Tomb Raider: Dr. H. H. Holmes vs. President Abraham Lincoln

This is the first time I'm doing a cross blog post and intertwining my Murder Castle blog with my Civil War blog. The Holmes related information is here. To find the Lincoln related information, click here: Lincoln's Tomb.

I figured that instead of just writing facts about the graves of both men, I would be a little more creative and compare and contrast the tombs to see which would be harder to break into (there are pluses and minuses to each). Which do you think will prevail? Will it be the tomb of the World's Fair Serial Killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes? Or will it be the tomb of 16th President Abraham Lincoln?

DISCLAIMER:

 

THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL (AND CREATIVE) POST DETAILING HOW THESE TWO MEN WERE BURIED. THIS DOES NOT PROMOTE GRAVE ROBBING OR BODY SNATCHING. LET THE DEAD REST IN PEACE! IF YOU DO NOT, YOUR DUMB ASS WILL BE ARRESTED AND I WILL NOT TAKE BLAME FOR YOUR STUPIDITY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Now that all the bases are covered, here are the statistics concerning the burial of Dr. Holmes:

Good: There is a picture of his final resting place in Holy Cross Cemetery in Pennsylvania.

Bad: As the image shows, he is in an unmarked grave beneath a rather large plot (actually two plots combined) and the exact location of Holmes' tomb is unknown. We know he's somewhere under the dirt but that's about it.

Good: The man was a killer. No way around that fact. So there is little chance an armed guard is watching over his grave.

Bad: Because it is a cemetery, patrolling guards still could be present in the area. Some sides of the cemetery also back up to houses so there is the chance of someone seeing or hearing you moving about inside.

Good: Obviously no monument or memorial sits over his grave.

Bad: He is still buried ten feet down. (Remember that movie Holes? They only had to dig five feet). Some serious digging would be required in this situation.

Good: To get to him, just a shovel would be needed.

Bad: Should you actually get there, giant, heavy, and loud machinery will be needed to lift him from the grave since he is encased in a giant slab of cement. (Holmes' coffin was filled with ten inches of cement before he was placed inside. Once he was, his face covered with a handkerchief, the cement was poured over him and packed to the brim. The coffin was then sealed and taken to the cemetery. The next day, the double, ten foot grave was dug and the coffin was placed inside. It was covered with two feet of sand and cement. Finally, the dirt was shoveled back into place). It also took 24 men to move the coffin/cement slab to the grave in 1896. Unless you are actually Superman is disguise, I don't believe you will be able to move it with your own hands.

Good: You wouldn't have to blow up the cement block in the cemetery itself. Instead, you could attempt to move it up and out in one piece.

Bad: The graves are very close to each other and, according to Google Maps, Holmes is located in the center of the cemetery. Good luck getting a crane or a backhoe to and from the grave without damaging the other stones or attracting attention.

Looking at the facts, it would be a bit (a really small bit) easier to find Holmes' tomb than Lincoln's. However, you would most likely get arrested while attempting to drive a machine through the front gates. Let's face it. Both cases end with you getting hauled off to jail. But at least you can touch the ground in Holy Cross Cemetery before being overtaken by police. I doubt you would even get inside Oak Ridge Cemetery, let alone near Lincoln's tomb.

Until next time.

XOXO, Kate

The Scarlet Mansion

The Scarlet Mansion is a book about the life and crimes of H. H. Holmes, beginning with his childhood in Gilmanton and ending with his execution in Philadelphia. It was written by Allan Eckert and published in 1985. After reading some reviews on Amazon and then procuring it from the library today, I decided it would make for a good first book review.

So far all I have read is the dust jacket. However, what stuck out to me there is that the tale is described as being "dramatic" but "lightly fictionalized." That is not necessarily a bad thing.

No one followed Holmes around every second of his 34 years and recorded what he did. With that being said, it is impossible to give a 100 percent accurate day by day account of Holmes' life. A light dusting of fiction sometimes means the author went above and beyond to get as close to the truth as possible and not embellish or insert his or her own opinion on what someone thought or did. However, it can also mean that the author considers "lightly fictionalized" merely getting names correct. Also, thankfully, nowhere have I noticed the two words historians dread.

