Connecticut western news., 1895-10-31
THE HOLMES TRIAL.
HE PRISONER ACTS AS HIS OWN
 ATTORNEY.
Sensational Opening Of the TrIat of the Greatest Alleged Criminnt of Modern Time. Spirited Tn,s With District At tornoy Graham

PHILADELPHIA. Oct. 29.-H. H. Holmes, or Herman W. Mudgett, which he says is his baptismal name was put on trial in the court of oyer a~d termincr yesterday for the murder of Benjamin K. Pltezei in this city on Sept. 2, 1894, and tho develop. monts of the first day verified better DOT. haps than ever before tho force of the maxim that truth Is stranger than fiction From the nature of tho case and the star. ting stories concerning it which have gained currency during the past year, sen. sntional revelations were naturally to be expected when he, who has como to be re garded as the most skillful and audaclous criminal of modern times was placed on trial for his life. Yet what did occur in court SO far surpassed all expectations that the most vivid flights of imagination could scarcely havo conceived the days events.
 Protestations and entroatics for a con. tinuance of the trial summarily overruled the sudden withdrawal of tho lawyers In the face of threats of disbarment who had hitherto represented the prisoner; the appointment by the court of new counsel and the refusal by tho prisoner to accept them as his defenders; tho declination oi another lawyer to serve after being select cd by Holmes, and finally the prisoner trying his own case This, not to speak of sundry dramatic passages at arms be- tween Holmes and the commonwealth | prosecuting officer, is a summary of what occurred.
 Tho clocks of the town had scarcely ceased striking 10 when Judge Arnold, clad in the long black gown which wa recently adopted by the Philadelphia iu 1 l.H the bench, and what promises to be tn, most sensational case In tho criminal jurisprudence of this country was begun The prisoner, closely guarded, was brought in and placed in,tho dock.
 Motion For'a Stay Denied.
 The days proceedings began whor Messrs. Shoemaker and Rotan moved fol sc days continuance on the ground o lately discovered evidence. This wal promptly refused, as was also their mo ton for continuance until today. Find ing the judge memorable, they, as n last resort, declared that they would withdraw from the case. Judge Arnold warned them that if they did SO they would lay themselves open to disbarment.
 Thereupon Holmes declared from tn, dock that under the circumstances h, Nobth hOe HNtihit VI 0AitbA He therefore dismissed them from hi service, and the lawyers left tho room ir spite of the courts threats. Judge Arnolc then appointed k. NJ. Schofield and ]. Nj Fahy to assume charge of the defense. bu' again Holmes interposed. Ho declared that he would not place his life in tn, hands of two young men who know th' ,ase only by hearsay. and eventually when his personal entreaties for a post ponement were refused, he declared that h, would himself try the case. Meanwhil, he expressed desiro to secure tho seryice of Attorney K. O. Moon, but that gentle man, after learning from the judge tha he could not obtain a continuance, dcclln ed to accept the grave responsibility.
 The selection of a jury consumed severa hours, Holmes freely exercising his pre- roRatiye of challenge and after 12 mof had beon secured recess was taken
 The afternoon session was devotes largely to District Attorney Graham opening address to the jury, in which h, outlined the case in detail and subjecte, the prisoner to a soathing denunoiation.
 The district attorney spoke an hour ant 25 minutes concluding at 4:40 o'clock He then held brief talk with the judg, 1t the side bar and agreed with him thai in view of the lateness of the hour Il would be inexpedient to begin the taking of testimony, as the examination of thu 6rst witness would be interrupted by tn, supper recess. 1t was therefore decided to adjourn court until 10 o'clock today. Facing the Picture of His Alleged victim
 PHILApKLPHIA, Oct 30.-It Is apparent that the picturesque and startling fea tures of H. II. Holmes career were mol to be confined to his destructive wander ings over the American continent for with each successive day comes something still more strange and unexpected.
 The big work of the trial-taking testi mony-was begun at 10 n. m., and witl tho exception of brief intormisslons ai lunch and supper time was continued un til nearly Q o'clock at night.
 All day, as Holmes sat in the dock, tho eyes of tho man he Is charged with mur dering gazed at him from large orayor portrait placed upright on the district at torney's desk in full view of the entir, court Next to this was an equally largt sized picture of the daughter Alico, whose death Is also laid on hls shoulders. Bul Holmes did not seem to be affected. HI. stolid demeanor neverdeserted him for an instant.
 The first witness called was Jeannetts Pitezel, one of the children of the dead man, who escaped tho fate of the bigRer part of the family.
 She was a slim girl, with rather dull features and by no means pretty. She was attired for the occasion and conscious of it. Miss Pitezel was kept on the stand long enough to identify n crayon portrait oi her father as presenting an excellent like ness of him ns he appeared two years ago.
 Holmes cross examined her for mo ment as to whether there hadn't been q change in the appearance of her father, occasioned by the removal of his beard. She said her father had had a small Roates at one time.
 Hoines Photographs Identified.
 John Townsend. photographer ens. ployed in the detective service, and Vii. liam II. Rau, private photogrnpher. then identified photographs of Holmes taken by them after his arrest.
 Eugene Smith, who found Pitozel's body in the Callowhill street house on Sept. 1, 1894, then told a detailed story oi bis discovery, which has been already fully published. He had become acquainted with the dead man on Aug. 9. 1894. through business concerning patents iAt1tl vas cupPocSa VI hofo h'ids He saw him several times during the fol. lowing week. The witness drew packet of papers from his pocket whom he came to the dates. Holmes objected to his re. ferrinR to them unless they were in hls own handwriting. Smith admitted that the papers had been prepared, and the court sustained the objection.
 Smith said that during his first visit to Pitezel, Holmes came in and went up. stairs. A moment later Pitezel excused himself and followed. He returned short ly. The witness was present when the corpse of Pitezei was exhumed from the potter's field and was there first introduced to Holmes. Lawyer Howe of St. Louis, Alice Pltezel, the young daughter, and the insurance officers were there. The body was recognized by the witness a' Pitozel's. Holmes offered $50 to have tho corpse crcmated and asked Howe about it. <rho lawyer answered that the widow would first have to be consulted.