Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-21
HOLZHAY GOES UP FOR LIFE
After Deliberating Forty-ive Minutes
the Jury Return.
Found Guilty and Sentenced to Prison
for Life.
The Terror of Wisconsin Breaks Down
i'm Court.

BEssEMER, Mich-Reibund Holzhay,
BLACK Bart. . on trial for the
murder of Banker Fleichbein, of Belleville,
H., and the robbery of the Gogebic stage,
took the stand in his own defense on Thurs
day and made confession. Holzhay told the
story of his life from the day of his birth
In Germany to that of his arrest at Re-
public, Mich. He admitted that he robbed
the Milwaukee & Northern train six
months ago; that he held up the Wiscon-
sin Central train at Cadott, Wis. a month
later, and he waylaid the Gogebic stage
and shot Banker Fleichbein. Holzhay
claimed several years ago he was hurt
by fall from horse and since then has
been subject to spells during which
he did not know what he was doing. He
said that he was under this ''spell" when
the various crimes were committed He
had had several of these spells since his
capture and probably had had a dozen
more since he was injured. Holzhay said
he remembered the day he was arrested
and who arrested him. He could not tell
why he held up. the stage. Holzhay says
he does not remember who was in the
Gogebic stage, did not remember seeing
either Fleichbein or the driver, and failed
to identify the watch and pocket
book said to have belonged to Fleich-
bein. He claimed that he had never
seen Fleichbein's name on the pocket
book until his attention was directed to it
by Howell. The attorney frustrated the
prisoner somewhat when he said: why
did you carry two guns, knowing you were
liable to have one of these spells at any
time and shoot somebody" Holzhay
seemed somewhat staggered by the direct
ness of the question, but replied: Il car
ried revolvers to protect myself from wild
animals in the woods. and did not like to
leave them anywhere, as | might not find
them again Holzhay was the only wit
ness called for the defense and when he
had concluded the defense rested.
BEssEMER, Mich, Nov. 16-The jury
in the Holzhay case came in at 1915 this
morning with verdict of guilty, having
been out only As minutes When the fore
man of the jury announced the verdict,
Holzhay, who had up to the time INDUCED
a wild hope that he would be acquitted or
that the jury would disagree, broke down
completely and presented pitiable spec
tacle, making strange contrast with the
lawless train-robber and murderer who
had terrorized large section of the country
for months.
The court pronounced sentence on Holz-
hay of Imprisonment at hard labor in the
pennitentiary for life, and both verdict and
sentence meet with general appreciation.
The charge of the jury on the opening
of the court took up only twenty minutes.
The attorneys for Holzhay will make the
customary motion for new trial, but are
not likely to get one, as there are no
grounds upon which valid claim for it
can be based.
The immediate crime for which Reimund
Holzhay was tried was the murder of Mr..
Fleischbein, of Belleville, H., when he
held up the stage at Gogebic Aug. g.
The stage passengers showed fight, and
Holzhay drew his guns and beg an to shoot.
Fleischbein fell from the stage, and another
passenger was wounded before the fright
ened driver got his team under again.
When the alarm was given and party
returned to seek for the robber Fleischbein
was dead and his pockets had been rifed.
When Holzhay was arrested at Republic,
Mich, he had Fleischbeiu's pocketbook
and other articles on his person, and they
played an important part in convicting
him of his crime. The house of the des-
perado was in Shawano county, and his
principal exploits were two or three mail
robberies, two train robberies and arobbery
of a Shawano county merchant in open
day.