The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-02
HOLMES HIS NO DEFENSE
Taking of Testimony in the Great MUIR
der Trial Concluded.
A MOST REMARKABLE PROPOSITION
The Prisoners Lawyers, Declaring That the
Prosecution Has Not Made out a Case
Against Their Client, Will Depend
Wholly on the Argument.


who asked her if there were any cuffs to
the shirt which she had identified as her
husbands, and she replied that Holmes
had taken them from the trunk and de
stroyed them. This was the only question.
On cross examination Mr. Shoemaker rig.
idly questioned her concerning her travels
with Holmes and her subsequent arrest
for conspiracy. His apparent intention
was to show that Mrs Pitezel had been
the controlling influence during the ram
bes throughout the country, and that she
carried Holmes about in an attempt to
evade arrest
Edward H. Case, Chicago agent for the
insurance company, testified to an inter
view with the Mrs. Holmes" Of Will
annette, Ills
John King was called by the district at
torney to identify "Holmes' Own Story,
q book purporting to have been written by
the prisoner Mr. Graham dragged from
him the information that he had charge
of the manuscript of the book, and. had
read the proofs.
Amy Long, a typewriter said she re-
Ceived the manuscript of the book from
Mr.. Shoemaker. 1t was in pencil, and
the handwriting was unknown to her. A
specimen of Holmes handwriting was
shown her, and she identified it as the
same as that in the manuscript.
Agent Perry, of the insurance company,
was recalled to identify Holmes hand
writing.
Detective Geyer, recalled, said he had
been sent down to Holmes cell about live
weeks ago to see if there was any poison
concealed there While making search he
came upon the manuscript of the book and
brought it to the district attorney. Geyer
also found in Holmes cell a letter to John
King about the sale of the book.
The commonwealth offered in evidence
the letters and papers, pictures and the
Holmes book, and rested its case. Mr.. Ro-
tan made an unsuccessful attempt to rule
out the Holmes book and all pertaining to-
it. and endeavored to show that there was
other matter in the book rather than that
furnished.
The prosecution then switched back to-
the medical and scientific phase of the
Pitezel case, with special reference to in
ternal physical conditions in case of death
from violence or from chlorOfOrm. DR.
Henry Leffmann returned to the stand,
and Holmes medical knowledge was again
in evidence by the frequent and exhaustive
instructions to his counsel as to their line
of cross examination DIR. Mattern, of the
coroner office, followed DIR. Lehman, but
after few questions from either side, was
dismissed.
The defense here recalled Miss Yoke.
She testified that she married the prisoner
under the name of Howard in Denver on
Jan. II, 1894 She knew of the woman
I'm Willamette, but believed she was not
"Howard' S" legal wife. He told her mother
that his uncle had died and left him GER
tain properties in the south, the west and
in Fort Worth providing he took his un-
cle's name, Henry Mancill Howard He
explained his taking the name of Pratt in
Fort Worth by saying his business com
plications required it.
After IN hours recess Mr.. Rotan, adj
dressing Judge Arnold, called his atten-
ton to what he claimed was the common
wealths failure to prove case. Heasked
the court to settle the case by instructing
the Jury accordingly. This Judge Arnold
declined to do, but instead instructed
counsel to go on with the case, after grant
/ ing their request for n short time to con
| fer with the prisoner.
When this time had elapsed they sur
prised the court, jury, prosecution, wit
/ nesses and spectators by saying they
would offer no defense, but would rely
simply on argument. Court then ad-
| journed until this morning
/ When the trial began last Monday
| everybody anticipated a siege Of at least
two weeks but the decision of Judge Ar
mold that no testimony would be admit
ted other than thuJ bearing directly on the
murder of Benjamin r Pitezel had the
effect Of keeping out group OF gruesome
exhibits and silencing about thirty wit
nes ;es brought here from Canada, New
/ England and the west, and supported for
six days at the commonwealth his expense
The iudges decision also prevented the
/ Offering iu evidence of the moulderod
bones of the boy, Howard, the stove in
which he, was burned, the clothes the
| little fellow wore whom he had "a body to
put inside them the toys he played with,
and the trunk which smothered out the
lives of the girls Alice and Nellie. Besides
it put quietus on Detective Geyer, whose
detailed nara i've # his travels over the
continent i'm a successful search for evil
dence of Holmes destructive movements
would have made a thrilling tale.
District Attorney Graham fought as
hard as he knew how to get this evidence
d in, but the law was against him, and the
defense scored its first and what many be
lieve 10 be its last victory,
There is an impression that Lawyer h.
o. Moon viii do the talking for the de
fense, and his forensic ability is of nc
mean order 1t was he whom Holmes
called upon last Monday when he dis
missed his lawyers Mr. Moon declining
the task through lack of time for prepara-
ton. He admitted being familiar with
the main facts, and will be well qualified
TO address the jury.
There was no change in Holmes de
meanor yesterday, although a keen ob
server might have perceived a deeper pal
lor on his cheeks, and in his blue eyes tho
subdued glare of Il wild beast tracked tC
earth at last. But it needed a keen eye tC
detect it if it was there,