New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-15
A STAGEROBBER BY FITS.
HOLZHAY EXPLAINING HIS CRIMES IN WIS
CONSIN.

CONSIN
A HORSE FELL on HIM AND SINCE THE AccIs
DENT, WHENEVER HE FELT BAD HE
UNcoNsCIoUsLY ATTACKED TRAINS
AND TRAVELLERS.
Milwaukee, Wis. Nov. IA dispatch to Tho
Evening Wisconsin from Bessemer. Mich says:
Reimund Hohhay, on trial for the murder Of
the banker Fleschben, of BelleyIlle III, and
the robbery of the Gogebic stage took the stand
in his own defence to-day and made confession!
He spoke in reluctant manner.
:" L was twenty-three years old the I'd of last
month"; said he.' was born in Germany, in the
southern part. and my parents still hive there
All the schooling ever received was in the old
country. l never attended school lin America.
came to the United States seven years ago, and
not having any trade, l went to work in my
uncle's planning mill in Green Bay, Wis. worked
there about two years and then went to work on
the Oconto River, where stayed about three years.
Becoming tired of this Wife and desiring changei
l went out West. / stopped in Portland, Ore,
for short time, and then went to the Puget
Sound country, where / worked in mill about
five months. | spent about month riding around
the country on horseback, and was in the West
about eight months altogether. l then came
back and went to work again on the Oconto River.
and worked there about a year and a half"
In answer to questions put by his attorney.
Holzhay stated that while in Washington Territory
he was injured by his horse falling on him, that
he lay unconscious for some time afterward, and
that while his health previous TO this accident
had been good, since then it had been bad. tie
could not describe just how it affected him. but
it affected his whole system, and particularly his
;I,- ha fait ite aroll hftf hose
spells would come over him and would last prob
ablv a day. sometimes more. lie said that during
these spells he felt strange, but could not describe
the feeling His actions and any incidents or
occurrences taking place at such time were
all a blank afterward. Nearly all last Winter
was spent in the woods WORKINGS
but he came out one time TO see Dr. Willams VINO
is connected with DR.. Lucass institute ior inc
treatment of nervous diseases in Chicago. About
n wear and half ago he went to Green Bay TO see
Or. Palmer who treated HIM for nervous troubles.
The spells came on him sometimes unexpectedly ana
he always had to look out for himself At times he
feels an irresistible impulse to do something bad
or desperate He has had several Of these spells
since his capture and probably had dozen or
more since he was injured Holzhay said THAI
he remembered the day he was arrested and VINO
arrested him. He could not tell why lie held up
knew about it,
A fellow-prisoner of Holzhay, named Burns, has
been engaged the last month or two in writing a
life of the robber and has incorporated into the
narrative several deeds of daring claimed to have
been committed by Holzhay while in the Western
country. In the cr0Ss-eXamlnatlon frosecuunS
Attorney Howell mentioned several Oh these in-
stances, where Hozhay was alleged to have heid
up several men, and asked him as 10 the truth
or falsity of the stories Holzhay said they were
all untrue and originated in the brain of Burns.
In regard TO the holding up of the Wisconsin,
Central and Milwaukee and Northern trains. Holz-
hay said he felt the spell about the same as at the
time of the Gogeblc stage robbery, ana did nos
remember any of the incidents connected Win
the affair. He stated that IN all these
instances, where shooting was begun, 1t APP
peared TO clear his brain and brought him to a
REALIZATION of what he was doing, and he took
TO the woods afterward 10 avoid being captured
He said that he did not remember who was In
the Gogebic stage did not remember seeing either
Fleischbcin or the driver, and failed TO ldentify
the watch and pocketbook said to have belonged
TO Fleischbein. He claimed that he had never
seen Fleschbens name on the pocketbook until
his attention was directed to it by Mr.. Howell
Attorney Flannigan confused the prisoner some-
what when he said
f" IIolzhay why did you carry two guns, know
ing that you were liable to have one OF these
spells at any time and shoot somebody! When you
felt one of these spells coming on, why dldnU
you leave these guns somewhere until aiter you
recovered ?"
Holzhay appeared somewhat staggered by tha
directnesS of this question and hesltatngly re-
Piled:
I carried the revolvers to protect myself from
wild animals in the woods and did not like To
leave them anywhere, as | might not find them
again.
is it necessary for man to carry two re-
volvers to protect himself in the woods of this
country? ?"
Yes sir.o said Holzhay. " think it IS
This reply seemed to satisfy the prosecution, as
Holzhqy was removed from the stand and shortly
after returned to Jail His examination lasted
about two hours He was the only witness called
for the defence. and when he had concluded tho
defence rested.