The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-31
AS ATTORNEY FOR HIMSELF HE
HAS ACQUITTED HIMSELF
WITH CREDIT.
HIS FORMER COUNSEL AGAIN RESUME CHARGE.
OF the Case at the Night Session-Piet-
sells Daughter Identifies Photographs
of Her Father-Other Witnesses
Take the Stand.


agog over yesterdays developments in
this remarkable case. So, in spite of jul
dicial orders that only those having bust
ness with the case should be admitted
to the court room, in spite of the presence
of phalanx of big reserve police and an
increased force of court officers to keep
away the morbidly curios, that self
willed and independent entity known as
the general public, surged and struggled
and kicked its way along the corridors
of the big city hall in an effort to at
least catch a glimpse of the door of the
room in which the strangest criminal mar
rative of the age is being gradually I'M
folded, as the result of yesterdays events,
when the arch criminal, finding himself
abandoned by his counsel at the very last
moment, displayed the marvellous nerve
which has invariably characterized him
and undertook his own defense. IONA rn.
The result was not what most persons
expected. Instead of the case thereby
degenerating into farce, as, recreant
attorneys had predicted, the gaunt and
pallid prisoner in the dock revealed a
quickness of perception and an instinct
lions of which many a young barrister
would be proud. And so far had his
pleadings for right and justice met rec
0gnition that the prisoners 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 attorneys. ~
Not once did this man lose control OF
himself. Be it parry from the court or
| from the keen and scornful officers OF
the commonwealth, Holmes is equal to
| the emergency, and the listener, some
| how, feels that he does not get altogether
| the worst of the argument.
MORNING SESSION.
The DAYS proceedings were begun by
District Attorney Graham, who arose
and said to the court:
81 desire to say TO the court, in view
| of what was said last night before the
| adjournment of court, that the lady
| known as Miss Yoke and Mrs. Howard
| was sent for, saw the prisoner and had
ample opportunity for an interview with
| him."
This is the woman concerning whom
there was a warm passage of arms last
| evening between Mr.. Graham and
Holmes, the latter declaring that the
woman was his wife and that Mr.. Ora
ham did all in his power to separate
| them.
| When Mr.. Graham concluded Holmes
said that he had only had a three-mnute
interview with the woman and asked that
it be renewed during the noon recess
His request was granted.
Then the prisoner asked that a plan
he produced of the Callow Hill street
house. in which he is alleged to have muir
dered BENJAMIN Il. Pietzel. The district
attorney said such a plan was in court
and would be produced at the proper
time. ,,
II also ask" Holmes continued, "that
a quantity of the liquor which Mr.. Ora
ham said | used in my efforts to eXtermi.
nate the Pietzel family, be submitted
to an analysis. l want to prove ina,
while it contains a small quantity OF
nitro-glycerine, it is entirely harmless
and is sold in every drug store"
"Do YOU mean the liquor you left with
Mrs. Pietzel in Burlington, Vt.T
"Yes.'
"That has never been in my posses.
sion"
Then came another request from the
prisoner. He wanted to know If, during
the testimony of one of the witnesses
all others should not be excluded from
| the room.
Judge Arnold answered that this would
be done if the eXigency arose.
Then began the big work of the trial
Jeanette e. Pictzel ("Dessie), the
daughter of the dead man, was the first
witness called. She is a slender, pail,
! girl of about II and was neatly attlreO
in dark gray. She was called merely tc
identify several large crayons of hel
father, which she did.
"Cross examine" said the district at
torney. >, .,:o1
81 have no questions now, replied
Holmes. but when told that now OF
never" was the time to question wit
ness. at least on the picture question, ne
asked:
care these good pictures Of YOU
father as you last saw him, or two years
before"
"As last saw him, yes. ..
John Townsend, photographer EN-
ployed in the detective service, and WI
liam II. Rau, a private photographer
then Unidentified the photographs OF
Holmes, taken by them after ms arrest
Eugene Smith, who found PietzeP'
body i'm the Callow Hill street house OF
September 4, 1894 then told a detailed
story of his discovery, which has been al
ready fully punished He had become
acquainted with the dead man on Au
gust %. 1894, through business concern
ing patents which Pietzel was supposed
TO have held. He saw him several times
during the following week. The witness
drew packet of papers from his poke
when he came to the dates, but Holme:
objected to his referring to them unless
they were in his own handwriting
Smith admitted that the papers had beer
"prepared" and the court sustained tn
objection.
Smith said that during his first visit t.
Pietzel. whom he knew by the name o.
Perry, Holmes came in after giving al
order or sign to PietZel who went VI
stairs. A moment laterPietzel excused
himself and followed him. lie returned
very shortly, but Holmes remained VI
stairs. The witness was present whel
the corpse of Pietzel was eXhumed from
the potter's field and was there first in
troduced to Holmes. The lawyer How
of St. Louis. Alice Pietzel, the youni
daughter. and the insurance officers wer'
there. The body was recognized by tn,
witness as Pietzers. Holmes offered So
TO have the corpse cremated and askeC
Howe about it. The lawyer answered
that the widow would have to be con
suited.
Holmes told the insurance people of tn
marks of identification and after TIL
body had been dug up he pulled out
lance and cut a wart and other mark
from the corpse. At this time wItnes
had recognized Holmes as the man b.
had seen go upstairs in the Callow Hi
street house.
uoIrnns in cross examination. asked ;