H.H. Holmes

One of America’s first serial murderers used the moniker H.H. Holmes. He enticed victims into his grandiose ‘Murder Castle’ at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

H.H. Holmes: Who Was He?

H.H. Holmes, also known as Herman Webster Mudgett, was a con artist and bigamist who was one of America’s earliest serial murderers. Holmes, also known as the “Beast of Chicago,” is thought to have killed somewhere between 20 and 200 people. He murdered several of his victims in a specifically built mansion that became known as the “Murder Castle.” He was apprehended in 1894 and executed two years later for his crimes.

Early Years

Herman Webster Mudgett was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, on May 16, 1861. Holmes, who was born into a wealthy family, had a privileged life and was believed to be extremely brilliant from a young age. Even yet, there were ominous foreshadowings of what was to come. He displayed an interest in medicine, which prompted him to do surgery on animals, according to reports. According to some sources, he may have been the one who killed a buddy.

Holmes’ criminal career began with a series of deceptions and deceptions. He took bodies as a medical student at the University of Michigan and used them to file fake insurance claims. The bodies might have also been used for experiments by Holmes.

‘Murder Castle’ is a horror film.

Holmes came to Chicago, Illinois, in 1885. He quickly got work at a drugstore under the pseudonym Dr. Henry H. Holmes. He finally took over the company and was subsequently accused of murdering the founder.

Holmes had a three-story structure built nearby to serve as his house of horrors. His residential quarters and several little rooms where he tortured and executed his victims were on the top stories.

He could also carry the victims down to the basement via trapdoors and chutes, where he might burn the bodies in a kiln or dispose of them in various ways.

During the 1893 Columbian Exposition, Holmes made his home available to tourists as a hotel. Unfortunately, several people died at the “Murder Castle,” as it became known. Many of these victims — the exact number is unknown — were women who were deceived, defrauded, and ultimately murdered. Holmes had a history of becoming engaged to a woman just to have her “disappear” unexpectedly. Other victims were drawn there by the promise of work.

Soon after the World’s Fair, Holmes returned to Chicago to continue his scams, including one with an acquaintance called Benjamin Pitezel in which Pitezel would fake his death in order to receive $10,000 from a life insurance company. Holmes confided in fellow convict and famed criminal Marion Hedgepeth — who knew Holmes as H.M. Howard — about the life insurance scam while incarcerated for another fraud. Hedgepeth later assisted investigators by disclosing specifics of their conversation.

Although the authorities ultimately recognized Howard as Holmes, they did not recognize him in time to prevent his last crimes.After informing Pitezel’s widow that her husband was still alive and hiding, Holmes persuaded her to let him travel with three of her five children, all of whom became his victims.

Arrest

After eluding capture for several weeks, Holmes was ultimately caught in November 1894. During his stay in detention, he told cops many stories, including one in which he admitted to killing 27 people. Holmes challenged his conviction in 1895 but lost.

The number of individuals killed by Holmes is estimated to be anything from 20 and 200.

Death

On May 7, 1896, Holmes was hung for the murder of Pitezel. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was laid to rest.