The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-13
HOLT PLEADS GUILTY.
Little Doubt that the Wife Muir
derer is Insane.
His Eight-Year-0Id Daughter Tells
the Story Of the Killing.
Hacked His Victims Throat After
Shooting Her.

Thomas Holt, sexton OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church OF the Atonemcnt.
Fifth avenue and Seventeenth street,
Brooklyn. was arraingned before Justice
Walsh In the Butler Street Police
Court. Brooklyn. this morning. charged
with wife-murder. Holt pleaded guilty
and was held for the Grand Jury.
When Holt was called to the bar by
Justice Walsh the pen door was thrown
open, but Holt did not move. Detec-
tive Mccormick, of the Fifth avenue
station, went into the pen and picked
Holt up from IA bench where he was
sitting staring vacantly out into the
courtroom.
The sexton walked out OF the pen
mechanically, practically dragged by
Mccormick. He is about forty-fye
years old. ana was dressed shabby.
His head was baniaged, blood stained
his collar, his face was palae and ex-
riessionless. and there was IA vacant
stare In his eyes.
His cight-year-old daughter Sadie,
VINO was the only witness to the murder,
was sitting In the witness chair along
side the bar, Holt did not look at the
child. Justice Walsh had her removed
To "A seat outside the rail before he be-
gan to question Holt.
The sexton answered the Justices
questions promptly, and without any
show OF emotion said Guilty when
asked:
How do you plead to the charge OF
killing your wife yesterday"
The charge against Holt was made In
the affidavit OF his daughter, Sadie. She
hS a bright looking little thing, and APP
pears scarcely as old as she IL. She was
dressed this morning IN neat little
blue Bingham dress. Her face, which
was red from crying, looked all the red
der from the large white straw hat
which she wore.
Neeson the following story OF the muir
der:
Mamma and I We're, playing church
went. when papa rushed in. He did not
have his hat on. He looked very much
excited.
N. said to mamma That man on the
Other side of Seventeenth street Is try
inSt 10 XIII me- Mamma saw a revolver
In papa's back pocket. She went up to
papa and tried TO puiet him. She
reached reached round 10 his pocket and took the
Papa made. agrab for it and took
the revolver from mamma. He then
Il" Ssr ana lha e door Pnns
picked up the bread-knife from the
table ana began to cut her on the
throat She kept moving towards the
! reached the stairs and fell down.
Papa came out with a razor and a
revolver. He shot her twice again. \
man came IN and Papa went out"
Charles With, who lives lust across
from tle Hollis house. on Seventeenth
street. was the man who ran into the
Hollis house.
II ran into the basement" he said this
morning. and saw Mrs. Holt lying on
the stairs Her dress was burning. /
tried to put out the fire. | tried TO put
out the fire. ! saw Holt coming out OF
the dining-room: He had "A revolver in
his hand. bolted for the street He
fired one shot al me-"
Holt, while running through the
street, revolver In hand, was knocked
down and overpowered by Policeman
MctiOVern.
The HoIts had been married about
twenty years. They had three chill
dren: Thomas, eighteen years; Frank,
sixteen years, and Sadie. eight years:
The boys We're not ut home when
their mother Was killed.
Holt was formely photographer, but
OF late years has been the sexton of the
church of which Rev, Dr. Homer f.
Wellman If rector. The Hollis managed
to save IA little money and were fairly
well to do OF late Holt has shown evil
denCes of mental trouble.
He had dreada OF burglars and
imagined that his wife and Others vase
trying to poison him.
imring the last few weeks he seemed
to think that there was treasure buried
in his cellar. Yesterday morning ne
was digging for the hidden wealth"
An examination of Mrs. Hollis body
revealed three bullet wounds In the
breast. The dead woman's throat was
horribly hacked
Mrs. Holt was about forty years old,
ana was popular in church and charita-
bic work. The arrangements for the flu
neral nave not been completed.
Holt had two roVOlverE. but only used
the Larger one, "A ii-Caibre AFFAIR.