The Warwickshire Herald. — 1895-08-08 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

TEE ARCH-FIEND OF CHICAGO.  The sensation of the day in Chicago is at present the mysterious disappearance of a number of persona, who, it is alleged, have been made away with by a man named Holmes. Holmes, who had been engaged in a number of liaisons, chiefly with married women, was arrested in connection with the murder of a man named Pitzel and his three children. The circumstances attending their death were such as to arouse suspicion against Holmes, who appears to have been a sharp hand at swindling capitalists and the public, and defrauding his creditors. Investigations were set on foot, and then it was noticed for the first time that a Mrs. Connor, who had been with her husband in Holmes's employ, had disappeared, together with her twelve-year-old child. Mrs. Connor had been divorced by her husband a few years ago, and had resided with Holmes, it was known, as late as the end of 1893, aiding him in his business schemes. No trace has been found of Mrs. Connor and her little girl, in spite of the keenest efforts on behalf of the detectives. In 1893, also, Holmes lived for over a month in a flat with two sisters, Minnie and Annie Williams, the former passing as his wife, Holmes being there known as Henry Gorton. At the end of this period the girls disappeared, without the slightest clue being left behind. A Chicago paper thus sums up the charges against Holmes: If Mrs. Connor and her child are dead, as now stems almost certain, the list of murders with which Holmes is charged numbers eight—viz. : B. F. Pitzel, the three Pitzel children, the two Williams girls, and Mrs. Connor and her child, and there is a plausible theory for the crime In each case. Pitzel was murdered to get the money from the insurance company into the possession of Mrs. Pitzel; the Pitzel children were killed to remove three heirs to the property, and make the securing of the property by Holmes just that much easier; the Williams girls were killed to get control of 75,000d01. worth of real estate in Fort Worth, Tex., and Mrs. Connor and her little girl were made away with to get rid of a woman who knew too much and a child whose keeping would be troublesome and might necessitate an explanation of her mother's fate.  The silk manufacturers of Macclesfield have, it is said, decided to hold a conference with London buyers in the autumn, with the view of reviving the English silk trade. It is stated that London buyers are mostly ignorant of what English looms can produce, and it is hoped that information on some point will cause orders to be placed at home which are now given on the Continent.  The Jewish Chronicle gives this instance of Russian official cruelty to Jews in that country: A touching scene was observed the other day in the Jewish cemetery of Slootsk, in the Province of Minsk. An old woinart was seen standing and bitterly crying over one of the graves, and from her heartrending lamentations it transpired that her son, over whose gravc. she was standing, died years ago, but the Seri(woman could not produce a certificate of his r i)ith, and hail been fined 300 roubles in consequence of her son not appearing at last year'. recruiting.  IMPORTPNT V uable ruid never remedie • for all irregularities and obstruction SW TO however obstinate or long standing, and neve fain to bring about the desired result. Thes