The herald., 1895-11-19
Several new SENSATIONS
In the Case of Multi.Murderer
Holmes
SUBORNATION OF PERJURY
Charged Against an Attorney for the
Defense
lntlmats Acqualntances Insist That Benz
lamin p. Pltzel II Still Alive
and Now In Chicago


Associated Press Special Wire.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 1s.-The evil
spirit that lresides over the destinies Of
H. H. Holmes, the king of murderers.
and eventually destroys all who ally
themselves with him, found another vic
tim today. The nrst swift turn this
extraordinary case to k was on the frat
day of the recent trial. when the arch
criminal dismissed his lawyers and "the
prisoner u, the BARI became counsel for
ths defense. Today the tables were
turned and senior counsel for the de-
fenss became prisoner at the bar.
William Shoemaker, the young attorney
whose first association with the case is
obscured IN the mystery whicn on velops
its every detail, passed through an ordeal
today as severe as any his cl ent has been
com mpelled to face and the crisis came
when he was held under $500 bail to an
swer charge OF suoornation oi perjury.
This mean. that the manufactured evil
denoe tending to prove that BENJAMIN +.
Piixel, for whose murder Holm IS was
convicted two weeks ago. committed sui
ollie ani that he. Shosmaksr. paid wo-
man $50 to sign and swear to this. But
the com m on wealth had supplied the wo-
man, although Shoemaker was ignorant
Of this, anu after ne had produced this
latter discovered evidence" and read it
with great impressiveness to the court
and asked that the argument on the mo-
tion Tor q new trial. which mad been hxed
Tor today, be postponed to give him and
his associate counsel, Samuel r.. Rotan,
tim. to run out this and other clues re-
Gently obtained, then 1t was that the
district attorney arose and exposed the
pl.t. His declaration came like thun-
derbolt. The oouft stared in wide-eyed
amazement, the spectators turned in their
cnairs and gAsped. the accused lawyer
sank back in his seat livid and trem ulous
while his innocent associate glared at
him with unveiled horror, but the pris-
oner in the dock rested his cold blue
eyes on the shri king figure OF his legal
representative and smiled with scorr.
Briefly toll. the details Of . charge
are these: The trial for the Pitzel nur-
der was not two days old when Shosmak-
er approached q private dstsctivs- named
John Schweichler and asked him to pro-
cure woman who lived around Four
teenth and Callowhill or Vance street.
who would swear to certain facts in con-
nection with the finding of Pitzel's body.
Schwe .ch ler assented, bu: instead of
straightway getting the woman, he told
his story to Detentive Geyer. who, tor
the comom wealth, brought to light the
evidence Of Holmes murder of the chill
dre:. Geyer submitted u to the district
attorney, and most skilful trap was
prepared, n trap which has brought about
the ruin OF the oppos ns attorney.
Under instructions, Geycr went to Mrs.
Margaret Rssh, matron of the Fourth
district police station, and she, under
taken 10 Shoemaker by Schweicnlsr.
Meantime Shoemaker had prepared an
affidavit, stat.ng that the deponent mad
Known Piiz and 10 her lie had expressed
his intent.on OF CO ommi,ting suicids. Mrs.
Hannigan readily signed and swore to
bills for so doing. On each bill she
marked the initial. "B. A. H." and TO.
day she exhibi ed them in court.
SHOEMAKER walked into the trap blind
fold. Wh.n I.e read the attidAvit to the
court he declared that its contents had
been dictated to aim by the woman. A
moment afterwards irrefutable estimonv
was produced snowiDa that he had him
self made up the affidavit and dictated it
to strnographer Defors ne had even
asked Schweiculer to procure woman
10 sian it, and taat he had not SO much
MS read nr explained its purport to Mrs.
HaAnigan.
Judge Arnold, who was upon the bench
during the tfiul, had called IN Jud es
Thayer and Wilson to hear and decide
with him on the merits OF todAy's argu'
menis for q new trial. AS the strange
revelations came the three judges did not
hesit ,te by their bearing ana words to
manifest their sense OF tue gravity OF the
accused lawyers situation. JunGe Arm.
old afterwards privately stated that dis
barment pro;t edings would be- considered
after the disposition OF the pending
charge against Shoemaker.
Shoemaker had nothing to say. He
was stunned and shocked beyond meas
ure. but said this was not the time for
him TO talk. Rotan. his associate, ex-
presse,. lis con ntideace in his colleagues
hnal exoneration, but he admitted that
the eviAence Of his guilt was overwhslm
ing.
kotan hims,lf was unsmirched. The
witnesses, the district attorney and. the
court we're careful to make that clear an 1
practically single handed battle against
treme do s odds. with some skill and
some fortitude, was visihly affected.
A strange story is whipsered about
shoemak.r's initial appearance in this
cas-. A little over year ago, 1t IL said,
he came no one seemed to know, but q
tale is to the effect that hs had been for
some time in little town ia Indiana.
Upon his arrival here he is SAID to have
spoken of the reception of letter from
Boston signed "H." II stated tho writer
desired to retain MIN as counsel in Q case
VIII ch wouli soon afterward co ne up in
Phila telphia, and enclosed s10O note as
rersiner fee. A few lays afterward
Holme, was arrested in Boston and the
story of his manifold crimes came out.
Nov i. is said that the little town in
which shoemaker lived was but n short
distance from another town where
Holmes had lived and fosfered his multi
iarious schemes. 1t is even said tnat IN
shoemaker's office has been found map
Of the cuuntry in which these two towns
: Jiie and that q line is drawn in red ink
bet ween the Places, but SO drawn as to
avoid railroads and settlements. cutting
through the tare country. This curious
story il not given out officially. but with
those who know Of it there is an unanim-
ity as to its details. The Hol Ines case
was the first Shoema AXE, tried in Phila-
dslphia. 1t Is also ropably the last.
Jndee Arnold. who presided during