Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-03-03
UXORICIDE.
A Missouri Wife Murderer Sentenced to
Death-The Husband Drives Dag
ger Thr0uh BIS Wife's Heart
at Midnight.
q Licked or the Blood, Love Her So"
-1he Dead WOmaR's Dried Heart In
Evidence Much ketbOdieal
Madness.

/ jas A1atultl VI uSlhy DdsnfEe OF sentence
on various legal points having failed
was sentenced TO execution by hanging
on the third of April for the murder Of
his wife, Ida Holms, on the twenty
sixth of July last. The following are
the particulars of the crime and the
trial, particulars of which have not
hitherto been published: Holme was
native OF Germany, where he had been
Hell-to-do. his business was saloon or
hotel keeping, at which be prospered.
They removed to America, and for ten
years lived at New York happily.
Thence they came 70 ST. Louis, where
they arrived about five years ago, their
means having been exhausted at New
York, but he received some two hun
dred dollars year from Germany, and
worked at such employment as he could
secure. Their relations at st. Louis
changed after some time, Mrs. Holme
provoking her husbands jealousy by re-
naming absent frequently at nights, and
pretending that she had been out on
business s"-for she was understood TO
/ practice midwifery. Her midnight
works, however, are said to have be-
loDged rather to the
( RosENzwEIGIEIAN THAN THE ROsI-
CRUCIAN
: school, as the business of midwifery
+ was but disguise for another branch of
( the business closely allied thereto, but
/ not so legitimate. She also had board.
ing with her always one, and sometimes
1 two, girls Of doubtful reputation. Sever
( al times young Ernest, her SOD, followed
4 her when she went out on what che al
Legged to be ''Sairey Camp business, but
found that her errands were always to
the Rialto, where she met various men,
evidently for mysterious purposes, az
the character OF the house alone would
testify. Her son, Earnest, she frequent
ly sent to carry notes to gentlemen, but
he, believing them TO bs invitations, de-
stroyed them without delivering them
so, at least he swore on the trial.
On the twenty-fourth Of July Holme
went a short distance into the country
to work at the residence of Mr. Andrew
Auer. He returned here on the twenty
fifth. In the evening be went to his
hoEse and asked TO be let in, but Mrs.
Holme said, "There was no room for
him in that house." He returned a
little later, about eight o'clock, entered
the house by back window, and took
away clock. This he brought back
few minutes afterwsrd, and begged that
she would let him stay, q petition which
SuC LAoN ~ BAllAAAA4E Al4l HUN AilE
door into the back yard. Twice more he |
tried 10 enter, and the wrsugling was
renewed, and she finally pushed him
down the stairs, saying: "You have no
right to come here any more" Then
she went in, locked the door, and went !
up stairs 10 her room, in company with |
her son. About midnight her son, the |
boy Earnest alluded to, who was sleep /
ing on a couch In the parlor, and had |
heard the wrangling between his parents, |
heard her come down stairs with lamp /
in her hand. Somebody was with her 4
She passed across the hall to the front 1
door, and let ogt her companion. Then 1
she placed the lamp on the dining-room 1
table and went to the back door. Holme, /
who was still there, called 10 her: "Now |
that your friend has gone, can't / come /
in?n Next moment the boy heard her |
gasp.
"I AM STABBED"
and running out found that she had |
fallen. with her head against a chair. |
She could only whisper the word, /
Docton" Ernest drew a shawl over I
her. The surgeon, DR.. Youngblood, /
who arrived in few moments, found 3 |
wound in the left breast, which passed /
through both the right and left venti- /
cles OF the heart, and must have caused /
instantaneous death. Next, or that /
morning-for the murder was done
about midnight-Oflicer Martin Mueller, 1
who had keeD sent to tell the Officers on 4
the boats to look out for Holme, as he /
was passing along Broadway and Wash /
street, about half past two O'Clock, /
heard voice from window say,
al RAN MY KNIFE INTO SOPHIE;
do not know II 1 hurt her or not. En-
tering the lodging house he was told by /
the keeper not to go up, as the man had |
a big knife and would kill him. Run /
ming up stairs be found Holme in bed, 4
with only his underclothing on, made |
him prisoner and ordered him to walk I
to the station. At the corner OF Fifth 1
street HOlme refused 10 go further, say
ing he would die there; but the officer |
hit him over the knuckles and brought 1
him along. HOlme remarking, al 4
licked the blood OFF the dagger | loved /
Sophie so much.u At the station he /
tried to seize the dagger, saying, 81
bought that long time ago to do what
| have done with it," Then he asked /
the Sergeant, I" Is she dead?n (His son
stated at the trial that Holme had once
used the dagger on himself, and that 4
Mrs. Holme used to hide IT.. AT the
Tie ldttC VI Nlt hAAilLk were 6HOhU
and admitted, the deiense-cOnducted
by w. w. Arnett-of course holding
that the long abuse of Holme by his
wife, eliminating in her being taken in
open adultery, would have been enough
70 justify verdict OF manslaughter in
the lowest degree, but claiming that
there was abundant evidence Of the
mans insanity. The sensation OF the
trial was the production by the prosecu-
ton of
THE DEAD woMAN's HEART IN COURT,
the doctor pointing out the wound that
traversed from side to side the anatom-
ical preparation which had once loved
and hated.
The medical evidence which went 70
show what medical evidence In such
cases generally shows, that there were
fever and deiirium to some extent, and
fhat fever might be increased by certain
contingencies. The testimony as to acts
Of insanity went back to some six
months before the murder, when Holme
was employed to fold circulars at a
clothier's. He was eccentric and fiighty
then. A woman, IN whose house he had
lived for some time earlier in the year,
testified to his restleesneEs and agitation.
Another witness saw Holme q few days
before the murder riding on broom
stick in the yard, fancying himself
huzEar. On the night of the murder be
called his wife beast, and told witness
he was going to "shoot her with this"
He was armed with a syringe. Mr.. An
drew Auer said he had taken the pris-
oner to work two days before the muir
der. Holme said he had a fever and
wanted rest, adding that he had much
trouble with his wife. When Mr.. Auer
told him to feed the cows, he found
Holme
TELLING THE COW ALL ABOUT HIS WIPE
and his troubles. and then threw his
arms around the horseis neck TO kiss
bin. He sent Holme back next day,
feeling sure be was a lunatic Indeed,
he advised him to get admitted TO the
iunRtie asylum. The keeper of the
lodRing-house at which Holme was ar
rested eaid he had been drunk and en-
gagged a room; then left, saying he had
some business to attend to. He re-
turned about one O'Clock, and, with
come of the other dodgers who were
awake, sent out for some beer. be was
singing. The song had reference TO a
man IN prison. Holme said: They
won't trouble me, sure,n drew his knife
and walked up and down the passage
way, saying, Now abe got It." The
result Of the trial was a verdict Of
"Guilty Of murder IN ths first degree
the furY bsltsviDg that the purchase and