The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-03

WING kOes aBdineb uiAns AAoiihSS A1sS ' .
Some time to spend on earth, nom which
10 is alleged to have ssnt 50 many fellow
movtals.
The verdict was o surprise to many per-
sons who did not belieTe the crime had
been fastened upon Holmes beyond 9
reasonable doubt. When they heard ii
they said; "wsll, it is on general princi-
pies and 1t is just as good
This is not the meaning Of the law,
but in this case everybody agrees thai
at il lust as good.' There is no word
of pity or sym PATTY for the condemned
man. He Is regareed as a menace to So
cIety. Up in Gilmanton. N. H., there
are two old people, his father and moth
err. h2d he has also two brothers and
two sisters. Not one of his kin was heard
from during the trial.
When the jury went out an lndefinite
recess was taken. Judge Arnold said he
would remain in the building until mid
night IL necessary, and il no verdict had
been reached by that time he would come
to court at 10 oclouk tomorrow morning.
Nobody believed there would be occasion
for this. There were many wagers that
the verdict would bs in tonight, and
more as to Its nature. At $40 o'clock
there was a hustle of moving people in
the PACKED court room, and 1t became
known that the jury was coming in. A
moment later Judge Arnold took his seat.
District Attorney Graham and his asseci-
ates entered and the jury filed solemnly
in and took their seats in the box. Then
Holmes was brought in ana placed in
the dock. For a moment there was not
a sound. The silence was literally pain
full, and every heart in that crowded
room throbbed. The man who was about
to hear his doom pronounced stood erect
which could grow no deeper. on his face.
He stared at the jury blalkly, his hands
clasped behind his back. Once or twice
he moistened his lips with his tongue.
There was no other sign of agitation.
Then from the deer.-voiced clerk came
the awful words: Jurors, look upon
the prisoner; prisoner, look upon the
Jury; do you find the prisoner at the bar.
Herman W.. Mudsstt, alias II. H.
Holmes. guilty of the murder of Benja-
min F. Pitzei, or not guilty?"
The condsmning syllabies came from
the foreman:
Guilty of murder in the first degree.
HEM uttered Holmes, clearing his
throat; but his shrunken form never
trem bled and his lips betrayed no CULVER;
his marvellous nerve had not forsaken
him. There was only a tighter clasp
of the hands folded behind him. Then
he slowly sat down, and at the request
Of counsel the jury was polled. AS each
name was called Holmes wrote it on the
margin Of a newspaper in his hand. and
the fingers holding the pencil never
shook. The verdict was formally record
ed by the court; the motion for new
trial was made, and after Judge Arnold
had spoken word of regret to counsel
for the defense because of last Mondays
occurrence, when they Withdrew from the
but fruitless labors. Holmes was taken
to his cell room. A few moments later
the iurymen were thanked Tor their at.
tention and labors and sent home; the
court adjourned, and the most extraors
binary case in the annals of American
courts was ended.
The last day was uneventful except for
the last tragic scene. District Attorney
Graham onened the session with his ad-
dress to the jury. Pie was folio BY
Rolan VINO in mis- speech presented the
only form Of the defense-that Pitzel had
committed suicide, resting on the as.
sumption thst the CON monwealth had
not made out a case beyond a reasonaol
doubt. Judge Arnold charged the jury
for more than an hour. The district at.
torney said his instructions were fair.
The general idea was that II thew leaned
toward either side it was toward the
com m on wealth. but the charge consisted
mainly in q review of the evidence and
exposition OF the law OF murder. When
the trial bsgan last Monday everybody,
including the com wealth's officers,
anticipated that it would lengthen into
many weeks. 1t lasted SIX days. This
was the result of the courts decision that
no evidence touching upon Holmes other
crimes should be introduced into tn
particular case and the conduct OF coun-
sci in presenting no other defense other
than argument. Tue swift developments
treading upun each others heels and every
one outdoing its forerunnsr for stnsa-
tionalisrn are of public knowledge.
When the jury filed into court at 10
o'clock this morning thew looked Tired
and unkempt. At 10:15 o'clock Mr.. Rolan,
court and asked Judge Arnold for a few
moments indulgence. saying that he had
just received word from neig boring
drug store that his colleague, MIR. Shoe
maker, was sick there and he desired to
join him. Mr.. Rolan, himself. showed
the strain under which he has labored.
He returned half an hour later and said
he had found Mr.. Shoemaker under the
care OF physician, suffering from COM
pIete prostration. He called this to the
attention of the court in view of a point
of law regarding the commonwealth
right to make the closing argument to
the jury when the defense presented no
evidence. Mr.. Graham. however, ended
the question by offering to waive mis-
right to the last speech. The district at
torney reviewed the evidence in detail.
Beginning with the question OF the
identity of the corpse found in the Callow-
hill street house. he went over the tes-
timony of each witness who positively
said that it was the body of Pitzel. Then
he proceeded to the explosion theory and
the condition of the body. which he con-
tended, the medical testimony had proved
could not have been prouuced except by
chloroform. Thus, he said, the jury
reached the first step in the case-tnat
the man died of ohloroform, not self-ad-
ministered, and this, too, was proven be-
yond shadow Of doubt by the expert
testimony.
Leading up to the motive of the MUIR
der, Mr.. Graham rehearsed in minute
details Holmes every transaction in con-
nection with Pitzel's murder, tracing mis-
movements from place to place and draw
ing out every little circumstance that
weighed against the prisoner with in
finite clearness and force.
When he came to the testimony of Mrs.
Pitzel, he told the jury that never in his