Where did the expression "Skeletons in the closest" come from?

Question

I know what the expression means, I want to know where and how it generated

Answer 1

Things one would prefer not to be generally known about a person.

Hence a skeleton in a cupboard is a past 'crime' that someone wants hidden.

Answer 2

Isn't the internet supposed to know everything?  I could not find the answer to this one.  Google was stumped by it.  All I could find out was that it was used in some book called "The American" around 1900.  Lots of definitions for it, but no origins.

Bad internet!  Bad!