The sun., 1894-08-13
HOLT KILLS HIS WIFE.
sHOOTS HER THREE TINES AND
CCTS HER THROIT
The Murderer Iussne-A Photoarspher ne.
fore Ue Hecn-,e sexton OF the Episcopal
thurch OF the Atopsmrpt in RrooLtvn


fore ue Recnre sexton OF the Episcopal
thurch OF the Atonement in Brookiyn.
Thomas Holt, the middle-agcd sexton of The
Protestant Episcopal Church of the Atonement
on seventeenth street near Fifth avenue Brook.
lyn. shot and killed his wife Caroline last nigh,
In tho basement of their home at 36l Seven.
tecnth street. The ncighbors. the surviving mem.
bers Of the family, and the police agree that
Holt Is insane.
Holt IL ~ years old and photographer by
trade, but he gave that business up when he be.
came sexton several years ago lie has tbre.
children Thomas, aged is; Frank, aged TO-
and Sadie, aged years. The ncighbors agree
that he did not drink and was normally ouiet
and well-behavcd man
For the past two weeks there had been n
marked change In his dcmcanor. He bcrans
moody and full of dire mnginings. His chief
hallucinetion was that there were burglars in
the house, and nightly, his suns say, lie awakened
the entire family and insisted ON their Joining
with him In search through the rooms for IN.
supposed intruders.
Within week he began to develop n ana.
picion of his wife. and Friday he called at the
Fifth avenue police station and had u long talk
with Capt. Murphy about her.
II don't like to talk about my private efreirs
Captain" lie said. but there il something I
must tell you. My wife is dosing me with drug.
when am asleep, and | think she is trying 10
poison me ! know this Is true, because can
feel the effects Of the drugs now.
Then she puts men on my track. They
watch me all night from behind lamp posts and
fences, and think my life is in danger.
thought I'd come In and tell you about this 80
you could give me police protection"
"Well see that no harm comes to you, Holt"
replied the Captain. humorIng him, and the sex
ton went away apparently satisfied. :, A. the
uDIturpU RrHNply that Ip had n yiaion rin
the night, and had been told that there was
bag of treasure buried under the cellar floor.
After breakfast he took n spade into tho
cellar with him and honeycombed the earthen
floor with holes. His sons persuaded him after
Then he went into the rear yard. admired the
flowers there. and began to talk nationally TO his
lie seemed 70 be all right in the afternoon
when h. srnl M Frank out f3r cartridges cart for his
the weapon Indicated aud a .queerly fashioned
double-bsrrelled pistol which carries in one
aSOE CSG4 Of e eaS.e 0H ss$ and that the
case Of a visit from burglars IL would
be well to have the reyolvers loaded, and, the
spprelhSendsd no mischief and they went out for
dining room and played church" for a long
At $40 o'clock Holt entered the room with a
revolver in his hand. He said that somebody in
the street had shot him in the back OF the head,
at his wife. AS she sought to escape into the
hallway, he, caught her and, drawing a table
IN her Ss her Chin
he finally r threw h tns knife away Spd pulled
slashed her across the throat. She made n
frantic effort to get away, and with blood pour
ing from her wounds, she reached the basement
again with his revolver. The only witness OF
the scene was Sadie, and she described what had
happened TO the police later.
Charles Wirth, who is about 10 years old. was
on his doorstep across the way, at 35s Seven
into the basement OF the Holt residence to ascer-
tain the cause. He saw Mrs. Holt lying. face
stepsup Her dress fire from the flash
Wirth examined the woman, who was, then
with his open hand, when Holt emerged from
the dining room and saw him. The murderer
eHeeG It s yeaes with and f 'ne
:. His aim was wild and the youth was not hit.
mounted the steps three at a jump and sought
hidingplace in the parlor. Then Holt, who had
daughter, ran out into the street with the pistol
in his hand. Policeman McGovern Of the
seventeenth ] VS street. two % doors above Holt I He
was on the sidewalk when the murderer emerged
down with his "b TRe %h"s boeR ws
aroused. and the crazy sexton was soon over
powered and taken to the Fifth avenue police
station.
message was sent to the Seney Hospital for
an an ambulance. and snTgeon Butler responded;
been shot three times, in the left breast. in the
the centre Of the chest, The cash in her throat
was sufficient in itself to have killed the woman;
Holt refused TO make statement. He would
that Sergeant Graham finally succeeded In taxi
ing his pedigree. Sergeant BardOn and Detec-
tive Sergeant Mccormick took the statements OF
the sons and daughter, which embody the story
given above.
The woman's bod taken charge OF by
Undertaken Hinma H. one Of the vestrymen OF
the church. Coroner Kene will hold the inquest