Two days later he wrote again saying
that he had seen by other papers that Perry's death had taken place in
Philadelphia and not in Chicago, and that as he had to be in Baltimore
in a day or two, he would run over to Philadelphia and visit the office
of the Fidelity Life Association.

On September 20 the assiduous Mr. Holmes called at the office of the
Association in Philadelphia, inquired anxiously about the nature and
cause of Perry's death, gave again a description of him and, on learning
that Mr. Howe, the attorney from St. Louis, was about to come to
Philadelphia to represent the widow, Mrs. Pitezel, and complete the
identification, said that he would return to give the company any
further help he could in the matter. The following day Mr. Jephtha D.
Howe, attorney of St. Louis, arrived in Philadelphia, accompanied by
Alice Pitezel, a daughter of the deceased. Howe explained that Pitezel
had taken the name of Perry owing to financial difficulties. The company
said that they accepted the fact that Perry and Pitezel were one and the
same man, but were not convinced that the body was Pitezel's body.
The visit of Holmes was mentioned. Howe said that he did not know Mr.
Holmes, but would be willing to meet him. At this moment Holmes arrived
at the office. He was introduced to Howe as a stranger, and recognised
as a friend by Alice Pitezel, a shy, awkward girl of fourteen or fifteen
years of age. It was then arranged that all the parties should meet
again next day to identify, if possible, the body, which had been
disinterred for that purpose.

The unpleasant duty of identifying the rapidly decomposing remains was
greatly curtailed by the readiness of Mr. Holmes. When the party met on
the 22nd at the Potter's Field, where the body had been disinterred and
laid out, the doctor present was unable to find the distinctive marks
which would show Perry and Pitezel to have been the same man. Holmes at
once stepped into the breach, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves,
put on the rubber gloves, and taking a surgeon's knife from his pocket,
cut off the wart at the back of the neck, showed the injury to the
leg, and revealed also a bruised thumbnail which had been another
distinctive mark of Pitezel. The body was then covered up all but
the teeth; the girl Alice was brought in, and she said that the teeth
appeared to be like those of her father. The insurance company declared
themselves satisfied, and handed to Mr. Howe a che