The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-29
HOLMES BEFORE court
The Insurance Swindler Arraigned at
the Bar OF Justice.
FOR THE MURDER OF PITEZEL
With Usual Nerve the Unique Character
Upon Withdrawal of Lawyers. Con.
cludcs to Conduct His Own Case.
lie Challenges Eighteen Jurors.

! Philadelphia, Oct. 2S.-IIerman w.
Mudgett, alias II. IL. Holmes, was ar
l1tgESd at the bar of justice of GRIM
inal court of Philadelphia today to de-
! fend his life against the charge of nav
ing murdered Benjamin II. PitZel in
this city on the second day of Septem-
Der, 1894. The Widespread pubidJty
given this ensUtional case dttra ted "a
great tkiong of people to the corridors
of the city hall leading ito the court
room, but m anticipation of the crowd
of morbid people. who are attracted by
the spectacle of a MAN battling for llhs
life as are moths around the candle,
coidons of police guarded all the en-
tiunceS and only those having busi-
ness in the court room were admitted.
The very opening of the trial furnished
unusual .lcrdent in court procedure
and was In keeping with the strange
phases tilajt have made tliis case
unique in the criminal records of the
cOlrald-y.
Dls..ly after the prisoner had been
pta'gid in the dock ard Judge Arnold
had taken his seat upon the bench
Holmes two attorneys asked for COM
tjntalmce of the case. This request was
refused as 'yhere mad already been more
than enough of the laws proverb!al de-
hay afi Judee Arn2,d ordered tlhe tqul
piCcesidou w,.bh. Then the defendani'S
lawyers announced ,they would with
daaw from the case. The judge ex-
Pressed his surprise at such unpre-
codented action ait the beginning of a
murder trlal and tCld she two attorneys
that II lthey Withdrew they paced
themselves i'm jeopardy of be4ng dis
barred.
Nevertheless with THE prospect of
disbagment before them 'tEe two law
yeIs persisted in their refusal 70 COM
duct the case and left tae court room.
The court ti!iereupon appointed Two att
torneys to conduct the prisoners de-
feinse Although accused of crimes
that would revolt a barbarous savage
there wGs something pathetic in the
picture made by Holmes All this point.
The Prisoners Appearances.
Slender, erect, and more youthful
than his pictures make him appear, ana
with an added delicacy given his natur-
ally clear cut and refined face by his
long confinement in prison Holmes
arose to his feet and addressed the
court His voice was weak and quiV-
ering like that of q man who has been
i'll and hardly carried the short dis
tance that separated him from the
court. He announced that he would
not accept the lawyers appointed by
the court and that he would conduct
his own defense. A hum Of astonish-
mcnt went around the court room, but
alone, and without friend by his side,
the iron nerve that has enabled this
man toieeve behind him a trial of death
without a show of compunction or re-
morse bore him up under the trying
ordeal of the desertion of his counsel.
Holmes exercised his right of chal-
lenge, and before the jury was OBJ
tained eighteen men had been set aside
by him. When court reconvened this
afternoon Holmes sat in the dock bus
lily engaged taking notes during his
terrible arraigrment by the district at
torrey in his opening argument.
An occasional flush that suffused his
cheek, and once in while a slight
lifting Of the eye brows when the dis
trict attorney became particularly
earnest ,were the only marks of emotion
exhibited by Holmes. When the dis
trict attorney had concluded his ar
gument Holmes requested that he he
allowed light and writing materials in
his cell in the county prison. This was
granted him. and then Holmes asked to
be allowed to see his wife.
sharp interchange of dialogue oc-
CURED between the prisoner and the
district attoreny as to which wife he
wanted to see. and finally Holmes was
driven to say that it was the last wo-
man who had been deceived into
marrying him. This woman has re-
fused to see Holmes. hut he obtained
promise from the court that letter
should be given her tonight and that,
If she would comrly an answer to it.,
should he sent to him from her. Here
court adjourned until tomorrow morn
ing.
A,lf <,r ,,.f