Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-31
MRS. PIETZEL
0n the Stand Putting Moose
About Holmes Neck.
She Tells of the Conspiracy Between
Holmes and Her Husband,
And How Former Many Times Fooled. MisIed
and Cheated Her.

Philadelphia, Oct. 30.-In the Holmes
trial, today. Francis Y. Quinn, notary
public identified the signature of Holmes
on the document shown him. The docu
ment was statement made by Holmes, in
! this cityto the authorities. Nov 90, 1894.
The statement was another confession of
Holmes of the swindling of the insurance
compay, and implicated Japtha d. Howe,
a st. Louis attorney. The statement was
read to the jury by Mr.. Barlo
After the reading of the Holmes deposi
ton, Mrs. Pietzel was placed upon the
stand. 1t was only when the district at
torney asked her if she knew the prisoner,
| Mrs. Pietzel for an instant raised her eyes
to Holmes face, then as she answered that
she did, she quickly averted the look.
1t was slowly elected from her that she
| knew Holmes and that her husband had
written her from Philadelphia that he ex-
pected to see her again. When Mr.. Ora
ham asked Mrs. PietZel if her husband
had any interest in Holmes Castle in
Chicago, and the Fort Worth property, the
defence objected.
Mr. Graham stated that he asked the
question for the purpose of showing
Holmes motive in killing Pietzel and his
children. The court overruled the objec-
ton and Mrs. Pietzel said that Holmes
| told her he would put $4,000 in the Fort
Worth property and pay off the note fall
ing due, Sept. IS, 1894.
Frequent objections We're entered by the
defence to Mrs. Pietzel testifying to mat
tiers that she only knew by hearsay
She testified that she employed Howe to
collect the insurance money by the advice
of Holmes. At the time Holmes told her
that Pietzel was alive and was going
around by Puget sound. Holmes told her
that her husband received her last letter
and she replied, 'Oh how could he do so
and get me in trouble" Holmes told her
it was through his wife at Willamette
ILL.,, that the insurance found him.
Alice started for Philadelphia with
Howe, Holmes not being along. Holmes
promised that his cousin" Minnie Will
liams, would be in Philadelphia to look
after e:girl. Mrs. Pietzel was sick at
the time and in no condition to combat
such a man as Holmes Holmes told her
he arranged with her husband to have
Minnie Williams come on and nurse her
If she got very sick.
The next time she saw Holmes was
Sept. ~, at her home in ST. Louis. The
body having been identified, Holmes told
her that he had left Alice in Cincinnati,
and as she would not want to leave the
child alone. he offered to take Nellie and
Howard. the other two children, to her in
Indianapolis. She took the children to
the railroad station and there they met
ho
After Holmes and the children left, she
did not see Holmes again until Oct. 2,
when the prisoner came to her house in
ST. Louis
Holmes took her to the office of Nc
Donald & Howe, and Howe said: This Is
a fraud; l will wash my hands of II"
She went into the hall and some one called
her back into McDonald's private office
Mcdonald asked her to sign a paper
which she was opposed to doing. Nc
Donald grew indignant at her suspicious
and said he did not want any reflections
cast upon the Office as they did an honor
able business. She was finally persuaded
into signing the paper by Mr.. Harvey.
Howe told her his fee would be $4,000
but cut it down to $4,000 for a cash settle
ment Although ignorant of business, the
amount struck Mrs Pietzel as excessive,
and she said so to Howe. Alone and among
these men, the woman gave way and
signed paper that she was asked to put
her name to.
When asked what became of Holmes
and Howe after paying her the money,
Mrs. Pietzel appeared overcome and could
not answer for time. Continuing. she
said she went to the ticket office of the
railroad company and Holmes extorted
another 800 from her on the plea that it
would be necessary to pay the children's
expenses.
ResumiDg, she said that she next saw
Holmes in Detroit, Oct IA, where he de-
ceived her under the pretence that she
would see her husband.
Another objection was entered by the
defence to this line of examination but it
was not sustained by the court The wit
ness said that Bessie and the baby went
with her and Holmes met her at the train.
Holmes registered the party at the hotel
under the name of Adams She remained
at Detroit until Oct IS.
In explanation of her husband absence,
Holmes told her that he could not find
vacant house in Detroit for her to meet
her husband In, and she would not like to
see him before a lot of people. Holmes
told her that the children were in Indian
apolis, that they Were well and going to
school, and had comfortable home with |
a widow.
Holmes would never tell her the name |
of the woman he said the children were |
with. Holmes borrowed big trunk from |
her on the morning of the 18th and started |
with the party to Toronto Holmes de- |
clined to allow her to send Bessie to In
dianapolis. and the girl went with her to |
Toronto. 1t was by means of the old |
. will-o'- the-wisp'' of meeting her hus-
band in Toronto, that she went there. |
At Toronto, Holmes took the party to
the Union house, registering Mrs. Pietzel |
as Mrs Adams. When she did not meet |
her husband, Holmes told her he intended |
to rent house and furnish it, and that |