Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-31

stayed at the national hOtel until November 1.
From there we went TO Burlington, VI.
Holmes had here rented a furnished house
on Minooka avenue. He told me that had
worn out the name OF Adams and TO go by
the name OF Cook. He claimed TO be send
ing diamond dies to Ben In Montreal. The
second week we were in Burlington, ! said
was not going 10 stand II any longer.
WHOLE FAMILY DISAPPEARED.
IL wanted to see Ben, and | told Holmes
believed he was lleing to me. He denied
this. | said: 4 do not hear from my chill
dren and you said | would get the rent from
the Fort Worth property, and | have not a
scratch to show ! said | would go to the
children IN Indianapolis, but he said: NO
not until you see Ben He said he was GO
ing to take Ben to the states and get him
to sign papers about the Fort Worth property
and sell IT, For two or three days | did
not see him. and then he came and told me
he had taken the children to Toronto. He
said hd had put heavy coats on them, so
they would not catch cold. and that they
were peri tctly happy | never saw him on
Sundays; he never came around. He said
he would haee to go to Montreal, as Ben
had been drinking, and was not taking care
of the diamond dyes. He told me to 20 to
the cellar and under the potato bin | would
find a bottle of dynamite, which | should
carry to the attic. | did not carry ii up
stairs though Holmes was there known as
Judson. He told me Ben had been drinking
and was sick, and asked me what | would
do If he should die. He said: L have one
grave marked for him. All my lettero were
given to Holmes to mail. He said he sent
them to Chicago, where Pat Quinlan, the
janitor of the Castle took care to get them
to my husband"
A numben OF lettes written by the wit
ness given to Holmes to mail were idsntiied
by her. None had been mailed. She was
shown two others, written by Alice and Mel
lie. That by Alice was marked by childish
affection for her absent mother, and bore a
rude drawing of "Uncle Toms Cabin" which
the little one had been reading At the sight
Of this the mothers heart overhowed, and
she wept bitterly. The woman who accom-
panied her and Dessa arose, and walking to
the witness stand, gave the bareaved woman
teaspoonful Of medicine. There was no one
in the crowded court room who did not ap-
preciate the pathos of this scene, but the
only change it made in Holmes expression
was a malicious grin on his thin lips.
Suspicious AROUSED.
"Have you seen your husband since he left
St. Louis for Philadelphia
II have never seen him since July 30,
1894 nor heard from him since August 20,
when | got the last letter in his own hand
writing" she answered, tearfully. That was
from Philadelphia"
Have you seen or heard from Alice, Nellie
or Howard since this man got possession OF
them?'
81 have not heard from them"
"Have you seen them since?"
Sobbng bitterly, the woman answered: 81
saw Alice and Nellie lying side by side in the
morgue at Toronto. l never saw Howard
except what once belonged to him, in Indian
apolis, in the coroner's office"
This ended the examination in chief
In answer to questions from Mr.. Hotan
she said she was married to Pitzel in Galva,
ILL.,. in 1873 She did not know where he
and Holmes had first met. She thought ii
was in 1889. She first met Holmes in the
restaurant at Sixty-third and Wallace streets,
| Chicago the Castle" when she was with
| her husband there in 1893. She did not see
/ Holmes until this insurance matter came up.
A long line of questions was put to Mrs.
| PitZel, many of which were put out on the
| ground of irrelevance. At $50 a recess was
| taken and up to that time her testimony had
| not been shaken.
NIGHT SESSION DEVELOPED LITTLE
| The court reassembled at o'clock, and
during the few moments that elapsed before
| the business of the case was resumed Holmes
! sat in the dock reading stephens Digest OF
| the Law of Evidence" At 7:10 o'clock Mrs
! Pitzers trying ordeal was resumed, after sht
| had taken a liberal dose of medicine from
| the trained nurse who accompanied her anC
| her daughter Desa The cross examination
was continued but developed nothing to con
| trovert her evidence in chief. .. .-4
District Attorney Graham then showed hel
the crayon portrait of iPtzel, and she said
Yes. that is good picture of my husband
when he left home"
| This concluded Mrs. Pitzels testimony, ant
| at $50 o'clock she gave way for her daugh
| ter Jeanette Desa. Her testimony wa!
| largely corroborative of that given by hel
mother concerning the departure of the chill
| dren and the subsequent travels of Desa anC
her mother. under Holmes guidance, to thu
various cities named.
| Mrs Pitzel was recalled and the distric
| attorney questioned her further rega' ms
| the stay in Burlington. During the secont
| week there, she said, Holmes took lighted
| lamp and went down into the cellar. Sh,
| thought she had better follow him, and die
| so. but he urged her to return to the upper
| floor, fearing that she would catch cold
| The windows in the cellar were out, anC
| Holmes asked for a hammer and nails, say
| ing he would put them in.
| Mr.. Rotaa objected to this line of evidence
| on the ground of irrelevance.
| Mr.. Graham said that he proposed to show
| that Holmes had dug a hole in the cellar
| and covered 1t up, he had done in every
| case where he had rented a house, Judge
| Arnold sustained the objection, and at this
time, S:45 o'clock, court adjourned until to-
| morrow.