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
I then tried to explain to them that for want of time alone, even if I
were the bloodthirsty villain they were inclined to make me appear, I
could not be guilty of the Toronto murders, and begged them to allow me
to go there before by any chance evidence that could now be obtained
should become unavailable to me. To this the District Attorney replied,
“I shall not do it; I shall try you here.” What more could be said?
If a man as broad-minded as I knew the District Attorney to be, both
from common report and from my own observation, would not consider so
important a statement, what could I expect from others having a less
thorough knowledge of the case? I was much disappointed, both at not
being allowed to go there, and at the harsh and unjust way he looked
upon the matter, and the feeling was increased a few minutes later when
I asked to be allowed to provide for my wife’s support while here, by
having him tell me that he did not consider it any part of my business
at the present time to either know of or care for her welfare; and some
weeks later by his refusing to allow my relatives and business agent
to visit me at the prison, and by a number of trivial matters like
withholding my newspaper and intercepting and keeping letters that,
after reading, he could see did not pertain to, and could not influence
my case in any way, saying that if I were given hardships enough and
kept long enough away from others, I would confess these crimes.
Feeling it was useless to prolong the interview, and noticing that my
wife was suffering intensely, I brought it to a close as quickly as
possible. I bade her good-bye and was again handcuffed and taken to
prison.
During the previous days the part of the Toronto matters that had
seemed the most unaccountable to me was how Hatch could have returned
to the depot so soon after I had left both him and the children upon
the train, and what excuse he could have given to them to forego their
journey. This information my interview had supplied. In questioning me,
Superintendent Linden had said, “Who was that light young man standing
upon the corner of the street near the house where the children were
killed, that you spoke with at some length and then went away to hire
an expressman?” I hesitated in my answer to him, and finally told him
that I had not met any one there, but if he knew that such a meeting
had taken place it was of the most vital importance to my case. There
had instantly come into my mind when he had asked this question a
remembrance of two years previous, but owing to their scoffs at the
possibility of Hatch’s existence, I felt it wise to refrain from
speaking of it to him until I could hear from those by whom I could
prove the statement I would have liked to have made at the time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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