Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-03
Interesting Day in the Holt Will
Case.
STROTHERS ON The STAND
Counsel lntimated That He Sent
the Burned Will.
POINTS IN HANDWRITING


| took rather sensational turn this morn
ing From the questions which Mr.. Dar-
| lington put in cross-examination it begins
to look though the lawyers for the
caveatees have a theory as to who sent
the mysterious document which purports
to be Judge Hollis last will and testament
Unless the signs are misleading they are
trying to give the impression that the
paper which dropped as If from the skies
into the registers office was sent by Judge
| Hollis coachman, who has been in charge
| of the house since the judge died.
While he was On the stand this morning
| he seid tnat he had painted a sign on the
| judges stable, since Judge HoIt's death.
| to the effect that he was dealing in coal
End wood. number of letters that he
| wrote at Judge Hollis dictation were also
| pla ced III evidence.
| While Mr.. Darlington has not announced
| 1t in So many words, the opinion is gaining
ground that lac will claim, in good time,
| that the handwriting on the wall of Judge
| Jiolts stable, as well in the letters the
ccachman wrote for his en- plCyer, shows
striking resemblance to the superscrip-
uon on the envelope in which the myster-
lous Will was sent to the register
III this suppostion is correct il but adds
| TO the mystery which surrounds the whole
case, Tor IL Is a difficult matter to what
motive Strothers, the coachman. could have
had for secreting the will for a year, and
! then denying sending it, if he did send it.
Strothers was summoned as a witness for
the careators, and his testimony has tend
| ed to queer the chances of Miss Hynes
and Miss Throckmorton. Yet If it should
| develop that he is the man that sent the
Will IL might be strong point in favor of
| the caveatees.
Another interesting feature of the case
today was the appearance of the name of
ex-Detective Block. 1t did not develop very
clearly just what connection he has had
with the preliminaries of the trial but
every feature that crops up in this remark
able case is given an added Interest.
StrOther's Testimony.
This was the thirteenth day of the
case. A vast amount of evidence has
already been introduced, but ii is the gem
eral opinion that each side has still a we'll
| filled storehouse on which to draw
|. When court opened this morning the task
| Of securing testimony, in opposition to the
alleged will, from the servants who were
| employed in Judge Hollis household wa.
| continued. Charles Strothers, the Judges
| colofed coachman, was the first witness OF
| the day.
Strothers was on the stand Yesterday
| When an adjournment was reached. He is
| the husband of Judge Hoit's maid Frances
the Two having been married since the
Judge death. He gave considerable a6di-
uohaI testimony to the strained relations
| mat existed between Judge Holt and the
members of the Throckmorton family
never under any circumstances to admit
the elder Mrs. Throckmorton to the house
CIl one occasion he saw Judge Holt meet
MIS-. Ihrockmorton near his own house
ana absolutely ignore her Then" he con-
unued, Judge Holt said to me: Charles
what do You think of her: do YOU think
she's crazy? As often as L have refused
TO see her and sent things back TO her she
peislsls IN coming to see me. | cannot
understand it
ne remembered Miss Throckmorton call
ing at the house. He said that once sey-
eral ladies were passing Judge Rolt's bonss
ana one of them had stopped and inonirn5
after Judge Hoit's health. He had ask9I
VINO he should tell the Judge had fnuuir.d
LOT h!m' and the lady had replied that she
was Miss Throckmorton, but that she ala
not suppose Judge Holt would care 10 know
ii. " io"
Strothers said that he did not know
MAJOR ihrockmorton, but remembered tina.
Juuge Holt once spoke of him. The WITT
ness was reading of the trouble the major
was IN, growing out of the court-martial
ana Judge Holt spoke of the major in the
most uncomplimentary terms
He said that he knew D,.vlin but did
Judge Holt. VI
ID, DO you remember seeing Luke Devlln
about Judge Hollis house at ANY time?'
No, l never heard or saw ANYTHING NJ
| him at Judge Hot's"
Al this point the court adjourned.
The Judges Secretary.
In answer TO questions from Mr.. Worth
! ington this morning the witness told of the
| drawers and closets in Judge IIolt's house
that he always kept locked, and which
| presumably, contained articles orc papers
of value. In the locked drawers of his
CeSk he kept letters and papers and some
small change. Srothers described the diff
ferent closets and told what the Judge or
dinarfly kept in each. He said that Judge
Holt never kept any papers of value in the
" no. lia Ii,
death, found the scrap of paper on which
We're written some words that seemed to
refer TO a will dated in 1SS6
During all the time that he was at the
house, the witness said, the relations be-
tween Judge Holt and his nephew, Wash.
Holt, were Of the most cordial nature.
None could be treated better than Wash.
| Holt and his family Were treated by his
uncle.
On one occasion, the witness said, he was
! driving Mr.. Wash. Holt to .he railroad
station. The judge was with him, and the
witness feard him say: Wash. L am very
| glad there has been change in the law
with reference TO executors, Cor now you
/ can come up after my death and take pos
session without any trouble
Strothers told of the kindly feeling that
Judge Holt always showed toward his
| grandniece, Miss Mary Holt. Col. and Mrs.
Sterett were frequent visitors at the house.
| and the judge seemed to take the greatest
| pleasure in their visits. The judge was not
| of a very lively disposition, and Col. Ster-
Sll seemed 10 De ABOUT lil6 Only iGTSOn
| that could make him laugh.
Cant you tell us how he entertained the
| judge" asked Mr.. Worthingt5n, so that
We can have a laugh, too?'
| well, the colonel used to he all the time
| burlesqung the speakers up at the Capitol,
and they had many good laugh about Mr..
PETERS whskers.
| Toward the latter part Of the Judges
life the witness said, he used TO write let
| tiers at the judges dctation. Sometimes
| he would draw the judges pay a retir-
ed army officer, and was mtrustcG with a
| good deal of his banking business. Once
| he sent money to Miss Hynes, and he Of
| ten wrote letters with money in them to
| Mrs. Washington Holt.
! Strothers said that Judge Holt often had
| HIM read the evening paper to him, and
| used to keep him in late OF evenings.
| Several times he said: Don't get tired
| waiting an old man, Charl9 - and some
| of these days you will see how l appre-
| ciate it, That was the only intimation
| he ever gave of his intention to leave any
| thing to his servants.
| The Mysterious Will.
| Strothers said that he recalled the finding
! of the scrap of paper in Judge Hot's closer.
1t was in the judges handwriting. He