The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-08-03
THE HOLMES CASE.

absurdity of charging all crimes that
cannot otherwise be accounted for to
the credit of her husband might yet be
his salvation, should be warning to
the detectives and the newspaper re-
porters. Mr.. Holmes is self-confessed
impostor and swindler; he has almost
confessed that he is murderer, and
there seems to be no doubt about fas-
tehing several murders upon him.
AS the l,,ter-O Ocean remarks, it is absurd
to accuse Holmes of numbering every
man, woman and child who has mys-
teriously disappeared from Chicago
and Indiana and Texas in the last three
or four years. There is no. proof Of
such crimes, and the speculation only
confuses the public mind and helps to
break down the evidence in the cases
where the charge Of murder has been
made against Holmes with fair pros
pect of proving him guilty.
The public is quick to condemn zeal
without judgment, and'if all the unex-
planned murders and mysterious dis
appearances are chaaged against this
man it will be easy for his attorneys to
show his innocence in some cases and
use that to argue that the charges are
all of the same character. They will
try to make it appear that the prose-
cution is persecution. Mr.. Holmes
might be a monster, devoting his
whole life to plotting murder, and
yet it would be absurd to make him the
author of all murderous plots that
could not be fastened upon some one
else. Jack the Ripper" became more
and more q myth as the London de-
tectives added each new murder which
bafled their skill to the list of his VIC
Tins. SO viii It be with Holmes. His
case will become the more complex and
the more difficult for the prosecution
as each new charge is brought against
him, with no other reason than that
murder has been committed or some
body has disappeared and the detec-
tives have been unable to solve the
mystery.
There is no proof of murder in a |
disappearance, especially |
in great city. There have been
of such cases that were
mysteries for a time and then have
been explained by those who dis
Crime, petty infractions
against the law, quarrels and love Of
adventure have been responsible for
many of these mysterious disappear
ances, and temporary insanity for
others. Some of them remain unex-
olained for months and some for years
md some always, but it would be
Ibsurd to try to hold some one indi-
'idual, even notorious criminal, res
,onsible for them. The law places the
burden Of proof upon the state. and the
more the charges are multiplied
Igainst Holmes the greater will be the
BURDEN upon the state in trying to con-
'ict him of the charges that seem
with evidence that
promises to convict.
We have too many amateur detec-
ives-nen who are ever ready with
heories and lacking in the industry
nd the intelligence to follow clew
nd unravel a mystery. The detectives
ave increased in number without i'm
rowing their methods in recent years.
here ought to be more quiet work and
sss exploiting of theories in the efforts
0 discover who Is guilty of murder, and
here ought to be higher class of in
diligence among detectives.
There are several very strong cases
lready made out against Holmes. The
lain story of his life shows that he has
cen an adroit criminal for years, and |
nat he has had no scruples in plotting
yatnst his fellows. Every possible
fort should be made, in the interest
law and civilization, to expose his /
,cord, but the case should not be
by wholesale accusation,
ased on suspicious circumstances. :
he truth is bad enough. Il