September 23, 2025 • 12 mins
Before he was H.H. Holmes, he was a boy dissecting frogs in a New Hampshire attic. By twenty-five, he was forging death certificates, selling corpses, and plotting a triple murder for insurance cash. In part one of our upcoming 2025 Halloween Special, we trace the origins of America’s first documented serial killer—from grave-robbing in Michigan to the blueprint for a building designed to disappear people. Welcome to Part One: the making of a monster.
---
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Please rate, review, subscribe & tell a friend. Every little bit helps! Lucky reviewers have a chance of scoring some free LT swag!
If you're new to LT, Season Four: Hollowlands contains four different episode types:
1. Full-length real-life horror stories (~1 hr)
2. Previews of full-length stories
3. 7-Minute Less Taken stories
4. Transitional/Crossover episodes call 'Roads Less Taken'
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Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/less-taken--5431283/support.
---
Let us know what you think!
Please rate, review, subscribe & tell a friend. Every little bit helps! Lucky reviewers have a chance of scoring some free LT swag!
If you're new to LT, Season Four: Hollowlands contains four different episode types:
1. Full-length real-life horror stories (~1 hr)
2. Previews of full-length stories
3. 7-Minute Less Taken stories
4. Transitional/Crossover episodes call 'Roads Less Taken'
Write to us - lesstakenpod@gmail.com
FOLLOW US BEFORE WE FOLLOW YOU!
FB & IG - @lesstakenpod
Discover more and check out our merch - www.lesstakenpod.com
Submit your ideas for future episodes - www.lesstakenpod.com/ideas
lesstakenpod | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Less Taken podcast is sponsored by OFMITA Apparel - sarcastic streetwear. Visit www.ofmita.com and use the code LTP at checkout to receive an additional 10% off your order.
Some sound effects and background music are supported by www.pixabay.com + AudioJungle/Envato Elements, providers of copyright- and royalty-free media for content creators.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/less-taken--5431283/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
This taking contains content that may not be suitable for
all audiences listeners, discretion is advised.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
During the past few months, the desire has been repeatedly
expressed that I make a detailed confession of all the
grave crimes that have, with such marvelous skill, been traced
out and brought home to me. I have been tried
for murder, convicted, sentence, and the step of my execution
(00:40):
upon the seventh of May, namely the reading of my
death warrant, has been carried out. It now seems a
fitting time, if ever, to make known the details of
the twenty seven murders, of which it would be useless
to longer say I'm not guilty in the face of
the overwhelming amount of proof that has been brought together,
(01:03):
not only in one, but in each and every case.
And because in this confession I speak only of the
cases that have been thus investigated and of no other,
I trust they will not give rise to a supposition
that I am still guilty of other verters which.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I am withholding you, It's difficult to pinpoint the exact
(01:45):
moment he is overwhelmed by bloodlust, but in terms of
greed and desensitization, well that's much easier to figure out.
It begins in ann Arbor, Michigan, long before he changes
his name and starts slicing up his victims. H. H.
Holmes is surrounded by dead bodies on a daily basis,
(02:09):
still going by the name of Hermann Webster Mudget. He's
a medical student at the University of Michigan throughout the
early eighteen eighties, which comes as little surprise after a
youth full of experiments in gadgetry. Just because he's always
had a scientifically curious mind doesn't mean Mudget is a
good student. However, it gets by all right for a while,
(02:35):
part of which depends on the difference between him and
the average medical student. He doesn't come from a long
line of doctors or generational wealth. These rich kids, they
have it easy. All they have to worry about is
medical school itself. Meanwhile, poor SAPs like Mudget must not
(02:58):
only focus on their school work, but also maintain a
job just to scrape by. These rich folks come into
class bright eyed and bushy tailed every day, while he's
dead tired. No matter he knows, he can get through
the courses. Dissecting a cadaver becomes easier each day he
(03:20):
does it, but each year of school runs him around
two hundred dollars or a little over six thousand dollars
in twenty twenty five money. Two hundred dollars is no
paltry sum for Mudget. He'll be obligated to work every
free second he has around school if he wants to
pay for tuition and meet most of his basic needs.
