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Section One
Burnham and Holmes both had to make sacrafices for the things that they were looking to gain.
Thematic Statement: When a person wants something so badly they are willing to sacrafice everything for it, that's when they'll learn to reach for their goals. -
Herman Webster Mudgett became H.H Holmes
While in Springfeild "Mudgett registered his name as Holmes" (Larson 44). Mudgett changed his name to Holmes in 1886. This is sgnificant because this begins his identity as Holmes, the Serial Killer. -
Holmes arrived in Chicago
He "caught a train for Chicago"with the goal of owing his own drugstore (Larson 44). Upon arriving in Chicago Dr. Holton and Mrs. Holton. Dr. Holton was dying, and because of that Mrs. Holton needed support in running their Pharmacy. Holmes made her a deal that would benefit the both of them, and Holton agreed. He would buy the Pharmacy and she would reside upstairsin the second-floor apartment. This is significant because it was the beginning of Holmes sucessful career in owing a Pharmacy. -
Eiffel Tower is opened
The completetion of the Eiffel Tower made Americans believe they needed to "out-Eiffel Eiffel" (Larson 15). By becoming known as the tallest building in the world, Americans couldn't stand the Eiffel Tower. They thought all they needed was an opputunity to make something bigger and better. This is how the fair first came into mind. The goal of the fair was to beat the Eiffel Tower's popularity. -
Chicago was given the Columbian Exposition
After hearing the news of Chicago winning the exposition over two thousand men and women "cut loose with cheer that tore trough the canyon of brick, ston, and glass like a flash of flood" (Larson 31). It's time for America to prove that they could outshine The Eiffel Tower. This is significant because it posed as the beginning of America's new Exhibit. -
Burnham Recruited more Architects
Burnham met the architects "Hunt, McKim, Post, and Peabody" to discuss the plans of the ecpostion (Larson 79). After a long struggle to find people to help construct the fair, Burnham finally suceeded in gaining new men to help design the fair. Without meeting these men, the fair may have never been completed and would pose as the biggest failure in America's history. -
Constructing the World's fair
Burnham, Olmsted, Hunt, and the other archtecs gathered to "present drawings of the fair's main structures to The Grounds and Buildings Committee" (Larson 113). This was the start of the making of the fair's look. Burnham wanted the fair to be bigger, better and more popular than the Eiffel Tower. However, he was asking for a lot, and it would take months to finally get the perfect sketch of the fair. -
Julia Conner becaeme Pregnant
Upon learning about her pregnancy Holmes informed Conner that "he would marry her only if she agreed to allow him to execute a simple abortion" on their unborn baby (Larson 146). By agreeing to allow Holmes to abort their child, Conner didn't realize that she had just blindly signed her death certificate. Rather than fufilling an abortion procedure, Holmes used a chloroform cloth to suffocate and kill Conner. This was one of his first murders in Chicago, and it was only the beginning. -
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Section 2
Holmes demonstrated the path of corruption that came from his greedy mentality.
