H. H. Holmes

For the science fiction author who occasionally used the pseudonym "H. H. Holmes", see Anthony Boucher.

H. H. Holmes
Mugshot of Holmes
Born
Herman Webster Mudgett

(1861-05-16)May 16, 1861
Gilmanton, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedMay 7, 1896(1896-05-07) (aged 34)
Moyamensing Prison, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Resting placeHoly Cross Cemetery (Yeadon, Pennsylvania)
Other names
See aliases & nicknames
  • H. H. Holmes
  • Alexander Bond
  • America's First Serial Killer
  • The Beast of Chicago
  • The Devil in the White City
  • The Torture Doctor
  • The Arch Fiend
  • Judson
  • Robert E Phelps
Alma mater
Spouses
  • Clara Lovering
    ​
    (m. 1878)​
  • Myrta Belknap
    ​
    (m. 1886)​
  • Minnie Williams
    ​
    (m. 1893)​
  • Georgiana Yoke
    ​
    (m. 1894)​
Conviction(s)First degree murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims1 (confirmed)
9+ (suspected)
Span of crimes
1891 – 1894 (confirmed)
1886 – 1894 (suspected)
Location(s)
Date apprehended
November 17, 1894

Herman Webster Mudgett (May 16, 1861 – May 7, 1896), better known as Dr. Henry Howard Holmes or H. H. Holmes, was an American con artist and serial killer active between 1891 and 1894. By the time of his execution in 1896, Holmes had engaged in a lengthy criminal career that included insurance fraud, forgery, swindling, three or four bigamous marriages, horse theft, and murder. His most notorious crimes took place in Chicago around the time of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.

Holmes was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Benjamin Pitezel, his accomplice in several of his cons. However, Holmes confessed to 27 murders, including those of some people who were verifiably still alive.[1] It is believed that he also killed three of Pitezel's children, as well as three mistresses, the child of one mistress and the sister of another.[2] Holmes was hanged on May 7, 1896.[3]

Much of the lore attached to Holmes concerns the so-called "Murder Castle", a three-story building he commissioned in Chicago. Details about the building, along with many of his alleged crimes, are considered exaggerated or fabricated for sensationalistic tabloid pieces with some accounts estimating his body count could be as high as 133[4] or even 200. Many of these inaccuracies have persisted due to the combination of ineffective police investigation and hyperbolic yellow journalism of the period, which are often cited as historical record.[5]

Holmes gave various contradictory accounts of his life, initially claiming innocence, and later that he was possessed by Satan. His propensity for lying has made it difficult for researchers to ascertain the truth on the basis of his statements.[6] For example, he claimed that Dr. Robert Leacock, a fellow medical school classmate, was one of his first murder victims, and that he killed him in 1886 for insurance money;[7] however, Leacock died on October 5, 1889, in Watford, Ontario, Canada.[8]

Since the 1990s, Holmes has often been described as a serial killer. In his book about Holmes, author Adam Selzer writes: "Just killing several people isn't necessarily enough for most definitions [of a serial killer]. More often, it has to be a series of similar crimes, committed over a period of time, usually more to satisfy a psychological urge on the killer's part than any more practical motive." He adds: "The murders we can connect 'Holmes' to generally had a clear motive: someone knew too much, or was getting in his way, and couldn't be trusted. The murders weren't simply for love of bloodshed but a necessary part of furthering his swindling operations and protecting his lifestyle."[9]

  1. ^ Crighton, J.D.; Mudgett, Herman W. (2017). Holmes' Own Story: Confessed 27 Murders, Lied, then Died. Aerobear Classics. pp. 87–90. ISBN 978-1-946100-00-9.
  2. ^ Mudgett, Herman W. (1897). The Trial of Herman W. Mudgett, Alias H.H. Holmes, for the Murder of Benjamin F. Pitezel: In the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery and Quarter Sessions of the Peace, in and for the City and County of Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ... 1895. Bisel.
  3. ^ Johnson, Scott Patrick (2011). Trials of the Century: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture and the Law. ABC-CLIO. pp. 173–174. ISBN 978-1-59884-261-6.
  4. ^ "The untold truth of America's first serial killer". Grunge.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  5. ^ Selzer, Adam (2017). H.H. Holmes: the true history of the White City Devil. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-5107-1343-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Kerns, Rebecca; Lewis, Tiffany; McClure, Caitlin (2012). "Herman Webster Mudgett: 'Dr. H.H Holmes or Beast of Chicago'" (PDF) (PDF). Department of Psychology, Radford University. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  8. ^ General Catalogue of Officers and Students and Supplements Containing Death Notices. University of Michigan. 1902.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Selzer 2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).