1915-07-01qq

It was not long after the noon hour when the news of the crime hit the offices of the three Hamilton daily newspapers, Like it competitors, the Spectator quickly sent a reporter to the scene of the reported serious crime.

With little time to spare, the reporter gathered the details of the incident, raced back to the Spectator building, and wrote an article that was inserted in time to make the afternoon edition of the paper.

Under a headline in large type, reading “Shocking Tragedy in Doctor’s Office,” purchasers of the Spectator’s afternoon edition of July 1, 1915 learned of that a doctor had been shot and killed, and his assailant was in the City Hospital dying of a self-inflicted wound.

Dr. Harry Williams, 49 years old, had been instantly killed by Hedgewood A. Homes, whom the Spectator reporter noted “turned the smoking Savage gun on himself and buried a shot in his own brain.”¹

¹ “Shocking Tragedy in Doctor’s Office.”

Hamilton Spectator. July 1, 1915.

Hamilton Police detective Shirley had arrived at the scene of the shooting less than five minutes after it occurred. He had done an initial, thorough investigation but as the Spectator went to press that afternoon had been unable to determine a motive.

It was learned that the previous day Holmes had turned up at the doctor’s office, asking for the doctor who happened to be out at the time. Holmes did speak to Miss Clark who lived in the residence, 637 King street east, in which Dr. William’s had established an office and surgery.

Holmes told Miss Clark that he had three brothers fighting at the front, and that he would have been there as well, except that he was suffering from “T.B.” Miss Clark assumed Holmes meant that he was a tubercular patient and that was why he was trying to see the doctor. After some more small talk, Holmes left, saying that he would call again.

Holmes did indeed return to Dr. Williams’ office just before the noon hour on July 1, 1915, but, again, the doctor happened to be out. Holmes simply walked past Miss Clark and proceeded into the surgery room, telling her that he would wait there for the doctor’s return:

“Shortly after 12 o’clock, Dr. Williams arrived at the house. Miss Clark was standing in the hall, and she heard Dr. Williams exclaim; ‘Why, hello, Abbie, how’s tricks?’ Holmes replied; ‘Hello, Doc’

“Dr. Williams shut the door, and Miss Clark went to the kitchen with her sister, Frances. Fifteen minutes later, three shots rang out in rapid succession, and the Clark girls ran to the surgery. The sight that met their gaze as they forced open the surgery door was sickening.

“Dr. Williams, with blood gushing from a wound in his left temple, lay on his face on the floor in the northeast corner of the room. Directly inside the door, Holmes was on his back on the floor, blood welling from a hole in his right temple.

“Under his outstretched right hand was a Savage automatic revolver. Holmes was heaving convulsive breaths, and appeared to be in great agony.

“Terrified and hysterical, the young girls tried to explain the horrible tragedy to the police of the Central station by telephone.

“Detective Shirley hurried to the house in the auto patrol, and was the first to enter the room of death.”¹

The detective called Dr. Harper, and then tried ensure that nothing would be disturb any potential evidence in the room. Dr. Williams was still alive when the detective arrived, but expired before the doctor arrived. Three more doctors, hearing of the crime, rushed to Dr. Williams’ office. Holmes was still alive and two of the doctors accompanied him as he was rushed to the City Hospital on Barton street.

Holmes lingered until 9:30 in the evening when he succumbed to his wound. He made no statement whatsoever as to his motive for the shooting.

The Hamilton police had an initial theory as to Holmes’ motivation :

“The supposition, popular in police circles is that the assassin was addicted to drugs – a ‘dope’ fiend; that he pleaded with Dr. Williams to furnish him with drugs and that when the doctor refused, he became enraged and shot him down.” ²

² “Police Think Murder Was Madman’s Act.”

Hamilton Spectator. July 2, 1915.

That theory was disputed by some who knew Dr. Williams, who believe that the cause of Holmes’ rage was that the doctor refused to treat his tuberculosis. Dr. Victor Ross, a Hamilton doctor currently with the staff at the tuberculosis hospital in Gravenhurst, learned of Dr. Williams’ death by telegram. Before boarding a train to return to Hamilton, Dr. Ross learned that Hedgewood Holmes had indeed been a patient at a cottage sanatorium in the Gravenhurst facility.

It was learned that Holmes was in an advanced stage of tuberculosis and it was assumed that his mind was affected and he became obsessed with the belief that Dr. Williams could cure him.

In previous days, Dr. Williams had refused Holmes efforts to get him to help him. thinking that Holmes was already under the care of another physician, he thought  it would be unprofessional to interfere. Dr. Williams urged Holmes to return to Gravenhurst.

Holmes tried one more time to get help from Dr. Williams, and when he was refused yet again, his reaction was to kill the doctor and then himself.