(03:44):
His financial woes press on him, making him feel as
though the entire situation might be dire and his dreams
of becoming a doctor might be coming to an abrupt end.
Then one day he bumps into the janet and learns
about his second job. This janitor is a familiar face
(04:07):
to Mudget. Every day he stands outside of the classroom
and rings a bell before and after class. To some,
he's a friendly face. To those arriving late, he might
as well be the angel of death. To Mudget, the
janitor falls somewhere in between, especially after he learns what
(04:29):
the janitor does to get by. In eighteen eighty two,
a dead body is a precious commodity to almost every
medical school. If you're expected to be a surgeon, you'll
need some practice, and there are no simulations or prosthetics
to help here, these pre meds have to perform real
surgeries on real human bodies. To these schools, the best
(04:54):
body is a fresh body. In an effort to inventory
and protect the corpses, they're kept in a well managed
room or a vault. This janitor, he's the keeper of corpses.
He knows all the details about each of the bodies,
including how the school got them, and it's not always
(05:15):
on the up and up. The reason bodies are such
a precious commodity amongst med schools is that, through legal means,
most colleges can only procure enough corpses to meet roughly
twenty percent of their overall need. For them to be
considered successful institutions, compromises must be made. Lightning tears through
(05:49):
the nightscape as Mudget walks through the cemetery, but he's
not afraid of the weather or being struck. His main
concern is being you can't believe what the janitor told him.
How the college is willing to pay anywhere from twenty
five dollars to two hundred dollars per body, coincidentally the
(06:13):
cost of his tuition. It's too easy. Mudget knows he
has to get in on some of this action, which
is what leads him to the cold, damp cemetery in
the middle of the night. Somewhat blinded by the relentless
rainfall and burdened by the unruly elements and slick, muddy ground,
(06:34):
Mudget strives to remain low and small until he sees
the precise thing that he's been looking for there at
the east end of the cemetery. As a fresh large
mound of dirt, dry and looster is generally preferred, but
Mudget is certain he can make it work. Fresh mound,
(06:56):
fresh body. This is his best bet, but he needs
to make it quick before he's caught up in either
the weather or caught by the authorities. Mudget's arms grow
weak as he continues to dig through the muck with
an old shovel. He's perhaps underestimated the chore of unburying
(07:21):
a corpse. He might even question whether his new business
pursuit is worth the effort and risk.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
But then.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Mudget shovels the sludge away with ferocity, now eager to
find the gold he surely struck there, and allows the
wooden box is a man's freshly lain corpse, untreated and
tucked nicely away with his arms folded. There's still a dull,
pinkish color to the man's cheeks. This isn't like most
(08:00):
of the bodies he's come across at the med school.
A body like this one is much nicer, and he
assumes much more expensive scoping out the cemetery for both passers.
Behind the police, Mudget gets the work hoisting the heavy
makeshift coffin from its mudslick grave. But just before he does,
(08:25):
Mudget spots another fresh amount of dirt no more than
a hundred feet away from him. You can't help but
wonder just how fast he could procure and sell off
multiple bodies in a short matter of time, and how
else might he profit off of another man's corpse.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
My mental power are perfectly clear. I have no delusion.
There's certainly no hallucination. I'm not the rain, but right
as rain in regard to everything, my mind is as
active today as it has ever been. It's fun to
(09:17):
be a vote.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Thank you so much for checking out our twenty twenty
five Halloween special Poems, Part one from Less Taken Season
four Hollowlands. There are a couple of stories that get
recommended as less Taken episodes in rotation, but none quite
as often as the gruesome truth in lore surrounding one H. Holmes,
(10:01):
aka America's first serial killer. We were never quite sure
how to cover this story, but this year we thought, hell,
let's just go with it. What you've heard is a
snippet from part one of our home series, which will
drop in full next Tuesday wherever you find your favorite
horror podcast. In this upcoming episode, we'll explore the origins
(10:26):
of Hermann Webster Mudget as medical and grave robbing pursuits,
and his evolution to the infamous HH Holmes leading into
the creation of the Murder Castle in Chicago, Illinois. Be
sure to let us know what you think of this story,
or any of our stories by leaving a five star
review wherever you're listening. And it might sound like a
(10:50):
tacky podcaster thing to say, but please subscribe and tell
a friend if you enjoy less Taken, it truly helps.
