ng children out of the
way at the house in Burlington; for after his trial there was found
there, hidden away in the cellar, a bottle containing eight or ten
ounces of chloroform.

Though assisted by counsel, Holmes took an active part in his defence.
He betrayed no feeling at the sight of Mrs. Pitezel, the greater part of
whose family he had destroyed, but the appearance of his third wife as a
witness he made an opportunity for "letting loose the fount of emotion,"
taking care to inform his counsel beforehand that he intended to perform
this touching feat. He was convicted and sentenced to death on November
2.

Previous to the trial of Holmes the police had made an exhaustive
investigation of the mysterious building in Chicago known as "Holmes'
Castle." The result was sufficiently sinister. In the stove in the
cellar charred human bones were found, and in the middle of the room
stood a large dissecting table stained with blood. On digging up the
cellar floor some human ribs, sections of vertebrae and teeth were
discovered buried in quicklime, and in other parts of the "castle" the
police found more charred bones, some metal buttons, a trunk, and a
piece of a watch chain.

The trunk and piece of watch chain were identified as having belonged to
Miss Minnie Williams.

Inquiry showed that Miss Williams had entered Holmes' employment as a
typist in 1893, and had lived with him at the castle. In the latter part
of the year she had invited her sister, Nannie, to be present at her
wedding with Holmes. Nannie had come to Chicago for that purpose, and
since then the two sisters had never been seen alive. In February in the
following year Pitezel, under the name of Lyman, had deposited at Fort
Worth, Texas, a deed according to which a man named Bond had transferred
to him property in that city which had belonged to Miss Williams, and
shortly after, Holmes, under the name of Pratt, joined him at Fort
Worth, whereupon the two commenced building on Miss Williams' land.

Other mysterious cases besides those of the Williams sisters revealed
the Bluebeard-like character of this latterday castle of Mr. Holmes. In
1887 a man of the name of Connor entered Holmes' employment. He brought
with him to the castle a handsome, intelligent wife and a little girl of
eight or nine years of age.

After a short time Connor quarrelled with his wife and went away,
leaving Mrs. Connor and the little girl with Holmes. After 1892 Mrs.
Connor and