Nothing like a little time jump in order to get on with the story of the devious devil that is H.H Holmes. At the beginning of this section, it is June 1985, two years after the opening of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Frank Geyer, an experienced detective of the Philadelphia police department, is introduced as having been assigned the case of one unusual suspect who was in police custody for insurance fraud. This subject, of course, was none other than one Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes. He was recently picked up by the Philadelphia police department for faking the death of his longtime associate Benjamin Pitezel and attempting to swindle the insurance company out of $10,000 for the life insurance policy he had taken out of Pitezel. While it had appeared clear to everyone that this was the extent of Holmes’s crimes, as he had confessed and awaited trial, to Geyer it slowly became clear that he had not faked Pitezel’s death, but that he killed him and made it look like an accident. As if that was not grave enough, three of Pitezel’s five children were now missing as well, all of which were last seen in Holmes’s company. As a result, it becomes Frank Geyer’s assignment to find the children, and awaiting him is much more than he ever could have expected.
Geyer is aware of Holmes’s ownership of the World’s Fair Hotel in Chicago during the exposition, as well as the fact that he moved to Texas after the Fair’s conclusion before traveling around a bit to St. Louis, and finally Philadelphia, all the way committing frauds. To learn even more he goes to Holmes’s cell to interview him, but learns nothing new given Holmes’s aptitude for lying and charming people. Apparently the three young children- Alice, Nellie, and Howard- had been traveling with Minnie Williams on their way to England the last time Holmes had seen them. The only other information Geyer gets before going on his way is a collection of letters from Alice and Nellie to their mother, outlining parts of their journey, that were intercepted by Holmes so that they never reached her. He uses these letters to retrace the steps of their seemingly simple journey, before learning along the way that it is much more complex than he envisioned. Geyer begins in Cincinnati, then travels to Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit, along the way finding several hotels and even houses that Holmes took residence in along his journey, and picking up many key pieces of information. By the time that he gets to Indianapolis, Geyer learns that Holmes’s latest wife, Georgiana Yoke, had been traveling with him at the same time as the children. What was bizarre, however, was the fact that Holmes seemed to manage to keep the two parties separate, his wife and the children. He is hesitant to leave Indianapolis for Chicago, feeling from the girls’s letters that, “Howard had never left there alive” (Larson 348). Upon his arrival in Chicago, surprisingly enough, the detective learned minimal about Holmes and quickly moved forward to Detroit. By the time he gets to Detroit, “Geyer was getting a feel for his quarry. There was nothing rational about Holmes, but his behavior seemed to follow a pattern” (Larson 349). He becomes surprised further to find that Holmes was now moving three separate parties, his wife, the children, and Mrs. Pitezel, and kept them all separate from each other. The most startling information was found in Alice Pitezel’s letter, however, which said, “Howard is not with us now” (Larson 350). It would appear that Frank Geyer’s worry from Indianapolis might be a reality.
Geyer is aware of Holmes’s ownership of the World’s Fair Hotel in Chicago during the exposition, as well as the fact that he moved to Texas after the Fair’s conclusion before traveling around a bit to St. Louis, and finally Philadelphia, all the way committing frauds. To learn even more he goes to Holmes’s cell to interview him, but learns nothing new given Holmes’s aptitude for lying and charming people. Apparently the three young children- Alice, Nellie, and Howard- had been traveling with Minnie Williams on their way to England the last time Holmes had seen them. The only other information Geyer gets before going on his way is a collection of letters from Alice and Nellie to their mother, outlining parts of their journey, that were intercepted by Holmes so that they never reached her. He uses these letters to retrace the steps of their seemingly simple journey, before learning along the way that it is much more complex than he envisioned. Geyer begins in Cincinnati, then travels to Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit, along the way finding several hotels and even houses that Holmes took residence in along his journey, and picking up many key pieces of information. By the time that he gets to Indianapolis, Geyer learns that Holmes’s latest wife, Georgiana Yoke, had been traveling with him at the same time as the children. What was bizarre, however, was the fact that Holmes seemed to manage to keep the two parties separate, his wife and the children. He is hesitant to leave Indianapolis for Chicago, feeling from the girls’s letters that, “Howard had never left there alive” (Larson 348). Upon his arrival in Chicago, surprisingly enough, the detective learned minimal about Holmes and quickly moved forward to Detroit. By the time he gets to Detroit, “Geyer was getting a feel for his quarry. There was nothing rational about Holmes, but his behavior seemed to follow a pattern” (Larson 349). He becomes surprised further to find that Holmes was now moving three separate parties, his wife, the children, and Mrs. Pitezel, and kept them all separate from each other. The most startling information was found in Alice Pitezel’s letter, however, which said, “Howard is not with us now” (Larson 350). It would appear that Frank Geyer’s worry from Indianapolis might be a reality.
