#hhholmes

H.H. Holmes: Beyond the Murder Castle

Enter the chilling world of H.H. Holmes, a name synonymous with the macabre, mystery, and the dawn of known serial killers in America. As we peel back the layers of history, we invite you to go beyond the sensationalized tales often recounted and, instead, discover the lesser-known but no less horrifying truth behind the man.

One of the most interesting factors of H.H. Holmes’ crimes is his Murder Castle. The hotel was constructed shortly after Holmes’ move to Chicago, finalized in 1891. The crews working on the building were frequently fired and swapped with a new crew, so that no one would become suspicious of the true intentions of the hotel. When finally completed, Holmes opened the hotel’s doors and began his murderous activities. Unfortunately, much of the hotel’s reality is shrouded in mystery, due to it burning down. A majority of the information we have today is possibly embellished by news reporters at the time, hoping to capitalize on the tragedy of the murders. 

On the first floor, Holmes intended for stores, similar to an indoor mall today, to be constructed and line the walls. This space was to be rented out to new businesses that flooded the city at the time. The second floor of the hotel was said to have been based on twisting corridors, eerily reminiscent of a maze. This floor hosted most of Holmes’ victims and allegedly had asphyxiation chambers. At the very top, on the third floor, Holmes rented out apartments to newcomers of the city. The most chilling area of the hotel was not in the base three floors however. Underground, in the basement, Holmes hid his most despicable horrors. It is said the basement had an operating table, fully decked out with an array of medical tools. Whether the use of this was genuine medicine or horrific torture for his victims is unknown. Additionally, there was a kiln where Holmes would cremate his victims.

The Castle was allegedly completed with doors that locked from the outside, in order to trap his victims, and a stairway to nowhere. Historians speculate that many of the claimed traps, such as the gas chambers and trapdoors, were simply due to exaggeration from the media. There are none of the original blueprints for the hotel existing, thus leaving us unable to verify what was held in the over 100 rooms of the hotel. While some mock-up artworks depict the inner parts of the Castle, nothing remains to verify if these drawings are accurate.  All knowledge of the building perished with Holmes and the fire that burned it to the ground. 

Early 1900s newspapers which reference H.H. Holmes. Read more at the following links (via Chronicling America, a division of the Library of Congress):

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058396/1914-07-04/ed-1/seq-19/

Motive is a key factor in most crimes. Why a criminal does what they do, why the most ghastly crimes are committed, is a question asked since the beginning of civilization. Most have reasons based on passion, or a simple joy for their acts of violence. Even so, some are based on the outcome of their crime, rather than the enjoyment they gain from their heinous activities. H. H. Holmes was a fascinating individual, as his murders were based on the financial gain from insurance fraud. While it can be speculated that his obsession with anatomy could apply to his predisposition for murder, it can also be said that he simply wished to reap the financial gain.

Of Holmes' victims, a majority were young women he seduced in order to gain control of their assets. Unlike many other famous serial killers, Holmes was never reported to commit sexual violence or power struggles onto these women. His motives were simple: the money gained from their deaths. With all of Holmes’ criminal enterprises, many could argue that murder was just a means to an end for him to commit fraud. Regardless of his motivations, his obsession with skeletons and death at a young age was a clear indicator of his instability.

At the peak of his career, Holmes utilized the Chicago World’s Fair to find his victims. The bustling crowd of outsiders made it easy for Holmes to ensure his victims would not be missed. Due to the proximity to the fair, his hotel was a perfect location to gain access to the travelers. He would convince them to stay at the Murder Castle, where many were never seen again.

After the World’s Fair parted ways with Chicago, the economy went into a slump. As a result, Holmes participated in a much larger number of scams, traveling across the country to enact them.  His final act of murder was of the Pitezel family, which began as a deal with Benjamin Pitezel to fake his own death. The agreement was that Pitezel would take out a $10,000 life insurance policy and then fake his death. The plan had many hiccups, with Holmes being arrested and sharing a cell with Marion Hedgepeth, who aided the scheme in exchange for a cut of the earnings. However, the plan would only continue to derail itself. After his release from prison, Holmes murdered Pitezel. He continued to murder three of Pitezel’s children, out of fear they would alert authorities.