Spine tingling!! Chilling!!!

So, quite awhile back I began to research my family tree, wanting to find out if my great grandmother had had a brush with H. H. Holmes.  He is the horrific serial killer from Chicago in the late 1800's, who built a murder castle/hotel in Englewood (South Chicago).  He drew in victims, murdered them, disposed of their bodies in outrageous ways, one of which was selling their skeletons to medical schools.  A popular book, Devil In the White City, gives excellent information on this monstrous man.  Leonardo DiCaprio is rumored to be preparing to star in a movie based on this book.

Well, I'm still researching because Helen (g-grandma) had been witness to a doctor (Holmes was a doctor) who murdered a child i her presence.  She, of course, feared for her own life, and left immediately.  She died long before I was born, and she never revealed any further details to her children about the incident. 

Thru my research, I have convinced myself that this doctor was Holmes.  She lived and met my G--grandfather in Chicago at that time.  She worked as a nanny and in a confectionary store.  (Holmes also owned a confectionary store.) G-grandpa lived in S. Chicago because he worked there in the steel industry.  He also attended Visitation Catholic Church, which was only blocks away from the so called murder castle.  This church is where he and Helen were married.

So, bringing you all up to date.  I learned that Jeff Mudgett, great great grandson of Holmes (who's real name was Herman Mudgett--he used dozens of aliases) just published a book about Holmes.  I wrote on his blog a little blurb about Helen and asked Jeff what he though.  He wrote back saying he had little doubt that her 'doctor' and Holmes were one and the same.  I ordered his book and I expect it to arrive this week...

Interestingly, there are theories that Holmes may have also been Jack the Ripper.  I'm currently reading up on this and there is a good deal of circumantial evidence to raise this possibility.  I'll write more later on that!!!

Chills down my spine, baby!!

HUGSxxxAnnie