The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-31
MORNING, OCTOBER 81, 1895.

known him through his buying cigars az
her store. On cross-examination she saic
Pietzel was not man of cheerful U.s.
position.
Oliver Forest Perry. assistant TO the pres
ident of the Fidelity Mutual Life Associa-
pany that was swindled out of the $1,000
for which PietzeIs life was insured and
1t was Perry who began the inyestiga-
identified the policy issued, which carried
F. Pietzel the wdow ,Ss, as the eeneaelaTy ,,asl;s
policy. less expense, paid to and receip.ed
for by Jephtha ID. Howe. the ST. Louis
attorney who represented Mrs; Pietzel.
present when Howe received the money
When Holmes came TO this city at the
request of the company to- identify the
body Howe and Alice Pietzel We're In the
office. Holmes came in afterwards and
was introduced TO them. He and Howe
met as strangers, but he said he had
After the payment of the money the mat
ter was closed until letter was received
by President Fouse, of the insurance COM
pany, from superintendent of Police Har-
rigan. of ST. Louis. This contained the
declaration o. Hedspeth, the train roDoef.
that while I'm jail in st. Louis he mad
forming conspiracy TO defraud an ia-
suIance company out of $4,000 by the
substitution of a corpse for Pietzers. In
spector Gray, of the insurance company.
was sent to st. Louis and interviewed
Hedspeth. On the information thus OBJ
tanned, warrant was sworn out for
Holmes on the charge of conspiracy and
Oh this he was arrested i'm Boston. Wit
ness went to that city and identified
Holmes The latter had made verbal
statement TO the witness in the presence
of Deputy superintendent Hanscomb
Chief of Police Watts and John Cornish,
a private detective i'm Chief Watts's Office
Il asked him where Mrs. Pietzel vas
not care TO tell Then l asked him where
Pietzel was and he said he was in South
America or on his way there and the boy
said were in London with Minnie VIII
liams. He said he had given Howard 30
his father in Detroit and had sent Nellie
and Alice from Toronto on train en-
which he rode short distance to meet
Minnie Williams, either at Buffalo or
Niagara Falls, | forget which,
After unimportant cross-examinatiun
Perry was temporarily withdrawn from The
stand. Inspector William Il. Graz, of the
Insurance company, told OF a trip II s..
Louis, where he procured Hedspeths state
ment. This was produced, but not yet Of
fered in evidence. In consequence OF il
the tracking of Holmes was begun. lie was
at Prescott Canada. various points m New
Hampshire, Burlington. VT, and Boston.
Orrington n. .Hanscomb. deputy superia-
tfndent Hn'mnt, of police of Boston directed
from Fort Worth. Tex. saying ne vas
wanted there for larceny OF horse.
testimony.
arrested Holmes said he did not want to
20 TO Fort Worth. but that he would
go without. requisition to Philadelphia,
where he had defrauded the Fidelity In
tireiy voluntary on Holiness part
Anna NJ. Robbins. the stenographer who
Holmes by Deputy Hanscomb, idenri.isd a
copy OF the statement.
nt rne 81 district ;d attorney offered the state
bn f,.l fin
ished the court took recess.
shortly after noon Inspector Hall, of the
Toronto police department. arrived aith
MIR. Ryves. who is expected to swear that
he lent Holmes the spade with which
he dug. the graves for the Pietssl girls
Ryves lived at No. Is st. Vincent street
found, and he was accosted by Holmes
over the back fence and asked for the
loan of spade
When court reconyened, Francis "
Quinn, an employe of the Fidelity COM
public. This statement was read and Is
IL substance as follows: While in Jail at
St Louis Holmes had met Hcdspeth who
Holmes to get $500 and other parties $780,
Holmes told him Of scheme to defraud
lawyer Hedspeth referred Sh him t to "fISse Howe
and after several visits to him, Howe con-
firmed Hedspeth's statement about the
money needed. They discussed the insur-
ance scheme and Howe asked where they
would get a corpse Holmes replied that
that would be all right as he had plenty
OF experience in that line, The details
were carried out, and Holmes made ar
rangements in New York on Aug to get
body. but the one obtained lacked the
wart and other marks peculiar to Pietzel
Holmes meanwhile came to Philadelphia
and saw Pietzel. While here he got word
from New York that body was ready
He went there, got ii and brought il back
here TO Pietzel. Holmes and his wife then
| left town. He went to ST. Louis, where
| he found Pietzefs wife and children much
| excited. Holmes had several interviews
| with Mcdonald and Howe, and the latter
| wanted to abandon the insurance scheme.
| Holmes said he would take his chances
because the stake was big enough. Howe
| demanded 5000 of the money If il went
through and Holmes claimed that this was
| outrageous, as he had taken all the
| chances and done all the dirty work.
| When Howe threatened exposure. Holmes
/ smiled and told him he was not afraid,
as he had every discriminating word Howe
had uttered. II have had a phonograph
! in the bureau drawer he exclaimed, coy
| ly The money was finally obtained and
! Howe kept $500 of it, Mrs. Pietzel being
! given the balance.
This concluded the statement During its
| reading. three women were ushered into
1 court by side door. One was "Dessa''
| Pietzel and another her mother.