Thematic Statement: Death, greed and lies play a mojor role in the lives of those who want nothing more than fame and glory. -
Minnie Williams Moved to Chicago
Minnie "wrote to Harry [Holmes] to tell him of her arrival" (Larson 202). Minnie moved to Chicago and almost immediately got in touch with Holmes, the man she knew as Harry Gordon. After working for Holmes for a while, Holmes finally asked Minnie to marry him. However, there was never a record of them being married. This made it easy for Holmes to use her for what he wanted, and whenever he was ready to dispose of her he didn't ahve to worry about any connections between the two of them. -
World's Fair Hotel Was Opened
Holmes finished the hotel and "called it the World's fair hotel" (Larson 231). The completion of the hotel was also the marking of when his killings began. He used his hotel not only to lure in his victims but to dispose of their dead bodies, as well. It was his "Murder Castle" and his "Money Making Maching". -
Fair's openeing day
The fair was finally open "and suddenly they began to come" (Larson 282). This posed as a historical day for many. It was the day that the project Burnham and his men had been working on for over a year would open. Millions of people had flooded the gates to get into the fair, and many of them enjoyed their visit, despite the injuries or body problems they may have endured. -
World's fair sled accident
When the sled hit the ground “one passenger was killed: another, a women, suffered fractures of her jaw and both wrists. Four other men sustained contusions” (Larson 273). This accident posed as a set back for the fair. However, it didnt't completely disrupt the sucess of the fair, because people had already known that the it would come with trajedies and misdemeanors. -
Holmes Killed His Fake Wife, Minnie and her sister Anna Williams
While Anna was locked in a vault, slowly losing any air access, Holmes "filled the vault with gas" (Larson 298). Not only did Holmes kill Anna, but he also killed a women who believed she was his wife, Anna's sister Minnie. After getting rid of both women, he gave away majority of their belongings to Benjamin Pitezer's family. He showed no remourse in giving away their things, and making up the story that Minnie had gotten married and moved West. -
Mayor Harrison is Murdered
After being shot by Joseph Prendergast, Harrison informed his son that he "will die" (Larson 330). He was murdered by a mad man, named Patrick Pendergast. Upon being murdered, the fair was extended another day in honor of Harrison. -
World's Fair's Last Day Open
Instead of ending the far on the 30, as planned, the fair was extended another day and "became instead a memorial assembly in the fair's Festival Hall" (Larson 331). The last day of the fair was remembered as a memorial for the death of Mayor Harrison. Tears were shed, songs were sang, and shots were fired. Star Spangled Banner was sang, and the thousands of fair attendees joined in, the fair had officially ended. -
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Section 3
Burnham and Holmes both died in the end, however Burnham died with people he loved and Holmes died alone, and surrounded people who wanted him dead.
Thematic Statement: When indiciduals are good to others, and treat them kindly, that individual will revcieve the same treatment. -
Patrick Prendergast is Hanged
After shooting the Mayor, Prendergast demanded they locked him up cliaming that he was "the man who shot the mayor" (Larson 331). Prengergast was angry because he had not recieved an appointment as Corpaoration Counsel after Harrison had become Mayor. He felt like he had been used, and regretted supporting Harrison's campaign. Despite the fact that he had made up the appointment in his head, he blamed Harrison. On Oct 28 he shot Mayor Harrison at his home, making him the Assasin of Chicago. -
Geyer and Cuddy moved their search to Toronto
In Toronto, they visited the house that Holmes occupied in 1894. There they inspected the hole in the house and "at three feet they uncovered human bone", which they identified to belong to Alice and Nellie Pitezer (Larson 357). Finding the girl's bodies was good for Geyer, however, it wasn't so good for Holmes. This marked the beginning of uncovering his true nature. Finding the bodies in his home, played a major role in how he was convicted guilty. -
Holmes convicted of the murder of Benjamin Pitezel
A "Philidelphia Grand jury voted to indict Holmes for the murder of Benjamin Pitezel" (Larson 369). After finding the body of Pitezel and his daughters in Holmes' house, there was no doubt that he had killed them. This trial would be the trial that ended his life, in the end. -
Holmes was Hanged
Holmes ate breakfast, and went about his last da smoothly, and "at 10:13 Richardson released the trap and hanged him" (Larson 386). Holmes' death marked the end of America's First Serial Killer. People could finally rest knowing a serial killer wasn't still amoung them. However, even after his death people that knew him were dying. The jury became ill, the priest died of mysterious causes, Mr. Cigrand was burned alive, and Geer became ill, and the warden comitted suicide. -
Holmes admits to killing 27 people
Holmes prepared a confession in which he "admitted to killing twenty-seven people" (Larson 385). Whether he actually killed twenty-seven people is still unknown. It's only been confirmed that he's killed nine. However, regardless of the amount of people he killed, he became America's first serial killer, standing close to as brutal as Jack the Ripper. -
Burnham Died
Burnham "slipped into a coma the result apparently a combined assult of diabetes, colitis, and his foot infection, all worsened by a bout of food poisening" (Larson 390). Burnham died on his ship, Olympic. It was the end of a famous architect, and even though he is dead he'll always be remembered for his succesful work at the Chicago Exposition.
