The morning times., 1896-06-04
AFTER HIS THUMB MARK
Judge Hollis COachman Tells
Tales on the Detectives.
MORE SERVANTS TESTIFY
Charles Strothers and Alfred .LO wrey
Tell What They Knew of the
Family neutrality-suspicious. All
Went TO SHOW That the Heirs at
Law Were Loved by the Judge.

The servants OF the late Judge Holt
have in almost every inst3 proved 70
be the most interesting witnesses in the
legal battle over his estate. and when
Charles Strothers. his colorcd coachman
was concluding his examination yesterday
afternoon he proved no exception TO the
rule.
His answers were keen and amused
the occupants of the court room and proved
at all times an invinCible barrier against
the hot fire of cross queries poured into
him by Mr.. Darlington. He frankly ac
knowledged his connection with a pool
room. his prosecution and fine FOR violating
the laws in conducting it, and his partner
ship with a policy writer. Still his tes
! timony WAS substantially mistaken.
StrotherS' testimony began with the
opening OF the session in the early morn
ing and did not end until some time after
the noon recess He recalled the find
ing OF the scrap OF paper by little Miss
Sterrett, and recounted score and more
| OF incidents heretofore untold about the
| home life of the famous man who's alleged
| viii is the bone of SO warm contention.
sTROTHERs WAS KEEN.
He sw0re that he never knew thing
| about the mysterious will until he one
! day sa " il in the office of the register Cf
wills Certainly he did not know how il
| got there. He had seen Judge Holt write
| time and again, but to him the handwriting
in the charred and disfigured paper did
not look like that of his former employer.
Since the judges death the witness said
| that he and his wife had been living at the
| house on New Jersey avenue. They rented
| part of the stable TO ex-Detective Block
WHO rented the stable?" asked Mr..
Darlington.
Il did,
ITO whom was the money paid?''
ITO me-"
what did you do with the money?'
Spent it,
-"On yourself?''
Eyes, sir"
How much rent did they pay?'
"Mr. Block paid 81 a mouth.
The Holt heirs had never promised topay
him anything. His services had been paid
| for by Judge Holt himself. he paid no
| rent for the Holt house.
| At this point Mr.. Darlington produced
photographs of the Holt place on New
| jersey avenue. Among them Were pic
| lures of the stable, painted over with
| 81 gus, announcing that Strotbers had
| coal, wood aud ice for sale. He has been
| in that business since he left the pocl
room An effectual attempt was made to
show that the hand that executed the
signs might have penned the crudely adj
| dressed envelope, bearing the will to the
| the register Of wills.
WANTED HIS THUMB.
He also told Of an amusing attempt the
| lawyers had made. through Block, to get
| impressions of the inside of the thumb, IN
| order to compare them with the thumb
| mark at the bottom Of the alleged will.
| The next witaesss called was Mrs Attic
b. Jennings, of1hiscity, who had known
| Judge Holt quite. well for the last four
or five years GRs his life. She and her
| family freuuentlE visited the iudpe's housa
did Judge HpltIe overs say anything to
| you about thes THioekmortons?' asked
"He never sata ahathiDg to me directly.
Upon one occasion Svas in the room while
he and my hustg nd was talking. My hus-
| band asked. hiHl what the trouble was
about Major Tsrockmorton, of whom he
had been reading ia The papers. I remen-
ber distinctly j iefgs Holt said He is an
unnitigated seonldrel and want to hear
nothing OF hTn~ NJ
Mrs. Jennings -Ead frequently heard
Judge Holt speak of the family Of his
nepbe W, Holt. and of the Ster-
rctts. His refereaeesto them were always