The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-20
The Story Is Of Some Of Holiness
Victims.
1T is SAID PIETZEL WAS SEEN
AROUND CHICAGO.
He Admitted Identity to Men who Knew
Him-Claimed To Be in Philadelphia
Now With Minnie Williams.

Chicago, Novem Der 19.-James Nc
Nea ry, conductor on car 676 of the Sixty
third Street electric line, has sprung a
new sensation in the Holmes case by
stating that Benjamin F. Pietzel is alive
and that he recently talked with him on
his car.
Mr.. MoNeary claims there could be no
mistake as he worked nine months for
Pietzel and knows the peculiarities of his
voice. According to McNeary. Pietzel
boarded his Car a few days previous to
HolDles's trial. Pitezeps beard had
grown around the greater part of his
face, SO that he was completely disguised.
When addressed, however he admitted his
identity and asked as a friend that Me-
Neary keep silence, as he was on hisssway
to Philadelphia, but McNeary called in
Motorman Letterman, and he, too, claims
that he had conversation with Pietzel,
who took transfer to the Cottage Grove
cable line.
Mr.. Robert Corbett. who has been
following the case for months in behalf
of the Farmers and Mechanics National
Bank, Fort Worth, Texas, claims that he
has also seen Pietzel.
81 never believed lat Pietzel was
dead, !" he declared this morning, for
the following reasons: First, when l
was searching the castle months ago, the
man who resembles the man seen by the
conductor and motorman, and who l
then thought was Pietzel, found me in
the building looking over some papers.
He asked me If had seen tool
chest. told him there was one in the
front room. He said that one was not
his, tn 1t he had left it in the room where
I was engaged. I asked him who he was.
He said Mrs Peitzel sent him there for
the tool chest, and when I asked his
name, he said, after thinking for
moment, Andrews and left.
Saturday learned that Mrs. Peitzel
was stopping at 6235 May street with Mr..
Hayward, and I sent over to ask her if
she ever sent for the tool chest. Both she
and her daughter, Dessa, declared that
they had not, and also discovered that
Mrs. Piei eel is wavering in her identif
cation of Pietzel, and begins to hope for
her husban she does not care whether he
is living or dead
Il believe that if Holmes is not granted
new trial Pietzel will declare himelf to
the governor of Pennsylvania, when all
other means are exhausted, and Isaac r.
Hit, Jr., and myself both have his adj
dress in Philadelphia. Minnie Williams
is stopping at the same place under the
name of Mrs E. NJ Gardener, while
Pietzel is known as 6. d. Hail.. !"
Mr.. Corbett says that Mr.. Barrett,
manager of the L. W. Defoe company of
this city and New York, and who had
dealings with Holmes, declares that he
saw Holmes and Minnie Williams at the
Sherman house in the fall of 1893, and in
+, to I<,<,l ~, tfofac fhnt i.n 1af
Minnie at hotel, where he made
preliminary arrangements in November,
some months after the supposed murder.
Then she went to 1920 Wrightwood
avenue, remaining there until July 6,
her body being carted to the castle and
burned up, he blieves, as he has the
charred remains Of her skull. showing
describes it, The skull was discovered
when the contractors were remodeling
the building.
Drinks Express Company's books show
that Minnie's trunk was carried on July
s to thesSeymour docks under the name
of "Ogden Wells" The steamer Petoskey
left at O'clock that evening. Minnie
was disguised as boy, and Holmes Sc
cured her berth in StaterOom No. ~ to
save her from talking. The boat was
crowded and the clerk says sheswas placed
in room with three men, and her iden-
tity was not discovered.
s'She went to Ypsilanti, - says Holmes,
and he declares that he met her but once
more, at Detroit, thirty miles from
Ypsilanti, few weeks later. From De-
troit she went to London with William
Green and an actor named Hatch, re
turning when Holmes was arrested in
Novemb Der, 1884, in order to obtain mon
ey on the willamette property. which was
in her name, and she has been in Ameri-
ca ever since.
Mr.. Corbett does not believe that Nan
nie's boy was taken to the lake. but that
Pietzel and Holmes carted the body to
the castle and burned it in the large
stove.