H. H. Holmes - 2284 Words

DR. H. H. Holmes, One of Americas first Serial Killers. Tommy Smith Criminal Justice Case Study Instructor: Dennis Stephens 3/24/11 Bibliography Borowski, John (November 2005). Estrada, Dimas. ed. The Strange Case of Dr. H. H. Holmes: Worlds First Serial Killer. West Hollywood, CA: Waterfront Productions. â€Å"H. H. Holmes Biography.† 2011 AE Television Networks http://www.biography.com/articles/H.-H.-Holmes-307622?part=1 Holmes, H. H. Holmes Own Story. Burk McFetridge, 1895. Ramsland, Katherine. â€Å"H. H. Holmes: Master of Illusion.† http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/history/holmes/.html Schecter, Harold (August 2008). Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H. H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century†¦show more content†¦Holmes purchased a lot across from the drugstore and built what would be later known as his Murder Castle (which is where it is believed that he hid the bodies of Dr. E.S. Holton and his wife). Holmes would open it up as a hotel for the Worlds Columbian Exposition in 1893, with part of the structure used as commercial space. The ground floor of the Castle contained Holmess own relocated drugstore and various shops, while the upper two floors contained his personal office and a maze of over one hundred windowless rooms with doorways opening to brick walls, oddly angled hallways, stairways to nowhere, doors opened only from the outside, and a host of other strange and labyrinthine constructions. Holmes repeatedly changed builders during the construction of the Castle, so only he fully understood the design of the house, thus decreasing the chance of being reported to the police. Holmes selected mostly female victims from among his employees (many of which were required as a condition of employment to take out life insurance policies for which Holmes would pay the premiums but also be the beneficiary), as well as his lovers and hotel guests. He tortured and killed them in some of the worst possible ways you could imagine. Some were locked in soundproof bedrooms fitted with gas lines that let him asphyxiate them at any time and some were locked in a huge soundproof bank vault near his office where they were left to suffocate. HeShow MoreRelatedH. H. Holmes1891 Words   |  8 Pagesnothing new to today’s society. Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy shocked our nation with their violent, brutal, and at times unbelievable crimes, although none of them were as notorious as Herman Webster Mudgett better known as Dr. H.H. Holmes. A man that carried himself as a smart, intellectual member of society, but in reality he was a smooth talking conman an d very disturbed individual. A man who designed and built a building with torture rooms that would serve as his play house. BeingRead MoreCase study on Dr. H. H. Holmes1268 Words   |  6 Pages Clinical Psychology Case study of Dr. H.H. Holmes Case Overview Dr. H.H. Holmes is considered America s first serial killer. The number of victims is estimated to be 27, and later discoveries of corpses revealed as many as 200. Holmes initially committed crimes such as fraud and forgery. In 1893 he built a three story building and named it the castle as a hotel, drug store, and commercial store fronts for the Chicago World s Fair. Holmes used the windowless hotel to lure his victims inRead MoreSerial Killers: H. H. Holmes Essay2491 Words   |  10 Pagesthe Ripper was executing his victims in London, Holmes began his gruesome career in Chicago (America’s Serial Killers). â€Å"Despite being America’s first serial killer, Holmes is hardly a familiar name and until now we haven’t had any popular visual record of his crimes: (Spikol). Why is it that people only think of the more popular killers with higher known profiles? They are all very similar to one another because they share characteristics. H.H. Holmes was a successful serial killer because he wasRead MoreDr. H. H. Holmes: Americas First Serial Killer Essay1527 Words   |  7 Pagespoet can help the inspiration to sing – I was born with the Evil One standing as my sponsor beside the bed where I was ushered in the world, and he has been with me since† (Troy, Taylor). This statement was a quoted confession from Dr. H. H. Holmes himself in 1896. Holmes was the first major serial killer in America, even though he came after many others in his time. Thomas Neil Cream, the Austin Axe Murderer, the Bloody Benders, and Jack the Ripper came before him. His name was originally Herman WebsterRead MoreComparison Of H, H. Holmes, And Gary Ridgway And The Green River Killer1817 Words   |  8 PagesH.H Holmes, as well as Gary Ridgway, AKA The Green River Killer. While both of them are similar in many aspects, in some ways they are worlds apart. H. H Holmes was born Herman Webster Mudgett in Gilmanton New Hampshire to parents Levi Horton Mudgett and Theodate Page Price. Holmes was the third child born into his family, youngest of an older brother named Arthur and an older sister named Mary. Born into an affluent family, Holmes was said to be remarkably intelligent at a young age. Holmes parentsRead MoreH. Holmes : The First American Serial Killer1332 Words   |  6 PagesH. H. Holmes Henry Herman Holmes was known to many as the first American serial killer. Better known as just H. H. Holmes, he committed many murders in a suburb on the south side of Chicago during the late 1800’s. Holmes once admitted to police that he killed 27 people, but many actually predict that the number of murders he committed is near 200 (Handley). So what is the real number of people that he killed? Let’s take a closer look at the facts of Holmes’ life, occupation, and the mansionRead MoreThe White City By Erik Larson887 Words   |  4 PagesWhite City† surrounds the events of the 1893 Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago. Larson does a magnificent job intertwining the lives of two men who were changed by the events of the fair. Daniel H. Burnham, the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World s Fair and Dr. H. H. Holmes, the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. The purpose of this review is not only to summarize Larson’s fascinating and satisfying work which vividly portrays oneRead MoreThe Night At The Corner Of A Street1686 Words   |  7 Pagesseem like something out of a horror movie, these horrid events really did take place. This so called hotel, known today as â€Å"The Murder Castle†, was an elaborate contraption created by Herman Webster Mudgett, who is more commonly known as H. H. Holmes. Dr. Holmes opened The World’s Fair Hotel, now referred to as The Murder Castle, where he killed and dissected his victims in order to feed his insatiable bloodlust and greed. This man might as well have been the Devil himself, and his hotel the Devil’sRead MoreModern Architecture, Ferris Wheels, 1500 Pound Chocolate Bars1787 Words   |  8 Pages Classical architecture, ferris wheels, 1500 pound chocolate bars. These new, unheard of attractions at the Columbian Exposition attracted millions of unsuspecting, innocent guests to the preying gro und of the narcissistic Dr. H. H. Holmes. Chicago, Illinois, the host of the 1983 World’s Fair, was home to this sadistic serial killer who attracted his prey using his education and occupation as a means to gain trust from new, unsuspecting travelers from the 46 nations who participated in the expositionRead MoreSummary Of Erik Larson s The Devil s The Red Devil And Where Is The White City1176 Words   |  5 Pagesentwines two true stories that, at first glance, don t seem to have much to do with each other: First, the story of architect and urban planner, Daniel H. Burnham, who masterminded the 1893 World s Fair in Chicago; second, the tale of Dr. H. H. Holmes, who has been called America s first serial killer. By now, you ve probably guessed that Holmes, who may have lured more than 200 people to their deaths in an elaborately-constructed building dubbed ‘The Murder Castle’, is the Devil of Larson s title