As Geyer is off exploring and investigating Holmes’s crimes, the devilish doctor remains in his cell in Moyamensing Prison and becomes “the model of a model prisoner” (Larson 351). While it seemed like this, the fact is that he was manipulating the guards in order to get what he wants, namely a newspaper that allows him to observe Geyer’s search and his own growing fame. Beyond this, Holmes begins to compose a diary of his time in prison, as well as a memoir of his own life, both of which were inventions of his twisted mind in order to bend the truth in his favor. In addition, Holmes composes a letter to Mrs. Carrie Pitezel, likely with the intent of backing the story he told Geyer about Minnie Williams taking the children to England. Meanwhile, Geyer goes to Toronto, again realizing that Holmes kept the groups in three different locations. Here he gains a valid tip from a man who believes Holmes rented the house next to his for only a day, borrowing a shovel and leaving with a trunk indefinitely. Upon this information, the detectives immediately check out the house next door, traveling into the cellar where they make an alarming discovery: “Only a slight hole had been made when the gases burst forth and the stench was frightful. At three feet they uncovered human bone” (Larson 357). What they found was the decaying, naked remains of Alice and Nellie Pitezel, who were identifiable only by Alice’s teeth and Nellie’s long black hair. It is discovered that Holmes put the girls in a trunk before cutting a hole in the side and pumping in gas to kill them. Howard is not found and Geyer remains hopeful that he could still be alive in Indianapolis somehow.
As the news of Geyer’s discoveries breaks out into the papers, Holmes manages to find out despite the efforts of the police to keep the papers out of his hands. He will not talk to the District Attorney when summoned there for questioning and even makes up a story about Minnie and a man named Hatch plotting to kill the children in order to keep his innocence alive. After putting this in his memoir, Holmes communicates with journalist John King to attempt to publish it. Meanwhile, Geyer’s search for Howard Pitezel takes him back to Indianapolis, where he first has no leads. As this is happening, the discovery of the girls cause Chicago police to investigate what would soon be known as Holmes’s murder castle in Englewood. Here they find overwhelming evidence that suggests that Holmes murdered several young women, including 8 ribs, part of a skull, 18 ribs from a child, several vertebrate, a foot bone, a shoulder blade, a hip socket, as well as many female clothing items. The police seem to identify a few of the victims before the hotel mysteriously burns to the ground one night, destroying much unexplored evidence. Back in Indianapolis, Geyer finally goes to the only area he hasn’t yet searched, Irvington. Here he uncovers Howard’s remains, along with evidence and witnesses that clearly point Holmes as the killer. As a result from all of this Holmes is indicted in many cities, including Philadelphia, Toronto and Indianapolis, for murders. He will likely be convicted in at least one state for murder and his book is published. His horrendous acts were described by one newspaper which wrote, “He is a prodigy of wickedness, a human demon, a being so unthinkable that no novelist would dare to invent such a character” (Larson 370). When Holmes finally goes to trial, he is convicted and given the maximum sentence of the death penalty, He confesses to killing many people, although the exact number is never known as he gives three different confessions. In one confession, Holmes described himself in a seemingly bizarre manner saying, “My head and face are gradually assuming an elongated shape. I believe fully that I am growing to resemble the devil- that the similitude is almost completed” (Larson 385). This claim seems absurd until after his hanging, at which he seemed very calm and collected. After he is killed, strange things happened to those connected to his conviction. Frank Geyer became very ill, the warden of the prison committed suicide, a jury member was electrocuted, the priest who delivered his last rights was found dead of mysterious causes, Emeline Cigrand’s father was grotesquely burned, and the DA’s office burned leaving only a picture of Holmes unscathed. All of these bizarre occurrences only contributed to the mysterious menace that was Dr. H.H. Holmes.
Beyond the interesting end of H.H. Holmes, the end of the novel sheds light onto what happens with the various members that helped make the World’s Columbian Exposition possible. The Fair undoubtedly has a lasting impact on Chicago, the US, and the world. It inspired people like Walt Disney, L. Frank Baum and his creation of Oz, and Frank Lloyd Wright. It also spurred the career of Daniel Burnham, who became a highly recruited architect. across the country. After the Fair, however, it was not all good news for the key components. Daniel Burnham begins to suffer from a declining health level, Olmsted dies in an institution he desperately did not want to be in, George Ferris dies of typhoid fever in 1896, and Sol Bloom, the midway manager, loses everything in a bad investment. Lastly the novel returns to where it began, with Daniel Hudson Burnham aboard the Olympic, attempting to contact Frank Millet on the sister ship, the Titanic, in the year 1912. Unfortunately Burnham is disappointed as he learns of the ship’s sinking and that his dear friend did not survive. Regardless of the Titanic’s tragic end, the Olympic continues its course for Europe. In a tragic twist Daniel Burnham lives only 47 more days as he slips into a coma and dies, before later being buried nearby John Root in Graceland, Chicago.
