Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-11-27
EVIL EYE OF HOLMES.
SUPERSTITION THAT CAUSED WARD
EN- PERKINS TO KILL HIMSELF.

Cared For Holmes During His Tncarcera-
tion-was Never III Until He Met tho
Noted Criminal-Others Connected with
Trial and Execution Have Misfortunes.
I PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 25.-Within the
/ grim gray walls of Moyamensing prison
another tragedy has been enacted, aud
one more man who was concerned in the
hanging OF the multimurderer, II. H
| Holmes, fell a victim to the influence of
the "evil eye Of the most infamous Grim
/ inal Of the century. Ever since the hang
ing OF Holiness Howard Perkins the
warden of the prison, has been feeling
badly Whether the execution had any
thing to do with it or not viii never be
known, but he kept growing worse. He
had not slept for a week At last ne ended
the struggle by putting a bullet in his
| brain
Warden Perkins was a mosk conscien-
tious officer. Every morning Tor the last
go 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 z 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
ing he was triile earlier than usual. He
looked wan and pale, and as he passed
Keeper jenkins the latter asked him IL he
had slept well. The warden replied in the
negative and passed on into his office
A 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 a big hole in his right tenn
pie, made by bullet.
DR.. Sharp, the prison physician, was
summoned, but by the time he arrived the
warden was dead. The suicide was doubt
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 evil eye" Coroner Sam
uel Ashbridge, who held the inquest on
| Pitezel's body when it was found in the Cal
lowhill street house three years sago 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 few small ward fights
| The combine nominations in other
campaigns practically meant election.
hut Sarnf1aI A 4 -,
an overwhelming majority, Alexander
Crow, who never saw H. il. Holmes. was
elected sheriff and will draw salary of
$4,000 a year-$3,OOO more than the
mayor gets-not to speak of the Office fees.
The most prominent of the "victims''
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.
DIR. William X. Mattern, coroner's ply
sician, who dropped dead last summer in
the coroner's Office
Judge Michael Arnold, who has been
seriously i'll since the time Of the trial.
District Attorney Graham, who had to
| put sudden end to his summer vacation
to come home and deny the malicious sto-
ries that his enemies were circulating
William H. 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 Mr.. 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 meetings
for the combine" candidate Mr.. Ash
bridge believes that Holmes really had an
evil eye.