The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-01

check for the trunk. He went to board
ing house on 18th street and that night
left for the West Holmes told him the
next time he met Pietzel was in the
post office at Detroit. Holmes said he had
given instructions how to prepare the
body for the swindle. He was to place it
on the back with one hand on the breast
and place somesliquid in the mouth and
cause an explosion. This liquid was
wash for cleaning clothes that they were
making. He. told him to burn the breast
and arms. He instructed Pietzel how,
by working the arms of the corpse he
could inject chloroform into the stomach.
At subsequent interview he told Geyer
that it was Pietzel. On hearing this,
Geyer said: Holmes, if that was
killed his three children
mo, | didn't, Mr.. Geyer," replied
Holmes. II will tell you about it. y
Holmes then told Geyer that Pietzel
committed suicide and of his finding him
dead on Sunday morning. sHolmes went
to the house and found that Pietzel had
killed himself by laying cloth across
his face and allowing cbloroform to drip
from bottle upon the towel. Pietzel
left q note for Holmes telling him he in
tended to kill himself andsadvising him
to make such use of his body ms they had
intended with the bogus corpse After
some reflection, Holmes said he did this,
and fixed the body as it was found. In
explanation of the whereabouts OF the
children Holmes said they had gone TO
London with Minnie Williams.
When asked where the trunks were,
Holmes said he left them in the hotel
on West Madison avenue, Detroit. At
another interview Holmes contradicted
himself by saying he had given the boy
Howard to a man by the name of Hatch
at Indianapolis and had never seen any
of them since he sent the girls from To-
ronto.
Mr.. Graham proposed now to have
Geyer tell of the finding Of the chill
dren's bodies.
The defense objected strenuously and
the Jury was taken from the room while
the argument upon the question was
made. The matter before the court was
the most important yet to come up. The
commonwealth undoubtedly based much
killing of the children by Holmes not
alone for the effect it would produce. but
to show that the murder of Pietzel was
one of the death he plotted. If the evil
dence of the murder of the children
was barred out, the commemorative
case would lose much of it's strength, as
the evidence of the killing of Pietzel is
purely presumptive and clrcumstantial
and the prosecution might have difficult
ty in proving directly the murder of
Holmes. With these facts in view, Graham
argued at great length and with much
earnestness. He quoted from authorities
sustaining his position, and burning
words of denunciation of Holmes and
crimes fell from his lips. Holmes sat
unnioved beneath the lash and even
smiled at times asi he made notes of the
argument of the district attorney. Mr..
Graham's whole contention was that the
motive for killing the family was mer-
cenary one as it was only by the wip1ng
out of the Pietzel family that Holmes
could obtain possession of what was held
in common, between him and PletzeI.
So vital was the evidence of the killing
of the children, Mr. Graham hinted, that
if it was rejected, Holmes might be ac-
quilted.
MI Rolan made the argument for the
defense. For young aud comparative
" inexperienced lawyer, Mr.. Rolan made
an able speech in favor of this contention.
His plea was that che court of Pennsyl-
yania had decided time and again against
the admission of evidence of one crime
to help convict man OF an offense for
which he is being tried
The arguments consumed an hour and
then the Judge rendered his decision. He
ruled the evidence out on the ground
that the killing of the children had no
direct bearing on the crime for which the
prisoner is arraigned. While the judge
was speaking Holmes kept his eyes on
his face. and when he heard the words
that may give him fighing show for
his life, his face lit Up and he swallowed
a lump in his throat that was nearly
choking him.
The jury was then brought back and
Geyer was put on the stand, but his evil
dence was very brief.
Then Mr.. Graham tried to work what
looked like clever trick to introduce
his evidence of the killing of the chill
dren He asked the court if he couldn't
introduce evidence disproving Holiness
statement that the children were given
to Minnie Williams. Judge Arnold some-
what dryly replied ne considered that state
ments already sufficiently disproved, and
Geyer stepped aside. Superintendent
of Police Linden was called, Superin-
tendent Linden had an interview with
Holmes on January 6, 800.
In this interview Hrlmes repeated to
linden the story of PietzeI's suicide
much as he told it to Geyer. To
Linden, Holmes denied he killed Pietzel
Prior to making this statement. Holmes
told him the story of procuring the
corpse from New York.
While Mr.. Shoemaker was cross exam
lining the witness he. es.returned to the
coroner's verdict and bsgan to question
Superintendent Linden about it. Mr..
Graham objected, but Judge Arnold
would not sustain him. the defense OBJ
tanned no information regarding the
warrant. 1t is their contention Ethatsthis
warrant was one for murder and was
used to drive Holmes into confession
to the insurance swlndle. II Superin-
tendent Linden knew anything about
IL nothing could be learned from him.
AT 5. 80 the court adjourned until morn
ing.