A Book of Remarkable CriminalsIrving, H. B. (Henry Brodribb)
History
A Book of Remarkable Criminals
Irving, H. B. (Henry Brodribb)
Criminals -- Biography
These struck him as two beautiful lines very appropriate to his
situation. He made a New Year's resolve to give up meat during his close
confinement. The visits of his third wife brought him some comfort. He
was "agreeably surprised" to find that, as an unconvicted prisoner, he
could order in his own meals and receive newspapers and periodicals. But
he was hurt at an unfriendly suggestion on the part of the authorities
that Pitezel had not died by his own hand, and that Edward Hatch was but
a figment of his rich imagination. He would like to have been released
on bail, but in the same unfriendly spirit was informed that, if he
were, he would be detained on a charge of murder. And so the months
dragged on. Holmes, studious, patient, injured, the authorities puzzled,
suspicions, baffled--still no news of Miss Williams or the three
children. It was not until June 3 that Holmes was put on his trial for
fraud, and the following day pleaded guilty. Sentence was postponed.
The same day Holmes was sent for to the office of the District Attorney,
who thus addressed him: "It is strongly suspected, Holmes, that you have
not only murdered Pitezel, but that you have killed the children. The
best way to remove this suspicion is to produce the children at once.
Now, where are they?" Unfriendly as was this approach, Holmes met it
calmly, reiterated his previous statement that the children had gone
with Miss Williams to England, and gave her address in London, 80 Veder
or Vadar Street, where, he said, Miss Williams had opened a massage
establishment. He offered to draw up and insert a cipher advertisement
in the New York Herald, by means of which, he said, Miss Williams and he
had agreed to communicate, and almost tearfully he added, "Why should I
kill innocent children?"
Asked to give the name of any person who had seen Miss Williams and the
children in the course of their journeyings in America, he resented
the disbelief implied in such a question, and strong was his manly
indignation when one of the gentlemen present expressed his opinion that
the story was a lie from beginning to end. This rude estimate of
Holmes' veracity was, however, in some degree confirmed when a cipher
advertisement published in the New York Herald according to Holmes'
directions, produced no reply from Miss Williams, and inquiry showed
that no such street as Veder or Vadar Street was to be found in London.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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