We're currently doing some main and it's on the website,
but hopefully you will be able to leave reviews at
less takenpod dot com again soon, and you'll also find
all things Let's Taken there, including our merch and new
(11:10):
hoodies follow us before we follow you on Facebook, Instagram,
and threads under the handle at Let's Taken Pod. A
quick note on our storytelling. While we do our best
to stick to the facts, we sometimes take creative liberties
to maintain narrative cohesiveness. I'm Steam Humphries and this is
(11:32):
Less Taken Real life horror stories from the Midwest. Once again,
thanks for listening, and I hope you join us Tuesday
for Homes Part one.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Let's Take It is a Chase County production. Chase County
Production
This taking contains content that may not be suitable for
all audiences listeners, discretion is advised.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
During the past few months, the desire has been repeatedly
expressed that I make a detailed confession of all the
grave crimes that have, with such marvelous skill, been traced
out and brought home to me. I have been tried
for murder, convicted, sentence, and the step of my execution
(00:40):
upon the seventh of May, namely the reading of my
death warrant, has been carried out. It now seems a
fitting time, if ever, to make known the details of
the twenty seven murders, of which it would be useless
to longer say I'm not guilty in the face of
the overwhelming amount of proof that has been brought together,
(01:03):
not only in one, but in each and every case.
And because in this confession I speak only of the
cases that have been thus investigated and of no other,
I trust they will not give rise to a supposition
that I am still guilty of other verters which.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I am withholding you, It's difficult to pinpoint the exact
(01:45):
moment he is overwhelmed by bloodlust, but in terms of
greed and desensitization, well that's much easier to figure out.
It begins in ann Arbor, Michigan, long before he changes
his name and starts slicing up his victims. H. H.
Holmes is surrounded by dead bodies on a daily basis,
(02:09):
still going by the name of Hermann Webster Mudget. He's
a medical student at the University of Michigan throughout the
early eighteen eighties, which comes as little surprise after a
youth full of experiments in gadgetry. Just because he's always
had a scientifically curious mind doesn't mean Mudget is a
good student. However, it gets by all right for a while,
(02:35):
part of which depends on the difference between him and
the average medical student. He doesn't come from a long
line of doctors or generational wealth. These rich kids, they
have it easy. All they have to worry about is
medical school itself. Meanwhile, poor SAPs like Mudget must not
(02:58):
only focus on their school work, but also maintain a
job just to scrape by. These rich folks come into
class bright eyed and bushy tailed every day, while he's
dead tired. No matter he knows, he can get through
the courses. Dissecting a cadaver becomes easier each day he
(03:20):
does it, but each year of school runs him around
two hundred dollars or a little over six thousand dollars
in twenty twenty five money. Two hundred dollars is no
paltry sum for Mudget. He'll be obligated to work every
free second he has around school if he wants to
pay for tuition and meet most of his basic needs.
(03:44):
His financial woes press on him, making him feel as
though the entire situation might be dire and his dreams
of becoming a doctor might be coming to an abrupt end.
Then one day he bumps into the janet and learns
about his second job. This janitor is a familiar face
(04:07):
to Mudget. Every day he stands outside of the classroom
and rings a bell before and after class. To some,
he's a friendly face. To those arriving late, he might
as well be the angel of death. To Mudget, the
janitor falls somewhere in between, especially after he learns what
(04:29):
the janitor does to get by. In eighteen eighty two,
a dead body is a precious commodity to almost every
medical school. If you're expected to be a surgeon, you'll
need some practice, and there are no simulations or prosthetics
to help here, these pre meds have to perform real
surgeries on real human bodies. To these schools, the best
(04:54):
body is a fresh body. In an effort to inventory
and protect the corpses, they're kept in a well managed
room or a vault. This janitor, he's the keeper of corpses.
