Holmes' Own Story: In Which the Alleged Multi-murderer and Arch Conspirator Tells of the Twenty-two Tragic Deaths and Disappearances in Which He Is Said to Be Implicated, With Moyamensing Prison Diary AppendixMudgett, Herman W.
General
Holmes' Own Story: In Which the Alleged Multi-murderer and Arch Conspirator Tells of the Twenty-two Tragic Deaths and Disappearances in Which He Is Said to Be Implicated, With Moyamensing Prison Diary Appendix
Mudgett, Herman W.
Mudgett, Herman W., 1861-1896; Serial murderers -- Illinois -- Chicago -- Biography
For the first few days of my stay in New York, I was busy visiting
several large machinery stores and in doing some other work pertaining
to my company’s business of years before. Upon the morning of the 9th
of August, Pitezel reminded me that his insurance expired that day, and
requested that I aid him in placing his temporary insurance.
I had been waiting for him to make this announcement. He had a very
valuable, undeveloped patent, nearly finished, a machine for testing
eggs, which I wished to use at once. I therefore said to him, suppose
I pay you $500 cash for your share of the new patent (I by previous
contract already owned one-half of it), then you can use the money as
you choose, both for insurance and other matters. He answered that he
ought not to take less than a $1,000. I finally gave him $600 for it,
and upon his asking me which he should do, retain his old insurance
or take out the new, I at once advised him to retain the old, for two
reasons: _First_, it would help my old friend again. _Second_, if he
took the third insurance, long before the expiration of that time his
money would have been blown away, and I should feel obliged to give him
more.
He then said, “I will go and telegraph to the company in Chicago, and
see if they will keep my insurance in force until the money can reach
them.” I said, wire them the money instead. This was apparently a new
idea to him, for after understanding it he not only wired them what was
due, but also a small amount to St. Louis to his wife. I, as usual,
cautioned him to be careful of the rest of the money, and make it last
as long as he could. Besides this I had done all I could to cheer him
up, and get him out of the morbid condition he had been in, and he
voluntarily promised that for the following thirty days he would not
drink liquor.
He told me afterwards that so hard did he try to keep his promise after
I left him in New York that he went to the post-office there, and sent
by registered letter to B. F. Perry[1] in Philadelphia, nearly all the
money he had, so as to place himself beyond temptation for the first
hard days of his struggle. At this time I had come to Philadelphia
to meet my wife, to do some business with the Link Belt Engineering
Company, with some stationers and with the Pennsylvania Railroad, all
of whom were using a patent in which I was interested. Upon reaching
Philadelphia I found that this and other work would detain me some
time, and not knowing of Pitezel’s precaution already taken, and
fearing lest he should become drunk in New York, I wrote to him to come
here. This he did, and, deciding to make our headquarters here, I hired
some rooms for my wife and myself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account