BASED ON

Even though I hate seeing it happen, some authors choose to take the easy way out and put the words "based on" in the subtitle. Why? Because it means that the respective audience knows that just because something occurs in the story doesn't necessarily mean it occurred in real life. Therefore, the piece is not meant to be a learning experience. This also gives authors free reign to do no research and throw all historical accuracies out the window so they can write their own version of events with made up characters, incorrect dates, or, in the case of one example, ignore every first person account (including those written by Holmes), kill off characters at random, decrease the number of Pitezel children, and transform the skinny skirts of 1893 Chicago to the light up hoop skirts of a really bad Civil War reenactment. But I digress.

The reviews (13 in all) on Amazon, where the book currently holds four stars, go back and forth. One person gave it only one star and stated that the book was too long, filled with unnecessary information, and a work of pure fiction. Others gave it five stars for it's realistic feel and phenomenal writing.

I guess it's my turn to be the judge. Stay tuned.

Until next time.

XOXO, Kate

Independence Day in the White City

On July 4, 1893, the dark storm clouds that threatened to cancel the World's Columbian Exposition's grand fireworks show parted to reveal a beautiful night. Chinese lanterns hung throughout Jackson Park while red lights illuminated from the Ferris Wheel. Out on the lake, hundreds anchored their well lit boats and waited for the first rocket. Thousands crowded the fair and every Columbian Guard (the fair's police force) was on hand should problems arise.

Among the throng was H. H. Holmes and his guests, Minnie and Anna Williams. The trio stood with hundreds of others on the roof of the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building. This "roof" actually doubled as a large observation tower that visitors could access via elevator. It spanned the length on the gigantic building and was one of the best vantage points for taking in the sights of the fair (and the Fourth of July fireworks display).

 

Minnie, Holmes, and Anna

The band struck up "Home Sweet Home," the buildings became outlined in gold, searchlights on the Liberal Arts Building came alive, and colorful jets of water poured from MacMonnies Fountain. Soon fireworks from all directions exploded in the night sky and ended with a giant light up picture of George Washington that flared from Festival Hall. Some said being on the roof of the Liberal Arts building was as close to heaven as they would ever get. But heaven was much closer that year.

Holmes, Minnie, and Anna waited hours for a train back home. That night, as they talked together in the flat Holmes had rented (located at 1200 Wrightwood Ave) to get Minnie out of his hotel, Holmes told the two women that the next day they were going to leave on a trip to Europe. Giddy with excitement, Anna wrote a letter home telling her relatives that they "need never trouble any more about me." It was the perfect ending to the day.

The next morning, Holmes took Anna on a tour of the Castle. Most, if not all, of the guests were out at the fair. He returned to the flat alone. When Minnie asked where her sister was, Holmes said she was waiting for them back at the hotel. Giving her his arm, they departed. Neither Minnie nor Anna Williams were ever seen again.

Anna's clothing trunk arrived in Chicago but no one could find the owner.

The Oker family who rented Holmes the flat were surprised when Holmes sent a letter surrendering it. They had never seen anyone leave and had heard nothing about a departure. Books with torn out fly leaves (what people would sometimes write their names on) and several other odd items were found left behind in the room.

An Englewood resident named Cephas Humphrey who made his living transporting large objects (furniture, crates, trunks) was hired by Holmes to carry away a box and trunk. Later, he recalled Holmes' strange instructions to "come after the stuff about dark as I do not care to have the neighbors see it." Both items were heavy and when Humphrey leaned the coffin like box on it's side, Holmes ordered, "Don't do that. Lay it down flat." The box went on a train to an undisclosed destination. The trunk may have been given to Charles Chappell, the same man who had stripped and mounted the bones of Julia Conner.

A few days later, Holmes gave Benjamin Pitezel's wife, Carrie, some dresses, shoes, and hats that belonged to Minnie (who he said was a cousin that had moved east). He suggested Carrie use the fabric to make clothing. Pat Quinlan, janitor of the Castle, was given trunks. Carved into both were the initials MRW.

Minnie and Anna Williams became the fourth and fifth victims of H. H. Holmes.

Until next time.

XOXO, Kate