The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Erik LarsonNonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2003

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Part 3, Chapters 4-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3: “In the White City”

Part 3, Chapter 4 Summary: “Night Is the Magician”

Visitors to the fair admired fantastic exhibits, including Edison’s Kinetoscope, and marveled as lightning chattered from Nikola Tesla’s body. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show drew tens of thousands. The park’s 200,000 lights glowed in the evenings.

Part 3, Chapter 5 Summary: “Modus Operandi”

A waitress, a stenographer, and a hotel guest were among Holmes’ first victims at the hotel. A male friend of Holmes’ also disappeared. Holmes used a variety of techniques to silently and efficiently kill his victims.

Part 3, Chapter 6 Summary: “One Good Turn”

Ferris’ wheel made its first successful revolution on June 8th, 1893. However, Chicago was distracted by the visiting Infanta Eulalia, the youngest sister of Spain’s King Alfonso XII. Though she visited the park on the 8th, her absenteeism from other formal events was recorded with distaste by the newspapers.