He knows all the details about each of the bodies,
including how the school got them, and it's not always
(05:15):
on the up and up. The reason bodies are such
a precious commodity amongst med schools is that, through legal means,
most colleges can only procure enough corpses to meet roughly
twenty percent of their overall need. For them to be
considered successful institutions, compromises must be made. Lightning tears through
(05:49):
the nightscape as Mudget walks through the cemetery, but he's
not afraid of the weather or being struck. His main
concern is being you can't believe what the janitor told him.
How the college is willing to pay anywhere from twenty
five dollars to two hundred dollars per body, coincidentally the
(06:13):
cost of his tuition. It's too easy. Mudget knows he
has to get in on some of this action, which
is what leads him to the cold, damp cemetery in
the middle of the night. Somewhat blinded by the relentless
rainfall and burdened by the unruly elements and slick, muddy ground,
(06:34):
Mudget strives to remain low and small until he sees
the precise thing that he's been looking for there at
the east end of the cemetery. As a fresh large
mound of dirt, dry and looster is generally preferred, but
Mudget is certain he can make it work. Fresh mound,
(06:56):
fresh body. This is his best bet, but he needs
to make it quick before he's caught up in either
the weather or caught by the authorities. Mudget's arms grow
weak as he continues to dig through the muck with
an old shovel. He's perhaps underestimated the chore of unburying
(07:21):
a corpse. He might even question whether his new business
pursuit is worth the effort and risk.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
But then.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Mudget shovels the sludge away with ferocity, now eager to
find the gold he surely struck there, and allows the
wooden box is a man's freshly lain corpse, untreated and
tucked nicely away with his arms folded. There's still a dull,
pinkish color to the man's cheeks. This isn't like most
(08:00):
of the bodies he's come across at the med school.
A body like this one is much nicer, and he
assumes much more expensive scoping out the cemetery for both passers.
Behind the police, Mudget gets the work hoisting the heavy
makeshift coffin from its mudslick grave. But just before he does,
(08:25):
Mudget spots another fresh amount of dirt no more than
a hundred feet away from him. You can't help but
wonder just how fast he could procure and sell off
multiple bodies in a short matter of time, and how
else might he profit off of another man's corpse.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
My mental power are perfectly clear. I have no delusion.
There's certainly no hallucination. I'm not the rain, but right
as rain in regard to everything, my mind is as
active today as it has ever been. It's fun to
(09:17):
be a vote.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Thank you so much for checking out our twenty twenty
five Halloween special Poems, Part one from Less Taken Season
four Hollowlands. There are a couple of stories that get
recommended as less Taken episodes in rotation, but none quite
as often as the gruesome truth in lore surrounding one H. Holmes,
(10:01):
aka America's first serial killer. We were never quite sure
how to cover this story, but this year we thought, hell,
let's just go with it. What you've heard is a
snippet from part one of our home series, which will
drop in full next Tuesday wherever you find your favorite
horror podcast. In this upcoming episode, we'll explore the origins
(10:26):
of Hermann Webster Mudget as medical and grave robbing pursuits,
and his evolution to the infamous HH Holmes leading into
the creation of the Murder Castle in Chicago, Illinois. Be
sure to let us know what you think of this story,
or any of our stories by leaving a five star
review wherever you're listening. And it might sound like a
(10:50):
tacky podcaster thing to say, but please subscribe and tell
a friend if you enjoy less Taken, it truly helps.
We're currently doing some main and it's on the website,
but hopefully you will be able to leave reviews at
less takenpod dot com again soon, and you'll also find
all things Let's Taken there, including our merch and new
(11:10):
hoodies follow us before we follow you on Facebook, Instagram,
and threads under the handle at Let's Taken Pod. A
quick note on our storytelling. While we do our best
to stick to the facts, we sometimes take creative liberties
to maintain narrative cohesiveness. I'm Steam Humphries and this is
(11:32):
Less Taken Real life horror stories from the Midwest. Once again,
thanks for listening, and I hope you join us Tuesday
for Homes Part one.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Let's Take It is a Chase County production. Chase County
Production
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