The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-07-18
LOOKS bad FOR HOLMES
Weaving Evidence Against Him
in Philadelphia and Toronto.
DRAWING THE MEsHEs CLOSER.

District Attorney Graham Says He Has
oonvioting Evidence of Murder Against
the Prisoner, While Toronto omcials
Give a stin Stronger Case.
PHILADELPHIA, July 1s-It was learned
at the office of the district attorney that
during the two hours interview which
ii. Fl. Holmes, alias Herman Mudgetts,
had on Tuesday with three members OF
the dirstrict attorneys staff he said: ~
suppose I'll swing for this" This Is the
only remark dropped from his lips which
in any way Would tend to criminate him,
but the district attorney takes this as o
practical admission Of his guilt.
Notwithstanding Holmes remark, his
counsel says he can prove an alibi in his
clients case. He says that Holmes was
not In Toronto when the Pitezel children
were murdered. This, he states, can be
proven by Mrs. Howard, Holmes third
wife, who arrived here this forenoon from
the home of her mother In Franklin, Ind.
The authorities place but little credence
in the alibi story, and are satisfied Holmes
is the murderer.
Mrs. Howard, when asked. about her
knowledge Of the Pitezel children, said:
Upon that subject / have nothing to
say" ..
She was told II was reported that she
would swear that Howard was not in To
ronto at the time the Pitezel children
were murdered. She replied; IL decline
to make any statement on the subject"
Mrs. Howard said that she was at In
dianapolis part of last September and DC.
tober, when Howard and the Pitezel chill.
dren were there When asked If she knew
the Pitezel children, and that the Pitezel
boy had disappeared, she said: "Why
never knew there was such family in ex-
istence, and how could 1 know what be-
came Of the boyi l never heard of the
Pitezel family until my husband was ar
rested"
''Did you ever see the father OF the chill
dren"
Eyes, knew him In Fort Worth, Texas
where he worked on a business block
which Mr.. Howard was building, but he
went under another name. i did not know
that he Ind family"
Mrs. Howard was asked what she know
about Howard having other wives and re-
piled that she knew nothing about 1t, but
had heard it said that he had. Mrs How
ard also stated that she and her husband
had lived In Fort Worth from February
to April, 1884, and after that had been al.
most everywhere. Mrs. Howard gave evil
dence that she knew just where to stop
talking. Nothing could be obtained from
her that would indicate that she had any
knowledge of Howard's crookedness and
crimes, or that she is any other than de-
voted wife.
This morning District Attorney Ora
ham said there was little chance Of Holmes
being taken to Toronto to be tried for the
murder Of the Pitczel girls. He has found
evidence, he said, which leads to the con-
clusion that the body found in the Callow-
hill street house was Pitezel's, and he is
now prep airing to try Holmes here on the
charge Of numbering Pitezel.
Detective Geyer, who unearthed the
bodies of the Pitezel girls in Toronto, is
in almost hourly communication with the
district attorney Last evening District
Attorney Graham received telegram from
him. dated Toronto, which said II am go.
ing to Detroit to look for Howard Pitezel."
Holmes is believed to have murdered How.
ard In that city, and Geyer is going there
to endeavor to discover the body.
1t Is given out here that Holmes intends
to plead guilty Of the murder of Howard
Pitezel in Detroit Holmes sentence In
that state would prevent his being extra
dited to stand trial on the charge Of mur.
derlng the Pitezel children in Toronto,
and by this means he might escape the
gallows, as there is no capital punishment
in, Minlityau