The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-11-06
.H.H. B0LNES ON TRIAL,
The Case Of the Noted Criminal
Comes Up In Philadelphia.
HE IS CONDUCTING HIS OWN CASE.

| fenSe Withdrew story OF tne SF1lAo
For Which Holmes Is Being Tried-His
Many OTcnses.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct 29.-H. H.
Holmes, who according to his own re-
markable confessions, stands at the head
Of the list of modern criminals, was put
On trial in the court of oyer and termi-
ner for the murder of Benjamin +.
Pietzel Arraigned against him as the
commonwesSth's prosecutors are District
Attorney George S. Graham and his
special assistant, Thomas ". Barlow.
4 sensation was created by counsel for
the prisoner withdrawing from the case
after they had made an Intellectual at
tempt to secure postponemene.
Holmes is conducting his own case.
Judge Michael Arnold is upon the
bench. So many aliases have been
worn by the man on trial during the
course Of his spectacular career that his
baptis,nal name, Herman Mudgetts, has
almost been lost sight of.
Not so with his manifold exploits in
half dozen Of the big cities Of this
country, which have been malyeled at
| wherever men can read. Wild and
weird as is the confessional story Of his
life, in which he accuses himself OF Of
fenses which would long since have
- 1o-o 1,ie p,iat1,c
Holmes has been careful to shift the
main responsibility for the various mr-
ders with which he admits having
been connected, to other shoulders.
Thus, during the SS years Of life de-
voted almost entirely to law breaking,
this is his first experience as felon on
trial for his life. The authorities have
recognized that this is no common Grim
inal, but one who might be called tech
nical and most expert artist in crime.
1t is, therefore, their determination, in
the event Of his conviction for capital
ofense, to railroad" him to the gal
lows.
More than year having passed since
the discovery Of the crime for which
Holmes is now on trial, and so many
conflicting tales having since been told,
each outdoing the other in weirdness
and atrocity, rehearsal Of the facts Of
this chapter Of the story is relevant.
On Sept. 3, 1894, the corpse of man
was found in the second story Of ram 2.
shackle building at 1915 Callowhi1l
street, in this city. The dead man had
been known as B. F. Perry.
The body was lying on the floor and
by its side was pipe partly filed with
tobacco. The face was blackened and
blistered as if from burns, and nearby
lay broken bottle, which had contain
ed benzine. From appearances, an ex-
plosion had occurred while the man was
lighting his pipe. Some small drops Of
blood on the floor were credited to slight
wounds on his neck. The police believ-
ed the affsir vas an accident, and no
one for moment entertained the theo-
~ of murder.
Among the effects found in the room
we're several letters from Perry's wife In
St. Louis, the signatures to which had
been torn off. To the .neighbors Perry
had been known simply as an inventor.
The coroner's physicians held an au-
topsy and, finding evidences Of chloro-
form and congested lungs, the jury gave
a verdict of death from inhaling the
fumes of chloroforG.
About three weeks after this occur
renee, Jeptha D. Howe, St. Louis at
torney, after correspondence with coro-
ner Ashbridge, came to this city and
asserted that the body Of the supposed
Perry was that Of Benjamin F. Pietzel
of St. Louis. and that he, Howe, was
here to collect $4,000 insurance from
the Fidelity Mutual Insurance company,
for which amount a policy had been
made out in favor Of Mrs. Petzel in
Chicago a year before. Meanwhile,
Holmes, who had introduced Peitzel to
the insurance agents, when the latter
was insured, was induced by them to
come to Philadelphia and identify the
body. This he did, positively, and so
did Alice Pietzel, the 16-year-old daugh-
ter of the dead man. With this une-
ouiyocal testimony the insurance COM
pany paid the money. Here the first
stage Of the extraordinary affair came
to close.
The second opened some time after
ward in a manner smacking strongly Of
the dime novel. Marion c. Hedspeth,
the notorious train robber, in Jail in St.
Louis. Mo-, one day made remark that
Holmes, while in an adjoining cell, had
conspired with Pietzel and Howe to
swindle Philadelphia insurance COM
pany by substituting body supposed to
be that of Pietzel. Detectives took up
this clue and worked for weeks but not
trace could be found Of Pietzel, Mrs.
Pietzel OF the children.
Holmes, however, was arrested on
Nov. II, in Boston. He was made to
write decoy letter to Mrs. Pietzel, IL
ducins her to come to Boston, where she
was arrested, and together they were
brought to Philadelphia The woman
was subsequently released, but has since
been under the surveillance of the po-
lice.
Holmes has been confined in Moy-
amensing prison and at intervals, from
that time to the present, has made many
and conflicting explanations Of every
affair with which his name has been as
sociated. By his own confession he has
been implicated, directly or indirectly,
in three deliberate murders, the disap-
pearance and possible murder Of three
children, blgamy, many conspracles,
ito one of which he has already pleaded
guilty in court) and, in fact, almost
every crime in the calendar.
Holmes has proved himself to be a
man of unlimited nerve, easy Of manner,
eloquent of speech, refined in appear
ance, self confident and ambitious.
Only enough people were admitted to
well fill the courtroom without uncom-
| fortably crowding it.
Promptly at 10 o'clock Holmes was
brought into court and placed in the
dock.
Mr.. Shoemaker asked for contin-
uance Of the case, but it was refused.
Mr.. Rotar, of the defense presented
the plea for respite, but it was over
ruled by Judge Arnold and the trial pro
ceeded.
a. &. Ward In Honduras.
r-Dro Honn,1 0ot 90 z