The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-03

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 2.-Henry II.
Holmes was convicted of murder in
the first degree at Ssh tonight for kill
ing Benjamin F. Pitzel. He coughed
slightly when he heard the words.
That was the only sign.
The jury retired to deliberate at $40
o'clock this afternoon. According to
one of their number they had reached
their verdict before the doors of their
room closed upon them. For hunger's
sake they ate their supper first. Then
they took a ballot and without hest
tation every man of the twelve an
swered guilty of murder in the first
degree" But, however. atrocious the
crime, however fiendish and criminal,
it is hard to send a man to the gall
lows in one minutes time. So for de-
cency's sake, they talked about the
case for a seemly period, about an hour
and a half. Then word was sent into
court that they had agreed This was
at SIS o'clock Tt took half an hour
TO get the court in readiness to receive
the verdict. Holmes spoke to his
counsel ROlan and Shoemaker. in the
cell-room before he was taken back to
Moyamsening prison. To them he
said: Il feel that this condemns me.
1t was an unjust trial" He would say
no more than that. Immediately af-
ter the verdict the usual application
for leave to file a motion for a new
trial was made District Attorney
Graham did not oppose the motion and
Judge Arnold fixed the 18th of this
month Tor a hearing. The principal
reason urged will be lack of time for
the preparation for the defense. Should
a new trial be refused, an appeal will
be
Taken to the Supreme Court
and arguments heard at its next sit
ting in this city-January. 1896. So
even if everything goes against him.
Holmes has some time yet to spend on
the earth, from which ne is alleged to
have sent SO many fellow mortals
The verdict was a surprise to many
persons, who did not believe the crime
had been fastened upon Holmes be-
yond a reaSona BILE doubt When they
heard it they said well. it was won
on general principles and it is just as
good -
That is not the meaning of the law
but in this case everybody agrees that
sit is just as good"
There was no word OF sympathy fer
the condemned felon. He is regarded
as a menace to society Up in Gil
mantOn, n. H. there are two old peo-
pie. his father and mother And 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 indefinite
recess was taken. Judge Arnold said
he would remain in the building till
midnight if necessary and if no verdict
mad been reached by that time he
would come to court at 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning. Nobody believed
there would be occasion for this.
There Were Many Wagers
that the verdict would be in tonighs.,
and more as to its nature At twenty
minutes of nine there was a hustle of
moving people in the packed courU
room and it became known that the
jury was coming in. A moment later
Judge Arnold took his seat District
Attorney Graham and his associates
entered and the jury filed solemnly in
and took their seats in the box. Then
Holmes was brought in and 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 in the dock. the same death
like pallor, which could grow no deep
er, on his face. He stared at the jur-
blankly. 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 deep voiced court clerk came the
awful words: Jurors look upon the
prisoner; prisoner look upon the jurors
How say You. gentlemen of the jury,
do you find the prisoner at the bar.
Herman w. Mudgett, alias, H. H.
Holmes. guilty of the murder OF Ben
jamin T. Pitzel, or not guilty.
The condemning syllables came from
the foreman:
Guilty of Murder in the First De-
gree
''Hem," uttered Holmes. clearing his
throat, but his shrunken form never
trembled; his lips betrayed no culver:
his marvellous nerve had not fOrsaken
him. There was only a tighter clasp
of his hands folded behind him.
Then he slowly sat down and at the
request of counsel the jury was polled.
That is, each of the twelve men sepa-
rately listened to the clerk query and
responded with the finding. AS each
name was called, Holmes wrote it on
the margin OF newspaper in his hand
and the fingers holding the pencil never
shook The verdict was formally re-
corded by the court; the motion for a
new trial was made, and after Judge
Arnold had spoken a word of regret to
counsel for the defense because of last
Mondays occurrence, when they with
drew from the case, and appreciation
for their arduous but fruitless labors,
Holmes was taken to his cell room a.
few minutes later; the jury were thank
ed for their attention and labors and
sent home: the court adjourned and