The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-31
MRS. PITEzEL ON THE STAND.
HOLMES ROBBED HER AFTER MUIR
DERING HER FAMILY.

After Her Husbands Disappearance
Holmes Told Her He Was in Hid
ing so She Could Get the Insurance
on, His Life-By sharp Practice He
Extorted From Her All but $500 OF
the S9,7OO insurance MOnex-Never
Saw Her daughters or SON Alive
Again After They Went Away
with Holmes.
Philadelphia. Oct, 30.-Branded though
he is as a liar. swindler and murderer,
the picture drawn to-day of Holmes
cold-hearted villiany by Mrs. Pitezel the
widow Of the man for whose murder he is
being tried. presents him in even a more
revolving character than he has yet stood
revealed.
Whatever sympathy might have been
excited by Holmes friendless and forlorn
condition, was efectually killed in the
breasts of all in the court room who heard
Mrs. Pitezefs story. She was placed upon
| the witness stand to-day and for three
4 hours this afternoon and one hour to-
\ night she was subjected to an ordeal that
no woman in her condition had even been
called upon to face. Her story Furnished
| the first really sensational feature that
1
scene and the events of the afternoon
were intensely dramatic. Mrs. Pitezel
| and Holmes have never been brought
| face to face until to-day since the dread
ful revelations Of her ehildren's murders
| When a woman bent and feeble, was
sisted into the witness box there was
| craning of necks in the court room, FOR 1t
! was at once surnsed that this was Mrs.
| Pitezel. Whether Holmes had schooled
! himself to face her, or whether the man
| really lacks sensibility, it was Impossible
/ 70 say, but as the woman stood erect be-
\ fohe him he exhibited no emotion OF any
| kind, but on the contrary gazed fixedly at
| her for fully a minute. AS the woman came
| into the full light Of the court room she
| plainly showed JnaI she had borne bur-
| den of SORROWS, troubles that have proven
! Her skin was sallow and her face was
| heavy and lifeless. Above her sunken
| cheeks her lack-lustre eyes stared stead
| lily in front of her with a meaningless gaze.
| She more resembled a woman under the
! influence of some strong drug that had
| dulled her senses, rather than one that is
| in full possession of her faculties. she
/ sank into a chair and cropched there Ike
| an animal that stands in fear OF the lasn
! She was so weak that throughout the Civ
l ing of her testimony the court officers
| stood by her side and repeated aloud her
whispered replies, to the questiona, ske9
evening did She look in Holmes direction
| AT the beginning of her testimony sne was
| asked if she knew The prisoner
| she cast one hurried &iANEe .llN f4ilte
direction and then quickly avertinE her
| eyes replied that she did. II was dfI7.|o|
! ing story of duphcity and st.faNepy S''.ls
! she related to the court. she was ied
! somewhat hurriedly over the events prior
| to Pitezel's death. Then she told or
| Holmes coming to her and telling her
that her husband still lived, but was in
| hiding for his connection with the swim
| die of the insurance company. How he
| persuaded her TO send her daughter Alice
to identify the supposed body Of her
| father and returning to her home in ST.
Louis. extorted from her by sharp prac-
! tees all but $500 of the S9,7OO she received
| in payment of her husbands insurance
| policy. She also told of the persuasions
! he used to secure possession OF TWO or
| her other children whom he took away
with him. 1t was from this period that
| Holmes cruel practices began 1earning
| for a sight of her husband and children,
| Holmes led her from city TO city with
! the Elusive hope before her that she
would soon meet her loved ones. So
| thoroughly was she under his influence
| that she gave him her letters to post to
| her husband and children and while her
heart was breaking for word from her lit
| tel ones, he was carrying around in his
| pocket letters from them to her.
| Afr the death of the children, Holmes
! carried his deception so far as to bring
! to her a letter written in cipher and
| purportlng to be from one of her little
| girls. He also worked this strategem in
| a letter alleging to be from her husband.
! Never once did he give her a hint that
| she would probably never see her hus-
| band again, and he constantly told her
|
Throughout this long recital Mrs.
| Pietzel had borne up with fortitude, but
| when Mr. Granam asked her If she ever
saw the children after She gave them
! into Holmes charge she gave way and
| sobbed quietly, but bitterly, before she
| could answer. Not a whisper was heard
/ in the court room as the woman raised
| her head and in broken voice, replied:
! "I never saw my two little girls again
| until / saw them lying side by side in
! the morgue at Toronto, and 1 never saw
| Howard again, but was only shown some
things that belonged to him in Indianap-
oils.
! Mrs. Pitezel's testimony was most dam
| aging to Holmes and the cross examina-
/ ton by the counsel for the defense in
| no way served to help him. With the
| advent of his counsel into the case to-
| day the current which was bearing
| Holmes swiftly away when he was alone,
| was slightly stemmed Although his
| on no definite line of defense, they were
/ better able to take advantage of tech
/ nicaities that arose. Holmes himself
/ was of great assistance to them, and
| suggested most of the questions that
/ were asked the witnesses.
| The commonwealth to-day had it's wit
| nesses upon the stand to prove the con-
| spiracy to swindle the insurance compan-
/ NY and the consequent motive for the
! killing of Pitezel. When court adjourned
! all the testimony of this character and
/ will have several witnesses to swear to
| these circumstances in the morning.
| The prosecution claims to have con-
/ Vincing evidence to convict Holmes, and
| the district attorney and his assistant
The defense will ask of the court to-
/ morrow for a continuance for half a day
or so in order to enable them to prepare