Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-02
JUDGE Hollis FAMILY
Testimony Today as to the Friendly
Feelings Existing.
MANY LETTERS READ TO JURY
Miss Holt Tells Of Conversations
With the Judge.
SIG NIFICANT REM RKS

The eleventh day of the Holt will case
| began at 10 o'clock this morning before
| Judge Bradley.
| Notwithstanding the fact that the case Is
now in the third week. there Is no APP
probable let-up in no interest shown by the
public in all the details that go to make Up
what promises to be one of the most IA
NOUS will cases in the history of this coun-
| try. All day long the court room is crowd
| ed, and it is a noticeable fact that very
| large number Of the spectators are women.
| Miss Throckmorton and Miss Hynes, the
| benefciarieS under the alleged Will, are al
ways present, and with the formers motn-
| er, occupy prominent places in the court
room. They follow all tine evidence with
| the closest attention and take corious noes
| for the future guidance of their attorneys
| With them and occupying seats just be-
| hind, are Mrs. McCord and Miss AcCord.
the wife and sister of young Kentucky
! lawyer who is associated with the attorneys
for the caveatees On the other side Mrs.
Washington Holt and her daughter have
Yet to miss their first day of the trial, and
airs. Sterett is a frequent attendant at
court. In addition 10 these, there are
number of female witnesses, who are pres
ent every day, i'll addition to those who are
attracted merely by curiosity and a desire
| to see the parties to the case.
When court opened this morning there
| was another straw that showed that the
| case is expected to last for several weeks
| longer. at least. The names of the jurors
| summoned for duty on the new, or June.
panel, were called, and when all had re-
Sponded, the judge excused them from fur
| Their attendance court this term.
A large portion of the afternoon session
| yesterday was taken up by Mr.. Wilson and
! Mr.. Worthington with the reading of let
| tiers from Judge Holt to Mrs. Wash. Holt
| and her daughters. Miss Mary and Miss
| Rosa Holt, showing his affection for the
| family and his desire to do all in his power
| for their comfort and happiness.
When court adjourned, Mr.. Wilson an
nounced that there were still some twenty
| letters left to be read to the jury. Like all
| family letters. their contents deal largely
with matters of interest only to those for
whom they were intended. Judge Bradley
suggested that in the interest Of time it
would be as well if the lawyers for the
caveators would study the letters over
| night. and only read to the jury such OK
| tracts as would seem to have some bearing
| on this case.
The suggestion was acquiesced in. but
when Mr.. W burlington announced. at the
opening of court this morning, that only
| extracts would be read. Mr.. Darlington OBJ
! Jected. unless his side had chance to in
| spect the letters in advance. The objection
was not pressed, however. for Mr.. Darling
| ton said that he had no desire to consume
any unnecessary time and Mr.. Wilson then
proceeded to read the marked passages
these were the parts Of the letters ', hich
contained expressions of affection and
| friendly interest on the part of the writer
Tor his relations at the old homestead in
| Kentucky.
AFeetiOnate Letters.
The letters were not very exciting,
| though they gave an excellent idea of the
| life and character Of old Judge Holt. Their
| tone showed that he felt his lonely condi-
tioE:, living by himself in his big house up
| ON Capitol Hill, away from all his blood re-
| lations and watching his old friends passing
! away one by one. He frequently spoke
with great feeling of the death of some
| prominent man with whom he had been
| closely connected. officially and socially. Tor
! years. and in whose death he suffered
personal loss As his interests in life mar
rowed down his feeling for his nephews
| and neces in Kentucky seemed to grow
| stronger and deeper. Some of them
not, apparently. very we'll off in this
worlds goods. and many of the letters
ferred to some act of kindness on his part
| toward them. Miss Mary Hollis school
| Ills, as we'll as the expenses of a trip to
| Europe and to the worlds fair, were de-
frayed by Judge Holt. and he was all the
| time sending presents of money TO her and
| other members of her family. He seemed
to be specially devoted to this young grand
! niece, and showed the most affectioIate in
| terest in her welfare, the state of her
| health, her plans and her pleasures.
! The reading Of the letters occupied more
! than an hour. MIR. Wilson read along in
a monotonous voice occasionally stumbling
| over some eccentricity of the judges hand
writing. The members Of the jury made
themselves as comfortable as possible. The
| court stenographer, w. Herbert Smith had
nothing to do but mark the letters for fu-
| tTre Identification. and he rested his weary
| fingers. while Clerk Williams amused him
| self by entering cases in his docket book
| Judge Bradley spent the time In writing
| occasionally referring to some big calf
| bound law books.
When all these letters had been gone
| through with Mr.. Worthington began upon
| another batch, written by Judge Holt about
| the time of Wash Hollis Illness and to a
number Of members Of the family at diff
| ferent times.
| After reading one of these letters, dated
in 1870; to a brother which ended up
With love to mother and all the family
| l am your affectionate brother, j. Holt"
| Mr. Worthington remarked, In a sarcastic
! tone: Il guess there Ia no doubt as to
whose family he means. Judge Holt does
| not seem to have been such a man without
q family as he has been cracked up to be-
Then followed a number Of letters from
JuGge Holt to his nephew, Mr.. Washing
| tone.
The reading of these letters had rather
/ depressing effect upon the spectators and
long before the noon recess the audience
usual proportions.
Would Have More.
After recess the exanina ton of Miss
Mary Holt was continued. She said that
on one occasion Judge Holt had a portrait
of her mother painted and presented 1t to
| her mother.
Miss Holt said that when her father was
paralyzed. Judge Holt showed tho greatest
sohcitude He said that he did not know
what he would do If Mr.. Wash. Holt should
die, for all his business was in his nephew's
hands
When I was here she said. 'in 1893 he
tod me. not once, but many times that
| while my father had some money then. he
would have great deal more after his my
| uncles) DEATH" '
Now. Miss Mary" said Mr.. Wilson.
you are familiar with your uncle's hand.
writing. VIII you look at this paner"
handing her the alleged will, "and tell IN
write this paper 0 iio'
On cross-examination the witness said
| mat, in her opinion, the handwriting in the
alleged Will more closely resembled his
writing late In life than it did his writing
ebout the time Of the date of the nanar
She said that her opinion was based main.
| ly on the unfamiliar appearances Of IN,
writing as whole, and especially on the