Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-10-31
HOLMES ON TRIAL.
CONDUCTING HIS OWN CASE.
Has = Lively Tilt with the Prosecuting
Attorney Over His Wife's Reputation.
Shows His Acuteness.

Philadelphia. Pa. Oct. 29.-It Is
Holmes everywhere to-day. The whole
city is agog over yesterdays sensational
This was the natural consequence Of
yesterdays event. when that arch Grim
inal, finding himself abandoned by his
counsel at the very last moment. dis
played the marvellous nerve which has
invariably characterized him and un-
dertook his own defense. The result was
not what most persons expected. In
stead of the case thereby degenerating
into farce, as his recreant attorneys
had predicted, the gaunt and pallid pris-
oner in the dock revealed a quickness Of
perception and an instinct Of self de.
fense in the sharply put questions Of
which many barristers would be proud,
and so far had his pleadings for right
and justice met recognition, that the pris-
oner's dock had been moved closer to
the bar of the court, and little table,
provided with pens, ink and paper,
placed therein, that he might have all
the privileges ordinarily accorded to at
tOrneys.
Jeanette Pietzel, "Dessa," the daugh-
ter of the dead man, was the first wit
ness called. She is slender, pale girl,
of about seventeen years, and was neatly
attired in dark gray. She was called
merely to identify several large crayons
of her father, which she did.
"Cross-examine," said the district at.
torney.
"I have no questions now," replied
Holmes, but when told that now or nev-
er was the time to question the witness,
at least on the picture question, he ask
ed: "Are these good pictures of your
father as you last saw him, or two years
before?"
''As last saw him."
'.That is ALL"
Eugene Smith. who first found Piet-
zel's body in the Callowhill street house
on September 4. 1894, then told a de-
tailed story Of his discovery.
Holmes, on cross-examination, asked a
number of immaterial questions. but
showed much legal skill in their COIL
struction. He presented a strange pic
ture, standing in the dock with his pen
Gil leveled at the witness, trying to con-
fuse him. He asked that the plan OF
the house be produced here. and Wit
ness Smith temporarily made way for
Marshal r. Pugh. engineer in the bureau il
of surveys, who had drawn the plan and
was called to identify it.
Smith then continued his testimony,
and Holmes sought to prove that he
could not, at the place where he SAT,
have seen him go up stairs on the day
alluded to. but the witness adhered to
his original statement. Holmes subject
ed Smith to a long and searching cross
examination, dwelling upon every point
of the testimony adduced by the COM
monwealtlh but the witness was un-
shaken.
Eventually becoming exasperated in
his inability in this respect, and In con-
sequence of an immaterial word from
Mr.. Graham, Holmes exclaimed: 81 OBJ
ject to the blood-thirsty manner in which
the district attorney and this witness
are trying to draw the inference that l
rushed into this potter's field and multi
ated the dead body of my friend"
"You are drawing the differences your
SELF" said Mr.. Graham.
After the witnesses were excluded
from the court room Holmes asked II
his wife was to be witness.
"Again | must ask" said the district
attorney, (which wife do you mean?"
"You KNOW" responded Holmes, with
\ flush of anger.
"The woman you see fit to designate
as Miss Yoke, thereby casting slur on
her and myself. That woman is my
wife"
"You cast slur on her." Mr.. Graham
retorted, "when you married her, with
two wives living. ! call her by the name
she gives me, which is Miss Yoke"
''That is for her to say" said Holmes.
"Well, she is not in the courtroom
concluded the prosecutor. land decline
to say whether or not she will be wit
npSS ~