Connecticut western news., 1896-11-26
EVIL EYE OF HOLMES.
SUPERSTITION THAT CAUSED WARD
 EN PERKINS TO KILL HIMSELF.

Cared For Holmes During His Incarcsr>-
 tion-wAs Never III Untn He Met the
 Noted dCrfmInal-Othsrs Connected With
 Trial and Execution Have Misfsrtuaes-
 PHILApELPHIA, Nov. a5.-within the grim gray walls of Moyamensing prison another tragedy has been enacted, and one more man who was concerned in the hanging of the multimurderer, H. H. Holmes, fell a victim to the influence of the "evil eye" of the most infamous crim- inal of the century. Ever since the hang ing of Holmes, Howard Perkins, the warden of the prison, has been feeling badly. Whether the execution had any thing to do with 1t or not will never be known, but he kept growing worse. He had not slept for a week. At last he ended the struggle by putting Q bullet in his brain.
 Warden Perkins was a most conscien- tious officer. Every morning for the last 20 years he had stepped from his private quarters into the corridor on which the cells of the untried prisoners are located promptly at half-past . o'clock and with a nod of salutation to the keeper on duty had entered upon the duties to which he had grown accustomed. Yesterday morn
 
 looked wan and pale, and as he passed Keeper Jenkins the latter asked. him if he had slept well. The warden replied In the negative and passed on Into his office
 few minutes later the sharp crack of a revolver was heard In the room, and the keeper, badly frightened by such an un- usual occurrence, hastily alarmed Assist ant Superintendent Richardson, who, with two other keepers, made his way into the warden's office. He was lying on his back upon the floor, and the blood was flowing from big hole in his right tenn pie, made by a bullet
 Dr. Sharp, the prison physician, was summoned, but by the time he arrived the warden was dead. The suicide was Goubt- less premeditated
 During Holmes long incarceration in Moyamensing prison he was in the charge of Warden Perkins, and after the conviction the warden superintended all the arrange ments for his execution.
 Perkins was a widower, with two daughters, and up to a short time ago had never lost a day through illness of any kind
 There Are others
 Perkins Is but one of the victims of Holmes baleful s'evil eye" Coroner Sam uel Ashbridge, who held the inquest on Pitezel's body when 1t was found in the Cal lowhill street house three years ssago and who was one of the witnesses in the trial of Holmes was the combine" Republic an candidate for sheriff. Up to this cleo ton the combine" had carried everything before it save a few small ward fghts The "oombine'' nominations in other campaigns practically meant election.
 But Samuel Ashbridge was defeated by holy lar Crow, who never saw H. H. Holmes, was elected sheriff and will draw salary of SIS, 1000 a year-$s, 900 more than the mayor gets-not to speak of the office fees.
 The most prominent of the "yictims" of the superstition of Holmes "evil eye'' are:
 Linford Biles, foreman of the jury, kill ed by live wire two months after the ex- ecution.
 Dr. William K. Mattern, coroner's phy- sician, who dropped dead last summer in the coroner's office
 Judge Michael Arnold, who has been seriously ill since the time of the trial. District Attorney Graham, who had to put a sudden end to his summer vacation | to come home and deny the malicious sto- ! ries that his enemies were circulating. William IL Shoemaker, counsel for Holmes, disbarred from practice and dis graced for offering as evidence in the Holmes trial false affidavit The others on the list are victims of | minor Ills
 Last year Mir. Ashbridge wanted to be mayor. Party leaders spoke of him first, | but in the convention did not support him. | He swallowed his resentment and went faithfully to speak in the ward meeting. for the "combine' candidate. Mir. Ash. bridge believes that Holmes really had ar evil eye.