The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-11-07
HOLMES GUILTY..
The Jury Required But One Ballot
to Reach That Conclusion.
The Prisoner Sat Daxed and Stunned While
the Jury Was Being Polled-An Appeal
Taken-The Condemned Spent Sun.
day Reading and Writing.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 4.-Herman w.
Midget, or, as he is better known, H.
II. Holmes, was Saturday night con.
victed of murder in the first degree for
killing Benz. f. Pietzel in this city on
September 2, 1894. The jury needed
but one ballot to reach this decision.
The jury retired at 5:45 o'clock, at
the conclusion of Judge Arnold's
charge. After the retirement of the
jury from the court room the specta-
tors streamed out into the corridors
and eagerly discussed what the ver-
dict would probably be. At s:45 word
was sent to Judge Arnold that the
jury was ready to return the verdict
The prisoner was brought in and
placed in the dock. He was as impas-
sive as ever as he took his seat. The
court ordered Holmes to arise, and
then, in reply to the question of the
court, the foreman of the jury pro-
nounced the words Guilty of murder
in the first degree"
The verdict was greeted with abso-
lutte silence. The charge of the judge
must have foreshadowed what his fate
would be, but the word guilty fell
upon Holmes with stunning force. He
made no outcry or exhibition of emo
tion of any kind-the blow was too
stunning for noisy outbreak.
He sat down, and, while the jury
| was polled each man answered to his
name, and as each pronounced his
sentence, Holmes started vacantly be-
fore him.
His face was that of corpse It
was as absolutely expressionless as
mask. Only nervous twitching of
the eyelids and the contraction and di-
lation of the eyes showed that there
was living breathing man that sat in
the docks. AS the effect of the shock
began to die away, Holmes began to
recover himself. He realized that his
attorney was making motion for a
new trial.
The Judge said he would hear the
motion for new trial on Monday, No
vember 1s, and an expression some
thing like hope broke across his dull
face. Turning to the court officials he
said in an eager whisper: Monday,
November 1872"
These were the only words he ut
tered. Judge Arnold then expressed
to Mr.. Rotan and Mr.. Shoemaker his
appreciation of how difficult their task
had been. He complimented them
that they had been able to make as
good showing for the defense as they
did. He intimated that their with.
drawal from the case was a device OF
the prisoner Judge Arnold then
ordered the prisoner removed.
Everyone actively identified with the
Holmes trial, which ended Saturday
evening in the conviction of Holmes
for the murder of Pietzel, was glad
/ when Sunday came, and took advan
tage to rest and recuperate from the
great nervous tension under which
they had labored for week. District
Attorney Graham said Sunday, as te
the granting of a new trial, he did MOI
think the court after having heard the
argument would do so, as there wa:
nothing upon the records of the tria
that would show an error sufficient tt
warrant such a proceeding.
After the ordeal of the trial the quie
monotony of prison cell was welcome
to Holmes and he spent Sunday ap
, parently unconcerned by the deatl
sentence which hangs over him. HI
is still in the untried department bu
will be moved over with the convict
Monday. The condemned mans appe
tite takes but little of his attention
He still maintains his air of injured in
I nocence and reads and writes whel
. not absorbed in thought. No visitor
a were allowed to see him Sunday, ant
Holmes himself strengthened the pris
on rules by stating that he did no
3 wish to see anybody.
+ Jessie Pietzel is still in Philadelphia
, in charge of the society for the pre-
t vention of cruelty to children. Mrs
I Pietzel has left the city and nearly al
a of the commonwealth witnesses hav
q taken their departure.