EPISODE 9: THE CASTLE'S GHOSTS ## CHAPTER 1: THE FIRE August 19, 1895—four months after the Castle's horrors were discovered—fire broke out in the building. The blaze started in the early morning hours, origin unknown. By the time firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from every window. The gas-fed building, with its hidden chambers and secret passages, burned like a tinderbox. Investigators suspected arson. Someone wanted the Castle destroyed, wanted its evidence reduced to ash. Whether it was an associate of Holmes, a traumatized neighbor, or someone else entirely was never determined. The fire didn't destroy the building completely, but it gutted much of the interior. The murder rooms, the secret vault, the elaborate death traps—all blackened and ruined. Whatever evidence remained was lost. --- ## CHAPTER 2: THE DEMOLITION What the fire didn't destroy, demolition crews removed in 1896. The Castle had become a macabre tourist attraction. People came from across the country to stare at the building where Holmes had committed his crimes. Some tried to break in, seeking souvenirs. Others simply stood outside, imagining the horrors within. The owners—who had acquired the property through Holmes's tangled web of fraud—wanted it gone. The building was a liability, attracting curiosity seekers and lawsuits in equal measure. The demolition took several weeks. Workers reported strange occurrences—tools going missing, sounds from...