my readers re-
cital OF tho victims cries for mercy
his prayers and finally his plea for
more speedy termination % his SUI
fering. all OF which upon me had no
effect"
A. the doctor read remembered
the tnrec-story building called the
Holmes castle al SlXty-third and
Wallace streets. remembered the
contriyances for doing away with en-.
emies that his ingenious brain had
contrivcd and which he had installed
In this house-the air-tight walls be.
tween which the victims were suffo.
Gated or slowly starved 90 death. the
furnaces 100 which they We~c burned .
the secret s'airW1ys by which they
were led to their death. the Chu'cs
extending from the roof to the base.
ment ln which tho bodies were
dropped the basement. with i4
vaults OF quicklme and Tho crcria-
tory where iUc bodies were reduced
20 ashes. the labyrinth OF winding
passage. fls secret chambers lined
with cotton batting and asbestos .o
silence the -Iriok- 90 Victims the
elaborate system OF electrical devices
20 warn the occupant OF tho build
lng o' fa" approach of stranger.
fn.. H.I ....'HHf.rfs. .f .u..f.f. ..f.. .
u.tfci '. f.' .s... ur f.Hf castle.