Editing H. H. Holmes

Holmes was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, in 1861, son of Levi Horton Mudgett and his wife, formerly Theodate Page Price, two English immigrants. The third among four siblings, Holmes was named Herman Webster Mudgett at birth, a name which he discarded later in his life.  growing up in an affluent family, Holmes enjoyed a privileged childhood but unfortunately his father was an alcoholic who was severely abusive, both physically and mentally towards his wife and children (his other siblings, Ellen, Arthur and Henry, also earned their father’s wrath), even towards Herman.  In addition, Holmes’ mother was said to have had a terminal illness that traumatized the family. However Holmes' father was not the only contributing factor in his abusive upbringing since Holmes was also bullied and harassed in school for his unusually intelligent mind he had since infancy, good grades and slightly odd demeanor. In an attempt to scare Holmes, bullies forced him to stand face to face with a human skeleton and place the skeleton's hands on his face. Holmes was initially frightened, but then, he found the whole experience to be fascinating, later crediting that it cured him of his fears. The experience eventually resulted in Holmes becoming obsessed with death and body parts, and he later began to dissect animals as a hobby.

 

His early criminal career was based on fraud and forgery, including a cure for alcoholism, real estate scams, and a machine that purported to make natural gas from water.