New-York tribune., 1895-10-31
MRS. PIETZEL TESTIFIES,
gOLMESS VILLANY UNMASKED
A TERRIBLE STORY TOLD BY THE WIDOW
OF THE MURDERED NAN.

| A TERRIBLE STOkI IOl<b ID AAA>~
OF THE MURDERED MAN
CHE RELATES HOW SHE WAS DUPED AND DE-
Coyrp BY THE PRISONER. AND WITH soBs
AND TEARS TELLS OF SEEING HER chill
| pREN's BODIES IN THE TORONTO
MoRcUE-HoLMEs UNMOvED BY
| THE AWFUL RECITAI-A SEN
| sATIoNAL DAY IN THE
| GREAT MURDER TRIAL
Philadelphia Oct 3O.-Branded though he Is as
| a liar swindler and murderer the picture u'a"
| TODAY Of Holiness cold-hearted vilany by Mrs'
p,o,,. tho widow Of the man for whose murder
he is being tried presents him in an even more
revoltine character Whatever sympathy might
bova been excited by Holmes friendless ana ior-
,orn condition was effectually killed in the preasts
of all the hearers in the courtroom py MIS- rie'
zers story For three hours this afternoon anu
one hour tonight she was SUBJECTED 10 'e'iio'0
ordeal Her story furnished the nrst reaiy sehSa-
t,onal feature which has yet been Drought OUT
The scenes OF the afternoon were intensely ora-
matte Mrs. Pietzel and Holmes have never peeii
until to-day brought face to face since the dreao-
| full revelations of her chidrens murders haNe
| oor,e ont When a woman bent and feeble was
| assisted into the witness Dun tnciC va" ~''''''o
Of necks in the courtroom for it was at once sur
| missed that this Mrs. PietZei. Whe'hei
Holmes had schooled himself to face her. or
r,o,,er the man really lacked sensibillty. was
| impossible to say. but as she stood erect peiore
hin, he exhibited no emotion of any kind, but, on
| the contrary gazed fxedly at her for fully
minute.
| Az the woman came into the full light OF
| the courtroom she plainly showed that she
had borne a burden Of sorrows thai nave
proven too heavy for her. Her skin was sal
| low and her face was heavy and ii1eiesS' r'ei
| cheeks were sunken and her lacK-iusire eyes
| stared steadily in front of her with heah-
| ingless gaze She resembled woman uhoer
| tn, influence Of some strong drug ra'ner liia'i
one in full possession Of her facuitles one
| was so weak that the court officers stood Dy
ber side and repeated aloud her whispered re-
| plies to the questions asked her. Oniy once
did she look in Holiness direction At the
| hoo,nring NJ her testimony she asked If
| she knew the prisoner. She cast one hurried
! glance in his direction. and then. quickly
| averting her eyes replied that she did
LED FROM CITY TO CITY.
| 7, wac damninc story of duplicity and
Lroyer,, that she related to the Court. She was
led somewhat hurriedly over the occurrences
| nrior to PietzeTs death Then she told how
| Holmes came to her and told her that her nus
4 band still lived. but was In hiding Tor MS con-
| nection with the swindle of the insurance COM
| many. He persuaded her to send her daughter
| Alice to identify the supposed BODY OF her
| father and returning to her home In 81. LOUIS
| extorted from her by sharp practices all out
| $500 OF the 50 700 she had received In payment Oh
| her husbands insurance policy. fearning ior
| sight OF her husband and children. Holmes led
10, h
fore her that she would soon meet her loved
ones.
After the death Of the children, Holmes carried
his deception SO far as to bring to her letter
written in cipher and purporting to be from one
of her little girls He also worked this stratagem
| In a letter alleged to be from her husband;
Never once did he give hint that she Wouin
probably never see her husband again. ana ne ne
constantly told her that her children were well
and happy.
MRS PIETzEL BREAKS DOWN.
Throughout this long recital. Mrs Pietzel had
borne up with forttude. but when Mr. Graham
asked her If she ever Jaw the children after she
gave them into Holiness charge, she gave way,
and sobbed bitterly before she could answer.
Not a whisper heard in the courtroom as
she raised her head, and, in a broken voice, re-
Piled II never my two little girls again
until saw them lying side by side in the morgue
at Toronto and never saw Howard again. but
was only shown some Things that Delohged ~
him in indianapolis"
Mrs. Pietzel'D testimony was most damaging
to Holmes and the cross-examination ny tne
! counsel for the defence in no way served TO
The prosecution believes 1t has convincing ev-
idence TO convict Holmes. and the District
Attorney and his assistant are satisfied that
they will easily prove their case
HOLMES SMILING AS USUAL
Holmes came into court this morning with the
usual half-smile or his face that he has worn
every morning and saluted the court officers
cheerfuy More people were in the courtroom
this morning than on any previous day, In an
ticipation Of sensational evidence. Among the
spectators were several we-known society
women. who craned their necks eagerly as the
| prisoner was brought In.
The first really importa ut witness called was
! c La Forrest Perry assistant to the president
Of the Fidelity Mutual Life Association the COM
pany which Holmes swindled out OF $4,000.
Perry was the man who first worked up the in
surance swindlng case against Holmes and col
| lected much of the evidence which has led to his
trial for murder. He identified the insurance
policy for sl00 900 taken out November Q, 1893. by
Pietzel, and the receipt Of Jephtha D. Howe the
st. Louis attorney. acknowledging the payment
Of the money. The money was paid TO the swind-
! lers on September a. 1894, twenty-five days after
Pietzel's death. Then Mr. Perry went to tell
how the strange tale Of Holiness crimes be-
came known He told Of the letter Of Hedgepeth,
the Missouri train-robber, revealing the swndle
on the company and Of the tracing and arrest Of
Holmes and Mrs. Petze In Boston for swindling
the company. Holmes at the time OF his arrest
made verbal confession Of the swindle and the
next day made the confession in writing.
The next witness William f. Geary an
| tpsr fo~
lated the search for Holmes from st. Louis to
Ogdensburg. N ". to Prescott, Canada, through