The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-02
The Commonwealth Rests In the
Holmes Trial.
THE DEFENSE WILL OFFER NO
TESTIMONY.

in the Holmes trial will be suicide.
That this would be the case had been
foreshadowed for several days by the
questions ask ed by Holiness attorneys.
That Pietzel committed suicide is the
only defence that could be offered, as
Holmes has admitted that he was at the
house the day the man died and that he
found his body and arranged it as it was
discovered two days afterwards.
Holiness attorneys refuse to say
whether or not they will put the accused
upon the stand, but it is more than
probable they will as the prisoner is
anxious to testify.
The trial opened with more promptness
this morning than any ate yet.
Holmes still retains his unruff1ed ap-
pearance and shows no effect of the strain
he has undergone.
Mrs. Pietzel was the first witness placed
on the stand. Mrs. Pietzel's replies to
questions asked her were repeated to the
jury by court officer, but she looked
stronger and more composed today than
at any other previous time.
After single question Mrs. Pietzel
was turned over to Mr. Shoemaker for
cross ss-examination.
Mrs. Pietzel said she knew man
named Collier and that he was an inti-
mate friend of her husband. Mr. Graham
entered objection to several questions
asked and then Mrs Pietzel in reply to
the question said she had been arrested
in Boston on a charge which she believed
they called conspiracy.
These questions revived bitter memories
and Mrs. Pietzel had much difficulty IN
restraining her tears. She said she was
kept in prison seven months on the
charge and was then released. She denied
that she had entered into any conspiracy
to defraud any one, but what she did to
protect her husband.
Here Mr.. Graham interposed an obJec-
tion and accused Shoemaker and Rotan
of trying to add to the burdens of Mrs.
Pietzel by alleging she was in the lnsur-
ance swindle... They denied this, and in
answer to the question OF Judge Arnold,
Mr.. Rotan said that they wanted to show
that in her journeyings around the
country, Mrs. Pietzel knew thatsshe was
trying to evade the officers of the law and
was not seeking her husband.
Judge Arnold il replying to Mr.. Rotan
said: NThen you want to prove that she
was not Trilby but Svengali, that she
led him instead OF being led by him. =
This answer seemed to disconcert Mr..
Rotan and moment afterwards the
cross examination Of Ms. Pietzel was
concluded.
Mr. Graham then asbe ner if she was
not discharged from prison here without
an Indictment being found against her,
and with no stain upon her character ard
she answered, yes.
The next witness called was Edward
H. Cass, the Chicago special agent of the
Fidelity Insurance company. The
defense suspected some kind of a trap
and objected to Mr. Cass.
Mr.. Graham stated that all he wanted
Mr.. Cass to do, was to identify the letter
the search for some one to identify the
body was being made.
The objection was overruled and Mr..
CaSs was admitted as q witness.
He testified that he called upon
Holiness Willamette wife to learn from
her if possible anything about her hus-
bands whereabouts, SO that he could get
was shown the letters which Holmes
wrote him and identified them. These
letters have already been published.
The strain upon Mrs. Pietzel upon the
stand broke her down, and when she was
taken into the corridor she became
hysterical and her screams penetrated to
the court room.
She was carried into the district at
torney's Office, restoratives were applied,
and she became quieter.
After Mr.. Cass identified the letters he
was turned over to the defence for Cross
examination. Only a few questions were
asked him and nothing OF Importance
was developed.
The next witness called was John
King, who was q reluctant one.
1t was only after repeated questioning
that King said that he was not employed
at present. Then he admitted that he
had been engaged in getting out a
sensational book that purpcrted to give
Holiness own story. Witness was asked
from whom he got the manuscript.
The defense here objected strenuoqsiIy,
but unyailingly, and Mr.. King said he
got the manuscript from Mr.. Shoemaker
one of the defendants lawyers.
Mr.. Rotan tried to get the witness to
say that number of changes were made
in the book after he received the original
manuscript, but Mr.. King said thefe was
none.
Miss Amy Long, typewriter, testified
that she copied the manuscript for the
book and that she got it from Shoemaker.
The defense took an exception to all the
testimony offered in connection with the
book.
Miss Long was shown specimen OF
Holiness handwriting and said THAT 1t
resembled the writing Of the manuscript
she copied.
Mr.. Rotan asked the witness If the
handwriting of the manuscript was all
the same.
She said she thought it was.
Holmes seemed greatly interested IN
the evidence and taking the book, showed
to Rotan parts in it to submit to MISS
Long.
Holmes's lead pencilltd certain
passages, but when Mr.. Rotan was abont
to give the book to Miss Long, Mr..
Graham objected to the marks.
They were erased and the book given to
the witness who was asked to read the
passages and say if she remembered copy
ing them.
She replied that they were different
Dr. Henry Lehman, an expert
chemist, described the different effects
upon the human body of ohloroform
taken internally and inhaled.
Under cross examination DIR. Lehman
said that when taken internally chloro-
form was not particularly violent
poison and the chances of recovery were
good. Wnen inhaled chloroform is much
more deadly. When inhaled by a strong