The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-03-13
HOLZHAY SHOT.
The Noted Train Robber Wounded
by the Warden,


by the Warden,
MARQUETTE, Mich, Special.-Reimund
Holzhay, the train robber and murderer,
now serving q life sentence at the
branch prison here will never pull
trigger again. All four fingers
of his right are shot away. Probably 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 dis
armed him Of his murderous knife with a
we'll directed rifle shot. The prison officials
have been keeping close watch on Holzhay
and for some days Deputy Warden Haw-
ley has suspected that he was meditating
some desperate outbreak Yesterday he
kent Keeper Polliser to bring the convict to
bis office for search. Polliser unlocked the
hell and told Holzhay to come along. The
| 1esperado must have suspected what
has intended, for as Polliser turned
| tb lock the cell door Holzhay threw his Lett
II ] drm around the keepers neck and, drawing
| la murderous-looking knife, pressed it
ogainst his throat. He then drew Polliser
tbward the gate, and told the keeper there
IA kill him or he would kill Polliser. Dep
1Ey Warden Hawley was sent for, and to
| IAm Holzhay made the samerequest. Hawley
drkw a bead on the convict when the latter
hdid Polliser in front of him so as to form a
sli|eld. He continued this device for some
time, stepping out and daring the deputy
warden to kill him, but lodging
behind Polliser and holding his knife
at the latter's throat whenever
blo6k with Holzhay in pursuit. Seeing that
P5IAiser would escape, Holzhay seized d
convict named Meservoy, who happened to
belolose in the corridor, and
REPEATED THE SAME GAME.
Wir hen Tompkins had just left the prison
| wlelh the outbreak occurred, but was over
| tafeIl and called back by atrusty conXict.
For two hours the warden stood at the gate
| tryirlg to get chance to disarm Holzhay OF
| to in Sduce him to drop the knife II would
have eIsimply rushed i'm said the warden,
! but u was afraid the fellow might be in
sane, land that any attempt to do so would
| simply result in Messervoy's death. The
latterS had been transferred here from jack
| son tol be prison tailor He is sewing long
| term for burglary, has worked as faithfully
| and well as free man could, and
! Thought o great deal of HIM and did
not want him hurt if eound help it. Fin
| ally Holkhay got tired of standing and sat
| down oni o box in the corridor, still keeping
| MesersoH between us. The fellow was cum
L
out of range from the outside windows. He
would occasionally whet his knife on
| his shoe, and then draw it across Mes
ervoy'S breast or throat whenever / tried to
get hilh u range OF my rife, he would get
Ssok sttsrs h neck eSa 50 s as n e stab s. hm
through fhe spine. At last, by send
ing DEPUTY Warden Hawley to
| talk with another convict on the
other side of the cell block, /
distracted his attention for a moment. His
right hand, holding the knile lay on his
bullet right in his knuckles. lie got up
| and called out. - ! - ~
WELL, YoU'vE DOME IT,
and walked toward his cell.n The heavy
bullet iirom the Marlin rife tore away all Of
his right hand fingers and smashed the
| metacprpal bones. Only his thumb is left.
| 1t grated Meservey's leg, but he was not
hurt. Holzhay was seen ihis evening. He
| lay groaning and refused to answer quest
| ions. Meservoy says: Il know the fellow
would kill me II covered but / relied ON
| Mr. TRmpkins to save me, and he did. /
| think 4 owe my own life to the warden's
coolnelss and sure aim. / am here,
yet. tEhat fool Of Hdishay deserved
what he got, aud told him So"
The k3life Is murderous weapon, made by
| grinding an ordinary table knife to a sharp
point on the cell floor. How Holzhay got
| 1t is not known. He may have stolen it
from the table, or been given it by some
other convict, His probable intention was to
| stab the night keeper and thus get the cell
keys. This would not have let him out
however, as there are still three steel gates
| whieh be could pass, Ihe affair was not
known 70 many people In this city last
night, but those who heard of 1t generally
| regretted that the convict had not been
killed. He will probably make no more
mischief as without his right hand he is
practically helpless