Overall I believe that The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is truly a masterful literary work. Larson somehow is able to blend historical truths with his own imagination to create a historical fiction novel that reads like a piece of fiction. From the intricate details and images used to describe the White City that rose triumphantly in the Black City of Chicago, to the details into the psychotic mind of H.H. Holmes, Larson creates a text that is interesting nd informative. The part that easily was more intriguing personally was the story of H.H. Holmes and the tales of his terror and murder. The novel turned out to be everything that I had hoped it would be upon choosing it and it will be one that I remember reading throughout my life. I will definitely be anticipating the release of the movie version of the novel, in which Leonardo Dicaprio has been casted to play the devilish H.H. Holmes.
As the news of Geyer’s discoveries breaks out into the papers, Holmes manages to find out despite the efforts of the police to keep the papers out of his hands. He will not talk to the District Attorney when summoned there for questioning and even makes up a story about Minnie and a man named Hatch plotting to kill the children in order to keep his innocence alive. After putting this in his memoir, Holmes communicates with journalist John King to attempt to publish it. Meanwhile, Geyer’s search for Howard Pitezel takes him back to Indianapolis, where he first has no leads. As this is happening, the discovery of the girls cause Chicago police to investigate what would soon be known as Holmes’s murder castle in Englewood. Here they find overwhelming evidence that suggests that Holmes murdered several young women, including 8 ribs, part of a skull, 18 ribs from a child, several vertebrate, a foot bone, a shoulder blade, a hip socket, as well as many female clothing items. The police seem to identify a few of the victims before the hotel mysteriously burns to the ground one night, destroying much unexplored evidence. Back in Indianapolis, Geyer finally goes to the only area he hasn’t yet searched, Irvington. Here he uncovers Howard’s remains, along with evidence and witnesses that clearly point Holmes as the killer. As a result from all of this Holmes is indicted in many cities, including Philadelphia, Toronto and Indianapolis, for murders. He will likely be convicted in at least one state for murder and his book is published. His horrendous acts were described by one newspaper which wrote, “He is a prodigy of wickedness, a human demon, a being so unthinkable that no novelist would dare to invent such a character” (Larson 370). When Holmes finally goes to trial, he is convicted and given the maximum sentence of the death penalty, He confesses to killing many people, although the exact number is never known as he gives three different confessions. In one confession, Holmes described himself in a seemingly bizarre manner saying, “My head and face are gradually assuming an elongated shape. I believe fully that I am growing to resemble the devil- that the similitude is almost completed” (Larson 385). This claim seems absurd until after his hanging, at which he seemed very calm and collected. After he is killed, strange things happened to those connected to his conviction. Frank Geyer became very ill, the warden of the prison committed suicide, a jury member was electrocuted, the priest who delivered his last rights was found dead of mysterious causes, Emeline Cigrand’s father was grotesquely burned, and the DA’s office burned leaving only a picture of Holmes unscathed. All of these bizarre occurrences only contributed to the mysterious menace that was Dr. H.H. Holmes.
Beyond the interesting end of H.H. Holmes, the end of the novel sheds light onto what happens with the various members that helped make the World’s Columbian Exposition possible. The Fair undoubtedly has a lasting impact on Chicago, the US, and the world. It inspired people like Walt Disney, L. Frank Baum and his creation of Oz, and Frank Lloyd Wright. It also spurred the career of Daniel Burnham, who became a highly recruited architect. across the country. After the Fair, however, it was not all good news for the key components. Daniel Burnham begins to suffer from a declining health level, Olmsted dies in an institution he desperately did not want to be in, George Ferris dies of typhoid fever in 1896, and Sol Bloom, the midway manager, loses everything in a bad investment. Lastly the novel returns to where it began, with Daniel Hudson Burnham aboard the Olympic, attempting to contact Frank Millet on the sister ship, the Titanic, in the year 1912. Unfortunately Burnham is disappointed as he learns of the ship’s sinking and that his dear friend did not survive. Regardless of the Titanic’s tragic end, the Olympic continues its course for Europe. In a tragic twist Daniel Burnham lives only 47 more days as he slips into a coma and dies, before later being buried nearby John Root in Graceland, Chicago.
Overall I believe that The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is truly a masterful literary work. Larson somehow is able to blend historical truths with his own imagination to create a historical fiction novel that reads like a piece of fiction. From the intricate details and images used to describe the White City that rose triumphantly in the Black City of Chicago, to the details into the psychotic mind of H.H. Holmes, Larson creates a text that is interesting nd informative. The part that easily was more intriguing personally was the story of H.H. Holmes and the tales of his terror and murder. The novel turned out to be everything that I had hoped it would be upon choosing it and it will be one that I remember reading throughout my life. I will definitely be anticipating the release of the movie version of the novel, in which Leonardo Dicaprio has been casted to play the devilish H.H. Holmes.