Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-31


one horse" Holmes smiled at this testimony.
When arrested Holmes said he did not want
TO 30 10 Fort Worth. but that he would 20
without requsition TO Philadelphia, whore
he had 1efrauded the Fidelity Insurance com
pany Of 10000. This was entirely voluntary
ON Holmes part
Anna Il. Robbins. the stenosrapher who
took the examination Of Holmes by Deputy
Harscom. identified a copy Of the statement
District Attorney Graham offered the state
msnt in evidence and Assistant Barlow read
1t to the jury. When he had finished the
court took a recess.
shortly after noon 1spector Hall Of the
Toronto police department. arrived with Mr.
Ryves. who Is expected to swear that he
lent Holmes the spade with which he dug the
graves for the Pltzel girls Ryyes lived at
is st. Vincent street, next TO the house
where the bodies were found. and he was
accosted by Holmes over the back fence and
asked for the loan Of spade.
When court reconvened. Francis Y. Quinn.
| an employ Of the Fidelity company, identified
| Holmes signature to a statement prepared
| by Quinn as notary public. This statement
was read and Is In substance as follows:
| "Whle in jail at st. Louis. Holmes had met
| Hedspeth. who said they could get out Of
| Jail for $I0O; Holmes to get 5000 and other
parties 800. Holmes told him of a scheme
! % defraud an insurance company, but that
| he needed a lawyer. Hedspeth referred him
| to Howe and after several visits to him
! Howe confirmed Hedspeth's statement about
| the money needed. They discussed the in
| surance scheme and Howe asked where
! they could get corpse. Holmes replied that
would be all right, as he had plenty OF eX
| perience in that line. The details were car
| ried out and Holmes made arrangements in
| New York on August to get a body but
| the one obtained lacked the wart and other
marks peculiar to Pitzel. Holmes meanwhile
came to Philadelphia and saw Pitzel. While
| here he got word from New York that body
was ready. He went there, got it and
brought it back to Philadelphia. Holmes and
! his wife then left town. He went TO st. Louis
where he found Pitzel's wife and children
much excited. Holmes had several inter-
views with Mcdonald and Howe and the
latter wanted to abandon the insurance
| scheme. Holmes said he would not take his
chances cause the stake was not big enough.
Howe demanded $1,000 of the money if it
went through, and Holmes claimed that this
| was outrageous, as he had taken all the
| chances and done all the dirty work.
| when Howe threatened to expose Holmes
| smiled and told him he was not afraid, as
| he had every discriminating word Howe had
uttered L have had a phonograph in the
bureau drawer he exclaimed, coolly. The
money finally obtained and Howe kept
$4,000 of it, Mrs Pitzel being given the
| balance"
MRS. PITzEL ON THE STAND.
| This concluded the statement. During its
reading, three women were ushered into
| court by a side door One was "Dessa"
|
a buzz in the court room when District At
| tOrhey Graham called Mrs. Pitzel." A tall,
slender woman, dressed in shabby black her
| face pale and worn took the witness stand.
In answer to long series OF questions from
| Mr.. Graham. she said: :<"My name is Carrie
| A. Pitzel, and Benjamin f. Pltzel was my
husband. In July, 1894, we lived in st. Louis.
My husband had taken policy in the Fidelity
| company for $4,000. On July 80 he left for
| Philadelphia in connection with the matter.
| knOw the priSOnpr Rpfnrp July 1894
had met him several times with my husband
when he came to our house in st. Louis, and
when we lived on Madison avenue, Chicago.
| corresponded with my husband while he
was in Philadelphia He said he was in the
patent business In this city. l knew he
was living under the name of Perry"
did you know anything about the property
Of Holmes-the SiXty-third street 'castle?" "
by my husband telling me about It,"
On objection being made on the ground Of
| lrreleYancy, Mr.. Graham said he proposed to
show that the Fort Worth and Chicago prop.
ertic1 were in tie name of Lyman and that
both Holmes and Pitzel-Lyman being an
alias of the latter-were interested in them.
This he saidryelated to the motives in addi-
tion to the desire to get the insurance money.
that actuated Holmes in killing Pitzel and
the children, and would be followed by proof
OF quarrel between Holmes and Pitzel con-
cerning the ownership and title to the prop
| critics.
REFUSED TO BE A PARTY TO IT.
"Did you have any talk with Holmes about
the insurance case before it was carried
out?"
"Once he spoke to me about 1t when he
came back from the south and asked me II
Ben had told me about it. / said yes and
did not want anything to do with it, He said
Ben would be home from the south soon; that
he was sick down there"
| Continuing, Mrs. Pitzel said: 81 knew
Howe through Holmes. By his advice / EN-
ployed Howe and gave him the power of at
torney to collect the money l don't know
who prepared it, but Howe brought ii to be
signed"
Il saw in paper that man named Perry
had been killed by an explosion, but Holmes
told me my husband was all right"
I'm whose care did Alice leave ST. Louise
CHILDREN IN HOLMES POSSESSION.
In Howes. She went, at Holmes sugges-
lion, to Philadelphia to identify the body, be-
cause | was sick | asked Howe to take
care of Alice and Holmes said he would.
Minnie Williams, Holmes cousin he said
would take care Of her. and IL l grew very
sick he would send Benny to take care of
me. l next saw Holmes on September 81
when he came to our house and said he had
! brought Alice back TO Cincinnati. He said he
would take Howard and Nellie to Alice, so
she would not be alone, and had made ar
rangements for Alice to meet them in Indian
apOlis. | took Nellie and Howard to the
depot. Howe was there and said the insur-
ance money had been paid. Holmes said to
him: You had better give her some money
and Howe gave me 50. | bade the children
goOdby and they got on he car.
'On October % Holmes came to the house
in st. Louis, and we went to Howe's office
Holmes was there, and Howe said the scheme
was fraud and he washed his hands of it
They wanted me to sign paper in regard tC
| HOws's fee and after being assured that
would not be implicated in the affair, did
> so. Holmes then went under the name oil
Howard. He demanded $500 or S40O of me
and | gave it. He wanted to go to some
bank to pay off the note due to the Fort
| Worth property. / got the s., 900, and he
| took it. We went around to the bank. The
money was in $l00 bills, all but one old note
81, 900 bill. He took the money and wen
to side window. Then he came back and
brought the note. saying it was paid. He
, , told me to take care not to show it to Ber
l when | saw him..
How much did you get in all of this
/, insurance money!"
I Il received $500; that was all ever got"
after this transaction what became o.
Holmes?"
r He took another 800 for the children
who, he said would need some in Indian
apols. He went away and some time after
. ward sent me a letter from Detroit TO come
ON there to see my husband"
J did you see your husband?"
l mo. he then sent me to visit my parents
at Gava, ILL.,"
HUSBAND DID NOT APPEAR.
In answer to further questions Mrs PitZa