9. The myth of the Castle is born
Holmes built the Castle as cheaply as possible, and the building was a far cry from being soundproof. The building was crowded, and moving about within – despite the presence of hidden passageways – without being seen or heard was difficult. When the police searched the building, they did not find torture devices or the facilities for the cremation of bodies, though there was evidence of a pit of quicklime in the cellar. The castle became a torture chamber designed for the completion of murder on a large scale in the minds of the sensationalist press, without evidence. The Chicago police were unable to develop evidence to charge Holmes with the crimes which his legend says he committed in the building. They did come up with evidence that Holmes had cheated his lenders and contractors when completing the structure, skimping on materials and avoiding his bills.
The Chicago police had searched the Castle before Holmes was ever charged with a murder, on more than one occasion, looking for property against which Holmes had borrowed money which he had not repaid. Articles appeared in Chicago newspapers describing the building’s secret rooms well before the sensational news following his being charged with the murder of Pitezel. They were described as the means of hiding property, or moving it from room to room one step ahead of the creditors. The myth that Holmes planned the Castle to be used as a murder factory during the Columbian Exposition also fails to take into account the fact that construction began in 1887, well before the Exposition was planned for Chicago. Also forgotten is the fact that during the exposition Holmes attempted to burn the Castle (for the insurance), which explains the oversize gas tank in the cellar. The attempt failed.