The Happiness in Humor Podcast

H.H. Holmes was the alias of one of America's first serial killers. During the 1893 Columbian Exposition,  he lured victims into his elaborate 'Murder Castle.' Who Was H.H. Holmes? Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, was a con artist and bigamist who was one of  America's first serial killers. Sometimes referred to as the "Beast of Chicago," Holmes is believed to have  killed somewhere between 20 and 200 people. He killed many of his victims in a specially constructed  home, which was later nicknamed the "Murder Castle." Apprehended in 1894, he was hanged for his  crimes two years later. Early Life Holmes was born Herman Webster Mudgett circa May 16, 1861, in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. Born  into an affluent family, Holmes enjoyed a privileged childhood and was said to be unusually intelligent at  an early age. Still, there were haunting signs of what was to come. He expressed an interest in medicine,  which reportedly led him to practice surgery on animals. Some accounts indicate that he may have been  responsible for the death of a friend. Holmes' life of crime began with various frauds and scams. As a medical student at the University of  Michigan, he stole corpses and used them to make false insurance claims. Holmes may have used the  bodies for experiments, as well. 'Murder Castle' In 1885, Holmes moved to Chicago, Illinois. He soon found work in a pharmacy, using his now infamous  alias, Dr. Henry H. Holmes. He eventually took over the business and was later rumored to have killed its  original owner.  Holmes had a three-story building constructed nearby, creating an elaborate house of horrors. The  upper floors contained his living quarters and many small rooms where he tortured and killed his  victims. There were also trapdoors and chutes that enabled him to move the bodies down to the  basement, where he could burn the remains in a kiln or dispose of them in other ways. During the 1893 Columbian Exposition, Holmes opened up his home as a hotel for visitors.  Unfortunately, many guests did not survive in what became known as the "Murder Castle." Many of  these victims — no one knows for certain the total number — were women who were seduced,  swindled and then killed. Holmes had a habit of getting engaged to a woman, only for his fiancée to  suddenly "disappear." Other victims were lured there by the offer of employment. 

Sources for this episode: 

“H.H. Holmes.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 26 May 2021, https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/hh-holmes.

“Jack the Ripper.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-the-Ripper