H. H. Holmes; His life
Name: Herman Webster Mudgett (Borowski, 2004).
Birth Date: May 16th, 1861 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire (Borowski, 2004).
Dr. Henry Howard Holmes was also known (mistakenly) as the first serial killer of America. Henry wasn’t the first because there were other killers that came before him but were not as notorious. Holmes grew up in Gilmanton New Hampshire (Borowski, 2004). His father was the postmaster for nearly 25 years, in which his father earned a lot of money and respect (Taylor, 2003).
Holmes did well in school. He eventually went to college at the University of Michigan (Borowski, 2004). During his schooling in medicine, Henry liked to experiment on cadavers, or human bodies (Borowski, 2004). When someone dies, they can choose to devote their body to science. That means their body would be given to a school where the students can learn as if it were real. Holmes would continue to experiment on cadavers later in life, too. Unlike most other serial killers, Holmes graduated high school and college; in fact, he even graduated with good grades.
Only after his college graduation in 1884 did he adopt the name Henry Howard Holmes. After college he also moved to Chicago (“H. H. Holmes’ Devil,”2009). In Chicago, he worked at a pharmacy and the owner eventually sold it to him (“H. H. Holmes’ Devil,”2009). At the pharmacy, he would sell things such as “elixirs” that claimed they would perform miracles, but the “elixirs” were actually water that he sold only to make money (Borowski, 2004). Later, he earned enough money and bought a lot of land and began to construct a building. A building he planned to kill with.
With an astonishing 60 rooms, 51 doors and, 3 floors, Holmes had created a giant torture device in the form of a building. He had trapdoors in some of the hotel rooms. He would have doors that locked only from the outside. Holmes even had metal shutters over the windows. Henry also had prison chambers where he would hold guests and torture them using various techniques. Depending on the prison chamber, some had alarms that would alert him in his study if a victim was trying to escape. Some techniques used in the “basement” consisted of being dissected while still alive and other painful methods.
Once the building was finished he began to let people that had arrived from all over to see the Chicago, Worlds’ Fair in 1893 (a celebration of the day Columbus discovered America in 1492). Holmes would let travelers rent rooms only on the second and third floors. The first floor contained shops and markets.
Later authorities found he had killed his accomplice that worked with him. He confessed to killing 7 people although was only convicted of killing one person. He was executed May 7th, 1896 at the age of 34 year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Birth Date: May 16th, 1861 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire (Borowski, 2004).
Dr. Henry Howard Holmes was also known (mistakenly) as the first serial killer of America. Henry wasn’t the first because there were other killers that came before him but were not as notorious. Holmes grew up in Gilmanton New Hampshire (Borowski, 2004). His father was the postmaster for nearly 25 years, in which his father earned a lot of money and respect (Taylor, 2003).
Holmes did well in school. He eventually went to college at the University of Michigan (Borowski, 2004). During his schooling in medicine, Henry liked to experiment on cadavers, or human bodies (Borowski, 2004). When someone dies, they can choose to devote their body to science. That means their body would be given to a school where the students can learn as if it were real. Holmes would continue to experiment on cadavers later in life, too. Unlike most other serial killers, Holmes graduated high school and college; in fact, he even graduated with good grades.
Only after his college graduation in 1884 did he adopt the name Henry Howard Holmes. After college he also moved to Chicago (“H. H. Holmes’ Devil,”2009). In Chicago, he worked at a pharmacy and the owner eventually sold it to him (“H. H. Holmes’ Devil,”2009). At the pharmacy, he would sell things such as “elixirs” that claimed they would perform miracles, but the “elixirs” were actually water that he sold only to make money (Borowski, 2004). Later, he earned enough money and bought a lot of land and began to construct a building. A building he planned to kill with.
With an astonishing 60 rooms, 51 doors and, 3 floors, Holmes had created a giant torture device in the form of a building. He had trapdoors in some of the hotel rooms. He would have doors that locked only from the outside. Holmes even had metal shutters over the windows. Henry also had prison chambers where he would hold guests and torture them using various techniques. Depending on the prison chamber, some had alarms that would alert him in his study if a victim was trying to escape. Some techniques used in the “basement” consisted of being dissected while still alive and other painful methods.
Once the building was finished he began to let people that had arrived from all over to see the Chicago, Worlds’ Fair in 1893 (a celebration of the day Columbus discovered America in 1492). Holmes would let travelers rent rooms only on the second and third floors. The first floor contained shops and markets.
Later authorities found he had killed his accomplice that worked with him. He confessed to killing 7 people although was only convicted of killing one person. He was executed May 7th, 1896 at the age of 34 year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.