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
It was decided at the meeting at the Coroner’s office that later in the
day those interested should go to the cemetery where the body would be
exhumed for identification. This was done, there being in the party
the president and two others, representing the insurance company, a
physician and a Deputy Coroner representing the city; our attorney,
Alice Pitezel and myself, besides Mr. Smith before referred to.
Upon reaching the cemetery we were told that the body had already been
placed in a small house and was ready to be seen.
I felt, that there being two other physicians present, it was not
necessary for me to take part in the identification, unless called upon
to do so; and had, upon first arriving together with Mr. Perry, taken
the daughter to a distant quarter of the enclosure. The physician made
the examination of the body, which lay in a well-lighted room; and,
after taking abundant time for this purpose, came out of the building
and announced that all marks of identification were wanting. After
some further conversation, the president said to our attorney that they
were satisfied before they came there that such would be the case, and
a general movement was made preparatory to leaving the place.
The attorney asked me what I thought should be done, and upon my
answering him, he told the president that he would like to have me
examine the body as well. I asked the doctor if he would object, and he
said “No,” but that I would not find it a pleasant task.
I entered the building, and hardly had passed the door before I
was positive that the doctor had been mistaken in the color of the
hair. Upon a close examination, all the marks were easily found: the
wart upon the neck, equal in diameter to that of a lead pencil, and
projecting fully a quarter of an inch from the surface; the cowlick,
the bruised nail, the teeth decayed exactly as had been described; and
lastly, the scar an inch and a half in length upon the foot.
I could do no less than call the doctor in, and one by one he
grudgingly admitted their presence; and that there should be no
further question as to the identity of the man, I asked him to remove
the wart for microscopical examination, some of the hair, the nail
and the scar. He said he had no implement with him that he cared to
use for this purpose. I had only a very small lancet, but I removed
the necessary portions, and later turned them over to the Coroner’s
representative.
I then endeavored to have a decision reached at once in order to save
the necessity of the daughter seeing the body, feeling it to be cruel
to have her do so, and if possible to prevent it. The president would
not agree to this, but it was finally arranged that she should see only
the teeth. All other portions of the body were therefore excluded from
view, and I led the child into the building.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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