H.H. Holmes to be exhumed!

[Ginger]

http://www.newser.com/story/242242/he-committed-ghastly-murders-in-1890s-but-did-he-die-for-them.html

There's apparently uncertainty as to whether the body buried in his grave is actually that of Holmes. I'm almost hoping it's not him, just for the shock value. The man's life was like some especially lurid Hammer movie, and this would be the perfect capper.

[c.d.]

Another article I read mentioned an upcoming documentary on Holmes. No date given however.

c.d.

P.S. "The Devil in the White City" is a great book.

[GUT]

http://www.newser.com/story/242242/h...-for-them.html

There's apparently uncertainty as to whether the body buried in his grave is actually that of Holmes. I'm almost hoping it's not him, just for the shock value. The man's life was like some especially lurid Hammer movie, and this would be the perfect capper.

Interesting speculation.

[GUT]

Another article I read mentioned an upcoming documentary on Holmes. No date given however.

c.d.

P.S. "The Devil in the White City" is a great book.

Hoping we get the doco hear. A strange bird that one.

[Steadmund Brand]

Holmes was indeed a bit of an odd one.... problem is so many of the things he claims he did... he didn't, so little of the truth is really known.... except for the fact that HE WAS NOT JACK...that much we know (kinda hard to be Jack when you were in Toronto/Buffalo during the events)

Devil in the White City is an amazing read though....and I'm sure the Documentary will be entertaining as well

Steadmund Brand

[Penhalion]

"Devil In The White City" is an amazing book. I live in the Chicago area and I am from the south side of the city where most of the 'action' happened. Holmes (Mudgett) is a fascinating example of true sociopath. He didn't care anything about anyone but himself unless they could get him something he wanted and once he was done with them, they were completely disposable.

[Mayerling]

There had been talk a few years back of a film based on "The Devil in the White City", but it just petered out.

I know of two or three books on Holmes. David Franke wrote one called "The Torture Doctor" back in the 1980s. Harold Schechter wrote one about fifteen years ago. And there was one in the 1950s in that "The Girl (s)..." series, like the one on Starr Faithfull ("The Girl on the Beach") or the one on Lizzie Borden ("The Girl in the House of Hate"). I think the one on Holmes was "The Girls in Horror Hotel" or something like that.

Robert Bloch did a novel based on Holmes (giving him an alliterative name with "G"s instead of "H"s). I think it was called "American Gothic".

Jeff

[Sam Flynn]

There's apparently uncertainty as to whether the body buried in his grave is actually that of Holmes.

I wouldn't put it past him. His record in such matters speaks for itself!

[c.d.]

With respect to "The Devil in the White City", certainly the Holmes part of it was fascinating but I also enjoyed reading about how they put the World's Fair together despite so many obstacles.

c.d.

[Scorpio]

I believe Holmes may have replaced his own body in an insurance scam
But seriously, Its more likely that it ended up an exhibit in a freak show.

[Mayerling]

I believe Holmes may have replaced his own body in an insurance scam
But seriously, Its more likely that it ended up an exhibit in a freak show.

No, that was the body of one David E. George, a drink addled drug addict who died in Enid, Oklahoma, a suicide, in 1903, but who (supposedly) confessed on his death bed he was really John Wilkes Booth. A lawyer named Finis Bates had the corpse embalmed and exhibited it around the country as Booth's corpse. At one point Henry Ford showed an interest in purchasing this macabre exhibit for Dearborn Village, but was talked out of it.

Jeff

[c.d.]

Well the body has been exhumed and now they are waiting on DNA test results.

c.d.

[Abby Normal]

Well the body has been exhumed and now they are waiting on DNA test results.

c.d.

The DNA test results are in and its a perfect match for Jack the Ripper.

[Pcdunn]

The latest episode of "American Ripper: H. H. Holmes" offers some background to why Mudgett reasons his ancestor could have escaped dying by the noose. Apparently Holmes researchers have discovered something called "the Holmes curse" in which many people connected to the death and burial of H. H. Holmes suffered mysterious deaths of their own, often ruled an unsolved murder or strange death by accident.
Mudgett theorizes his ancestor wasn't really hanged with a hood over his head, but managed to enlist people to help him escape by substituting a dead body into the noose from under the gallows.
He then killed off the people involved in the plot and went his merry way, perhaps committing several additional murders that were claimed to be "Ripper-like".
The exhumation will be covered in the next episode.

[c.d.]

Hello Pat,

If there is anybody that could have pulled it off I would put my money on Holmes. Clever, devious and had sufficient funds for bribes apparently.

c.d.