Notorious Drs. Mudgett, Crippen Were Classmates

Herman Webster Mudgett is the name which appears in the General Catalogue of the University as graduating in the class of 1884 in the department of medicine and snrgery. No residence is given. Bot it is the name of the first gradúate of the nniversity to be hung. The reason why Mndgett was one of the few graduates whose residence could not be given is that so far as the world was concerned Mndgett had disappeared and an arch criminal calling himself Holmes and making his uefarious plots against human life was acting in the body which had once been oalled Mudgett. It was this Holmes or Mudgett who was executed in Philadelphia last week, after having committed a number of murders, which have marked him as one of the greatest crimináis of the age. Mudgett was one of fhe 85 graduates of the medical class of '84. He carne very near not graduating at all, part of the faculty voting not to gradúate him. Among these was Dr. Vaughan, towards whom, on this account, Mudgett feit bittely. Dr. J. L. Rose, of this citv, was a member of the same class as was Dr. T. Lyon Iddings, of Manchester. But they were not associates of Mndgett, who was not a friend maker. Dr. Rose says he remembers Mudgett well, tbat he looked and acted "like a clodhopper. " He did not distinguish biuiself as a student and showed no inarks of brillianoy or even acuteness. He did, however, get into trouble while here with a Mrs. Fitch, a hair dresser, wbo demanded that he marry her. Tbis was impossible as Mudgett was at this time mar ried. Tbe matter was biought before the medical faculty and Mudgett narrowly escaped expnlsiou, as he afterwards narrowly escaped "plucking" on his raerits as a student. This was the mau who developed into the Holmes who built a castle in Chicago fitted up with all appliauces for inurder. This was the man who confessed to twenty-seven murders, though bis coufession made on the eve of his exeuution tas been sbowu to be false. This was the man who for years oovered his murderous tracks and eseaped the jast punishmeut which was finally rneted out to him. It is not a matter of pride to have graduated such a villain,bnt it is a matter of pride that this is the flrst arch villaiu to be fouud among the many thousand graduates of the university. The criminal traits which marked the man were developed afterwards and the world is better beeanse he has finally left it.