The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-10-31
MRS. PIETzEL'S STORY
The StrrOw-Laden Widow Tells Of the
IreacherY and DupIlCIty Of Homes.
PRESENTED IN A REVOLVING CHARACTER
The Nam Who Is branded ns n Liar
SWindlcr md Murderer, Exhibited
NO t:hoiton Whatever While Mrs.
Mrs. pictzeN, With Il E,rotcn
Heart, Told OF the Great Trouble

PhiladeIphia. Oct. 3o.-Brantlcd
though he is as n liar. swindlcr
and murderer, the picture drawn to-day
OF Holmes, cold hearted vilIniny by Mrs.
Pietzel. the widow of the man for whose
muredr he is being tried presents him
In even Il moro revolving character thnu
he has yet stood revealed
Whatever sympathy might have hccn
excited by Holmes fricndlcss and for
iorl condition. was c(fcctuully killed I'm
the breast of all the hca rcrs In the court
room of Mrs. l'etZcl's story
She was placed upon the witness
stand to-day and for three hours this
afternoon and one hour fortnight she
was subjected To nm ordeal thai no wo-
man In her condition had ever hccn
called upon to face. Ilcr story Furnish
ed the first really sensations feature
thai has yet been brought out The
whole scene and the events Of the after
noon were intensely dramatic. Mrs.
Pietzel and Holmes have never hecn
brought face 10 face until to-day since
the deadful revelations of her childrcn's
murders have come out.
when woman hent and feeble was
assisted to the witness box there was Il
craning of nccks in the court room, for
II was at once surIniscd that this WAS
Mrs Pict2el Whether Holmes had
schooled himself 10 face her. or wheth-
cr the man really lacked sensiblity it
was impossible to say, hut as the wom-
an stood erect before him he exhibited
no emotion of amy kind, but, on the con-
tiary, EaEed flNcdly at her for fully n
minute. When the woman came into
the iuil light of the court-room she
plainly showed that she had been n
burden of sorrow and troubles that
nave proven too heavy for her Her
Skin was sallow and her face was heavy
ana iiicic*s. Above her sunllen checks,
ner rack -liiStcr eyes stared steadily In
llphi OF her with n meaningless gaze
she more resemblcd u woman under the
inhuencc OF some strong drug that had
utlilcu llcr senses, rather than one Thai
Is In fun possession of her fncultIes
She sank into chair and crouched
lhcrc like an animal that stands I'm
rear OF the lash. She was so weak that
throughout the giving Of her Testimony
thc caurt officers stood by her side ana
repeated aloud her whispcrcd repIies
10 the questions asked her Only once
lhrouIh hont the day and evening did
she look in Holmes direction.
AZ the beginning of her testimony she
was was asked u she knew the prisoner.
she cast one hurried glance in his direc-
tloh' anu then quickly avertcd her
eyes. She replied that she did 1T was
Il damning story of duplicity and lnav-
cry that she related to the court She
was led somewhat hurricdly over the
events prisr to pict2cl's death Then
she told of Holmes coming to her and
telling her that her husband still lived
but was in hiding for his conncct ion
with the Swindle of the Insurance com
pany. How he persuaded her to send
her daughter Alice to identify the sun
posed body of her father. and return
ing to her home in ST. Louis extortrd
from her by sharp practices all but
5000 of the $500 she received In pny-
ment Of her husbands insurance policy:
I'm
possession Of two Of her other chill
drcn whom he took away with him.
IL was from this period that Holmes
cruel practices began. Yearning for
a sight Of her husband and children
Holmes led her from city to city with
the illusive hope before her that she
would soon meet her loved ones So
thoroughly WAS she under his influence
that she gave him her letters to post
TO her husband and children. and while
hei heart was breaking for Il word
from her little ones. he was carrying
around in his pocket letters from
them 10 her.
After the death of the children,
Holmes carried his deception so far as
to bring to her a letter written in ciph-
or and purporting 10 be from one of her
little girls. He also worked this STRAIT
cEcm in IL letter alleging to be from
her husband. Never once did he give
her q hint that she would proba bly, new
cr see her husband again, and he con
stantly told her that her children were
well and happy.
Throughout this long recital Mrs.
Pie'Hel had borne up with fortitude,
but when MIR. Graham asked her IL
she ever saw the children after She
gave them into Holmes charge she
gave way and sobbed quietly. but Bit
tcrly before she could answer Not n
whisper was heard in the courtroom as
the woman raised her head and i'm a
broken voice replisd:
never saw my two little girls again
until l saw them lying side by side in
the inorsue at Toronto, but ! never saw
Howard again. but was only shown
some things that belonged to him in
indianapolis"
Mrs. petzers Testimony was most
damaging to Holmes. and the cross ex
animation by the counsel for The de-
Tense I'm no way served TO help him.
with the advent of his counsel into the
case to-day the current which was bear
ing Holmes swiftly away when he was
alone, was slightly stcmmcd Although
his two attorneys have as vet decided
upon on definite line of defense they
were better able to take advantage Of
technicaltes that arose Holmes was
OF great assistance to them and suggest
cd most of the questions that were
asked the witnesses.
Fhc Commonwealth to-day had its
witnesses upon the stand to prove the
conspiracy to swindle the insurance
company and the consequent motive for
the killing OF PIetzcl.