S2 Ep7: H.H. Holmes – The Devil in the White City cover art

S2 Ep7: H.H. Holmes – The Devil in the White City

S2 Ep7: H.H. Holmes – The Devil in the White City

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 In the 1890s, Chicago's booming South Side became the backdrop for one of the most infamous criminal legends in American history. H. H. Holmes, born Herman Webster Mudgett, cultivated the persona of a polite, educated businessman while quietly engineering a web of fraud, manipulation, and murder. Though newspapers later sensationalized his so-called "Murder Castle," the truth is more unsettling. Holmes exploited trust, opportunity, and the anonymity of a growing city to carry out his crimes. In this episode, we trace his rise from medical student to accomplished con man, follow the investigation that unraveled his schemes, and examine the forces that kept him unsuspected for so long. Through the lens of his Taurus stellium, Sun, Pluto, Mercury, and Venus, and his Leo Moon, we explore the charm, steadiness, and calculated self-presentation that enabled him to reinvent himself repeatedly while hiding a far darker reality. SHOW NOTES: Connect with us across streaming platforms and social media, and explore ways to support our work through our Linktree. Cosmic Crimes Podcast Linktree If you are new to astrology and/or are getting lost or confused during the episodes, we created a free guide of all-things-astrology on Substack for you to reference so you can listen along with ease. Click the link below! Astrology Basics SOURCES: Britannica Editors. "H. H. Holmes." Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/H-H-Holmes. Encyclopedia Britannica "H. H. Holmes." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last updated 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes. Wikipedia "Biography: H.H. Holmes — Quick Facts & Overview." Biography.com, A&E Television Networks, 19 Jan. 2024, https://www.biography.com/crime/hh-holmes. Biography+1 "Biography.com: H.H. Holmes — Victims." Biography.com, 9 Apr. 2021, https://www.biography.com/crime/hh-holmes-victims. Biography "Research Starters: H. H. Holmes." EBSCO Research Starters, EBSCO Information Services, 2023, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/h-h-holmes. EBSCO "H. H. Holmes' Murder Trial." Project documentation at University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, 1896, http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/holmes/holmeslinks.html. UMKC School of Law "The Murders of H.H. Holmes: The Holmes–Pitezel Case." Archive.org, 1896 (Geyer report), https://archive.org/download/holmespitezelcas00geye/holmespitezelcas00geye.pdf. Internet Archive "Serial Killer H.H. Holmes Is Hanged in Philadelphia." History.com, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-7/a-serial-killer-is-hanged. HISTORY "The West End Museum: H.H. Holmes." The West End Museum, https://thewestendmuseum.org/history/era/immigrant-neighborhood/h-h-holmes/. thewestendmuseum.org
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