H. H. Holmes is one of the most infamous killers in the history of Chicago and the United States. In late 1894, when authorities arrested Holmes on a warrant for horse theft in Texas, they learned Holmes, the architect and former owner of the “murder castle” in Chicago, not only looked like the villain from a melodrama but acted the part, too. Although he confessed to killing 27 people in April 1896, historians still find it nearly impossible to distinguish between fact and fiction.
Join me and my guest Nancy as we discuss the facts and fictions about Holmes. Listen carefully because this is most definitely a case where it’s tough to know if something is fact or fiction. You be the judge!
References
Bones of the Slain. (1895, July 28). The Chicago Chronicle, 1 – 3.
Castle is a Tomb. (1895, July 28). Chicago Tribune, 1 – 2.
Early Life. (n. d.) America’s First Serial Killer: The Devious Deeds of H. H. Holmes. Retrieved from https://hhholmesmurderer.weebly.com/early-life.html
Eric. (2020, October 6). Excavating the Former Site of H. H. Holmes late 19th Century “Glass Bending Factory” Revisited. Urban Remains. Retrieved from https://www.urbanremainschicago.com/news-and-events/2020/10/06/excavating-the-former-site-of-h-h-holmes-glass-bending-factory/
Full Confessions of H. H. Holmes. (1896, April 12) The Journal. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn84031792/1896-04-12/ed-1/.
- H. Holmes. (n. d.) Alcatraz East Crime Museum. Retrieved from https://www.alcatrazeast.com/crime-library/serial-killers/hh-holmes/
- H. Holmes//Replay. (2021, July). The Generation Why Podcast. Retreived from https://open.spotify.com/episode/5AJWR7acjTrIyo4U1vG9et
Holmes Confesses 27 Murders. (1896, April 12). Philadelphia Inquirer.
Holmes Murder Castle Razed for Post Office (1938, May 15). Chicago Tribune, 7.
Holzwarth, Larry. (2018, October 19). 18 Facts Most People Didn’t Know about H. H. Holmes. History Collection. Retrieved from https://historycollection.com/18-facts-most-people-didnt-know-about-h-h-holmes/14/
House of Horrors. (1996, May 6). Herald and Review, 11.
Kreps, Daniel. “H.H. Holmes: Tests Confirm Serial Killer’s Body in Grave,” RollingStone.com, 2 September 2017
Light on a Suspect’s Life. (1895, July 24). San Francisco Chronicle, 2.
Links in the Chain. (1895, July 27). The Chicago Chronicle, 1 – 3.
Miller, Cassie. (2019, October 31). Scary, But True: Serial Killer H.H. Holmes Foiled By Insurer. Insurance Newsnet. Retrieved from https://insurancenewsnet.com/innarticle/scary-but-true-serial-killer-h-h-holmes-foiled-by-insurer
Murder Castle! (1937, March 21). Chicago Tribune, 77 – 78.
Selzer, Adam. (2017). H. H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil. Skyhorse. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1510713433/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chicagunbeli-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1510713433&linkId=d0177ca2f16639140c7e889a730c0dc3
Selzer, Adam. The Three Confessions of HH Holmes. Kindle Edition
Vasudevan, Varsha. (2020, January 28). New Documenatry Claims that Meghan Markle is Related to Prime Jack the Ripper Suspect, H. H. Holmes. Retrieved from https://meaww.com/channel-4-documentary-claims-that-meghan-markle-is-related-to-americas-first-serial-killer-h-h-holmes
Ward, Alvin. (2018, May 18). Meghan Markle is Related to H. H. Holmes, America’s First Serial Killer, According to New Documentary. Mental Floss. Retrieved from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/545142/meghan-markle-related-hh-holmes-serial-killer-jack-the-ripper
Whalen, Lauren. (2015, November 2). A History of Chicago’s Murder Castle. Chicagoist. Retrieved from https://chicagoist.com/2015/11/02/i_was_born_with_the_devil_in_me_a_h.php