Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-07
DESPERATE "BLACK RART.n
His Hand Shot OFF to Prevent His
knitting q Fellow Prisoner.

DETROIT. MICH, March IA Free Press
special from Marquette, Mich, says: Reimund
Holiday, the train robber and murderer now
serving life sentence at the branch prison
here, will never pull q trigger again. All four
fingers Of his right hand are shot away Prob
ably with some idea Of making his escape he
seized and threatened to kill fellow convict
After two hours vain endeavor to reason with
the desperate Warden Tompkins disarmed
him of his murderous knife with a well-directed
rifle shot. The prison officials have been keep
ing close watch Of Holzhay, and for some days
Deputy Warden Hawley has suspected that he
was meditatng some desperate outbreak Yes
terday afternoon he sent Keeper Polliser to
bring the convict to his Office for search.
Polliser unlocked the cell and told HOLIDAY to
come along.
The desperate must have suspected what
was intended, for, as Polliser turned to lock
the cell door, Holzhay threw his left arm
around the keepers neck and, drawing a muir
derous looking knife, pressed it against his
throat. He then drew Polliser toward the
gate and told the keeper there to kill him or
he would kill Polliser. Deputy Warden Haw-
ley was sent for and to him Holzhay made the
request Hawley drew a bead on the convict
when the latter held Polliser in front of him,
so as to form shield. He continued this de-
vice for some time, stepping out aud daring
the deputy warden to kill him, but lodging
behind Polliser and holding his knife at the
latter's throat whenever the rifle was aimed at
him. Finally Polliser broke away and ran
around the cell block with Holzhay in pursuit.
Seeing that Polliser would escape Holzhay
seized q convict named Meservoy, who hap
pened to be loose in the corridor, and repeated
the same game. Warden Tompkins had Just
left the prison when the outbreak occurred.
but was overtaken and called back by trusty
convict. For two hours the warden stood at
the gate trying to get chance to disarm Holz-
hay or to induce him to drop nis knife.
THE wARpEN's COURAGE.
81 would have simply rushed in" said the
warden, but was afraid the fellow might be
insane and that any attempt to do 30 would
simply result in Meservoys death. The latter
bad transferred here from Jackson to be tho
prison tailor. He is now serving a long term
for burglary, has worked as faithfully and we'll
as free man could aud thought a great deal
OF him and did not want him hurt If could
help 1t. Finally Holzhsy got tired of standing
and sat down on box in the corridor still
keeping Meservoy between rs. The fellow was
cunning. for he got in such q position as to be
49, A"AeO Aou. HlQQOWa. He
would occasionally whet his knife on his shoe,
then draw 1t across Meservoy's breast or
throat Whenever tried to get him in range
Of my rifle he would get behind Meservoy and
hold his knife at the back of the latter's neck
30 as to stab him through the spine.
AT last, by sending Deputy Wadsley to take
another convict on the other side of the cell
block, distracted his attention for a moment
His right hand, holding the knife Law ON his
knee. l took steady aim and planted a bullet
right in his knuckles. He got up and called
out, Well, you've done it, and walked toward
his cell The heavy bullet from the Martini
rife tore away all of his right-hand fingers and
smashed the metacarpal bones Only his
thumb is left"
'Holzhay was seen last evening He Law
groaning with pain and refused to answer ques-
tons. Meservoy said: II knew the fellow
would kill me II covered, but relied on
Tompkins to save me, and he did think 1
owe my life 10 his GOODNESS and aim. That fool
Of Holzhsy deserved what he got and told
him so."
Pie knife Is q murderous weapon, made BY
grinding an ordinary table knife to q sharp
point on the cell door. How Holzhsy got IL Il
not known. He may have stolen il from the
taoie or got 1t from some other convict His
| intenuon probably was TO stab the night keeper
ana thus get the cell keya This would not
nave let him out, however, as there are still
three steel gates which he could not pass.
Inc anAir was not known 10 many people IN
tnn city, but those Who heard Of il generally
| resretteo thas the convict had not been killed
he wiil probably make no more mischief a.
lesA