The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-11-14
BLACK BART.
TRIAL AND CONFESSION OF THE
NOTED RIGHwAYMAN OF THE
NORTHWEST.
Tells the Story of His Crimes and
Lays Them to Alleged spells
of Lunacy.

MILWAUKEE, Wis, November 14.-A spe-
eial to the Evening Wisconsin from Besse.
mer, Mich, says that Raymond Halzhay
BLACK Bart" on trial for the murder of
Banker Fleischben, of Belleville, Ill, and
the robbery OF the Gogebic stage took
the stand in his own defense today and
made confession. Holzhay told the story
OF MS lie from the day of his birth in Ger
many to that of his arrest in Re-
public, Mich. He admitted that he robbed
the Milwaukee and Northern train six
months ago; that he held up the Wisconsin
Central train at Cadatt, Wis, and that he
Waylald the Gagebic stage and shot Banker
Fleischben. Holiday claimed that several
years ago he was hurt by a fall from horse
and since that time had been subject to
spells" during which he did not know
what he was doing. He said he was under
TINS spell when various crimes were COM
mitted.
Holzhay was put on the stand the first
thing this morning and In reluctant man
ner told the history of his life:
II was % years old the 2nd of last
month, he began. 81 was born in the
southern part of Germany and my parents
still live there. All the schooling | ever
received was in the old country. | never
attended school in America. | came to the
United States seven years ago and not
having trade | went to work in my
uncle's planning mill in Green Bay, Wis. 1
worked there about two years, and then
went to work on Oconto river. where |
stayed about three years. Becoming tired
OF this life and desiring change. | went
out west ! stopped in Portland, Ore, for
short time and then went up to the Puget
Sound country, where worked in mill
about five months. spent about month
riding about the country on horseback, and
was in the west about eight months alto
gether. | then came back and went to work
again on Oconto river and worked there
about a year and half"
In,answer to questions put by his attor-
ney Holzhay said that while in Washington
Territory he was injured by his horse fall
ing on him; that he laid unconscious for
sometime afterward and that while his
health previous to this accident had been
good, since thenith had been bad. He could
not describe just how it affected him. but il
affected his whole system and particularly
his head Ordinarially he felt quite good
but these bad spells would come
over him and would last a
day, sometimes more. He said
that during these spells he felt strange, but
could not describe the feeling. During such
spells his actions and any incidents or oc-
currences taking place at such times was
all blank afterward. Nearly all last winter
was spent in the woods working. He came
out one time TO see Doctor Williams, il
!. Chicago, who is connected with Doctor
Lucas, for the treatment of nervous dis
. eases. About year and a half ago h
Green Bay who treated him 70
nervous troubles. The spells came OIL
him sometimes quite unexpectedly, and h
always had to look out for himself, and a
times he feels an irresistible impulse to d
! something bad. He had several of thes
. spells since his capture, and probably ha
/, a dozen or more since he was injured
Holzhay said he remembered the day b
. was arrested and who arrested him. II
: could not tell why he held up the stage; b
: held it up, and that was all he knew abou
= it,
A fellow prisoner of Holzhay name
Burns has been engaged the pas
month or two in writing the life of the rob
ber and has incorporated in the narratiy
several deeds of daring claimed to hay
been committed by Holzhay while in tn
western country.
In the cross examination the prosecutln
attorney mentioned several of these IN
stances where Holiday was alleged to hay
held up several men and asked him as to tn
truth or falsity off the stories
Holzhay said they were all untrue an
originated in the brain of Burns. In re
card to the holding up of the Wisconsin
Central and Milwaukee and Northern
trains, Holtzhay said he felt the spell
abOut the same as at the time of the 20
gebec stage robbery and did mot remembe
anv of the incidents connected with TN
: affair. He stated that in all these instance
where shooting was commenced it appeare'
to clear his brain and brought hlm TO
realization of what he was doing and n
took to the woods afterwards to avoid BEN
captured Holiday did not remember wh
was in the Gogebec stage; did not reinem
and failed to identify the watches ant
. pocketbook said to have belonged U
FIeischben. He claims he had never see
FIeichben,s name on the pocketbook UNIV
his attention was directed to 1t by MI
Attorney Flanagan frustrated the prs
oner somewhat when he sale:
"Hozhay, why did you carry Two guns
knowing that you were liable TO nave Oh
of these spells any time anc shooC suit suit
body? When you felt one OF tnese sPer,
) coming on why didn't you leave these gg1 y
somewhere until after you had recovered
Holzbay appeared somewhat staggere.
: bv the directness of this question and hesl
II carried revolvers to protect myse,
from wild animals in the woods. l dlu III
like to leave them anywhere, as mign
not find them again" ,, tu,
us it necessary for man TO carry wv
revolvers to protect himself in WOODS
this countryT .,n,, - is
This reply seemed to satisfy the ploS,
cutting attorney, as Holzhay was reIlop :
from the staEd and shortly aiter Iesu aLnT
to jail Holzhay's examination las.eu u, aJ
c c"H n for tbe defense, and when he conclr
| - IoFanaa raetn6