Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-27
Holmes Counsel Talks.

HoImes' counsel Talks
 PHILADELPHIA, July 27.-Lawyer Will liam A. Shoemaker who represents H. H. Holmes, has made suggestion. Did it ever occur to you," he asked reporter, "that the Minnie Williams who was mur- dered by Theodore Durant in San Fran cisco last April was about the same age as the Minnie Williams of this case-that she was not known in that city and had no relatives? Who knows but that the Frisco Minnie might be the missing girl? It is true that when the Williams girl left Holmes she said she was going to Europe but there is no positive knowledge even to him that she did go."
 Mir. Shoemaker was shown the story from Chicago to the effect that Janitor Quinlan was implicated in the case almost as deeply as the arch conspirator; that Quinlan had kept woman whose first name was Lizzie ill the "castle," and who had sister working in the restaurant in the building; that child was born and mysteriously disappeared, and that Quin lan's wife suddenly appearing on the scene, the girl Lizzie was hurried away and is now thought to be in Omaha. The story said besides that under instructions from Holmes in this city Quinlan had de- stroyed all of the letters, papers, clothing and other articles which might aid the nuLhOl4O4CS HI 4A4o StbA CCAt CbAu tLttO a confession was expected from Holmes involving Quinlan.
 Mir. Shoemaker declared that the story was entirely new to him. So far as send ing instructions to Quinlan was concerned, he said, Holmes while in the city hall here, had been permitted to send and re- ceive mail but since his confinement in prison he cannot do so without the sanc- tion of the prison officials, who read all letters.
 "The public mind had better be dis abused of the idea that Holmes will make n confession,'' continued the attorney. ''He has told all he has to tell and has nothing more to confess. He feels confi- dent that he cannot be convicted of mur- der, and just as confident that when the time comes it will be proved that the bod ies found were used in insurance schemes only. The Chicago people have no case at all and have merely been cutting a ridicu lous figure before the public.
 II know nothing of Holmes being tried here. The first official notice I could get would be an indictment, and so far as I know no steps in that direction have been taken.''
 Holmes Not Broken Down.
 District Attorney Graham also said that no decision had been reached regarding the place of trial
 "The only diary I know of, " Mir. Shoe maker went on, is in Holmes possession. It was kept by his wife, Mrs. Howard in her own handwriting, and she Is mistaken when she says that he left her for two days during the time the journal was kept in Toronto. He was never away from her a whole day or a single night.
 "There is absolutely no truth in the story that Holmes in broken down. He is in very good spirits and is busy at present settling up his business affairs-turning his real estate into cash. Two weeks ago George B. Chamberlain, a Chicago lawyer, spent several hours here on behalf of par ties in that city who desire to purchase.
 These properties consist of farmlands. town lots and other properties in various parts of the country. He controls the cas- tle' block in Chicago besides the $40, 900 property in Fort Worth, Tex. saw this block last fall when was down there on this case. Holmes built this block, he having obtained the ground by a trade of Chicago property with Minnie Williams, who had inherited it from her father.
 Holmes did know Miss or Mrs. Con nor in Chicago-I don't know which, be- cause I never talked with him much about this. Quinlan, l think, was janitor in the castle pretty much all the time Holmes was there. Quinlan's wife lived there in winter and went to a farm in summer.
 "Holmes is anxious that Quinlan as well as everybody else should tell the truth in the case and conceal nothing We ex- pect Mrs. Howard to testify to the truth regardless of where it lights, and if she does it will be in Holmes favor. We are anxious to have her testify rather than to throw obstacles in the way, as has been said. Iwant it understood that he desires evarybodv tO tell tba truth ii
 "Is he setting the example9" was asked. Well. I have never known him to de- ceive me in anything. He thinks, and so do I, that Q true statement of all the facts at the trial will be of great assistance in proving his innocence.