The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-02
LATEST BLUFF or HOLMES
The Wholesale Murderer Adopts q
New line Of Action.
HE WILL OFFER NO EVIDENCE
Prisoner Concludes to Toks tho Desperate
Chances OF Throwing Himself Cpon
the Mercy of tho Jury Case
70 10 Argued Today.

Phllaoelphia, Nov. 1.-H0lmes today
threw himself upon the mercy Of the
jury When the commonwealth closed
its case this afternoon his, attorneys
announced that they considered the
prosecution had not made out It's charge
OF murder and they would rest their
case upon the evidence offered by the
commonwealth and submit no tesu-
mony in defense Of the prisoner. This
decision was made by Holmes himself.
They move seemed like q bold one, but
was unquestionably done more in des-
peration In tne hope Of influencing the
jury and creating the impression in
their minds that being conscious Of his
innocence and not having had time to
prepare proper defence, Holmes trust
ed himself to their sense Of Justice. In
reality Holmes has no defense. Not
witness has appeared for him and his
black record would tell terribly against
him even II he were able. to offer some.
thing like substantial prO0f that he did
not kill Pitezel. ~
The commonwealth presented this d.
rect proof that Holmes murdered
Pitezel. Their chain of circumstantial
evidence even was not as strong as was
expected and but for the admissions at
various times Of Holmes himself the
district attorney would have had most
difficult task in proving the charge.
That the commonwealth hesitated to
arraign Holmes for murder here unui
the discovery Of the bodies Of the Pite-
eel children Is we'll known. When the
bodies OF these children were found the
district attorney was then absolutely
convinced that Holmes killed Pitexel
and that the, murders Of the children
were the direct outcome Of the first
assassination. When the remains OF the
three children were unearthed and
Holmes made his admission that he had
been alone In the house with the dead
body of. Pitezel. Mr.. Graham was sat
isfied of the strength Of his case and
brought the accused man to trial.
! prosecnti0n Closed.
It was expected that the case would
be sensational in the extreme, but after
Judge Arnold ruled out all the evidence
bearing upon the murder Of the chill
dren the most CHASTITY features OF
Holiness series Of crimes were eliminate
ed. Instead Of furnishing any sensa-
tion the trial itself has been as dull and
uninteresting to the spectators In the
court room as the majority OF ordinary
murder cases are. But two incidents
out of<the ordinary have broken the
imonotony of the proceedings. These
were the appearance upon the witness
stand of Mrs. Pitezel and her pathetic
tale Of her journey with Holmes and the
,tastifying against the prisoner OF the.
Girl that he deceived into believing that
she WAS his legal wife. ill' li3
But nine witnesses were called 70 tho
stand today. At. The defence tkft:
,unorniag- had, decided. that they Wound
,cttsnipt 10 prove thai Pitezci coMfnft-
ted suicide and WIS not muroefed.
Some expert testimony pserine upon
this theory introduced by Mr. Grahem
must have shown the attorney Tor
Holmes that the defence had outlined
would require greater resources TO
maintain than they had at their COM
imand.
Blunders OF the Defense:
dav Mrs Pitezel, was recalled to the
..s ~ ti.,tiSv soyre aSt,cIes of cloth
staru ~ ,s. ,ue om h,,she n6 . rd nader
ing peloMS Ms ,tIom 80 @ tha Sesence attempt.
cioss- 90 e,se.'. .h.t .he WAS nerfectiy cog
eu " SHY 49,, ."a. sohnres 20 swinSIe the, in.
nazan. I y. ,ns W" ~, nnd that in the iour.
suramSe ne .nni, LII Ioi,ne. she was try.
ney sue .oos n.t Sc. h.r .shere IN Il
my " @NS o. .aaEsSc mar, chiiiren and
anu a,,usss Wa AZ" ~, sGrshsnn resented this
nusDan@ sNn ne a1an,,nat;on indirnantiy and
. ~ on"se1 ~ ~ the defence of attempting to
: Al n tho woman's already heavy bur-
den. ~ grief He showed by the witt
,,e.s statements that although arrest
nS Sor conaniracv no Indictment was
o,,.r h,ou~ht arainst her and that she
,,,oa S;sche rved. because there was no
o,;Sauno waS shnwinr that she had any d.
.oa. nnnrect,on with the swindle.
reTS NJ n,sstions of the attorney for the
s.tnm.a hr"mcht tears to the yes Of the
s,raInr .naorted woman upon the stand
Shar onnea rance excited the sym.
an.sn anu .'s, =, III in court When she was
pa.my p.S ,ror, the stand and led into the
snrtxor rs,,Ts she was attacked BY q nervous
~ .nS hsr Screams rang through the
ns H. s.'N
IN. a.fen.s,s second biunder In en-
s..nor,nr 70 elicit from Miss Yoke the
orsr,or oUcJT T =. she stiii believed herself to
~ .ho i.roi wife nfHolmes. When Mr..
cs ~ :, sow the drift of the questions
Sn,nr ..TeT he Sad the witness tell
ntirs .sSorv .of how Holmes had de-
Wy as.,ss s.'N ~. a. tha marriace and the
Ts.se HHs onS decentions he practiced upon
her rurino this recital Holmes be.
me-. ne o"rtmsed A.. t'huY,r Mis- head in a
SSnrea. - ceS manner. M ~, =. /.
80 go ,,.,,,..r.ii,r,
me ~. . 80 ..r.r r., r.e