Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-10-01
HOLLAND LIFE AT STAKE
Faces 4 Jury in the Circuit Court
III rsday Morning
DAMAGING EVIDENCE ! GIVEN
One Witness Declares VI Threatened To
Wreck The Shack Trial NaI Be
60. Ia &c So 0ns.

indicted last Saturday for murder in
the first dergee for the alleged killing
Of John Harris, colore1, who met
death in the dynamite explosion at the
home Of Julia White, eoliored, on
SUNDAY molniug Of last week, was
called at 8 O'Clock ia the Circuit court
before crowd of spectators that oc-
cupied nearly all the available space
in the room. The progress of the case
has been watched by manv people
with great deal of interest. and the
proceedings Thursday morning we're
closely followed
But little time was required to
select jury, the following men being
designated TO try the accused for his
life: G. f. Myers, Boyd Kilmer.
Lewis Dugan. Robert Criswell. S. v.
Fierv, Harlan Thatcher, Hunter
Candy, William johnson. J. d. Feker,
J. ". Walters, +. W. Underdonk, ".
S. Siler.
A total of 81 witnesses were sum-
moned in the case. each side having
nearly the same number. 1t was evil
dent from the start that the trial is
to be lengthy and warmly contested
one, and this was made more apparent
in the opening statements of the at
torneys for the prosecution and de-
Tense. The prosecution stated that
the evidence against Holland would be
entirely circumstantiai, as there were
no actual witnesses OF the crime. Mr.
Lindsay said he expected TO bring
forward such strong array of testi-
monv that would clearly establish the
guilt Of Holland. aud would expect a
verdict of murder in the first degree
For the defense Attorney Fauntlefoy
declared that he would introduce evil
dence to show the accused could not
have committed the crime. and while
lis statement was somewhat involved
and rather difficult to follow. it was
apparent that he intended tocast sew
eral shades of doubt around the whole
matter.
! DR. Mccormick was the first Wit.
Dess for the state, aud detailed the
circumstances of attending the two
women who We're injured in the Elk.
plosion. He described the condition
of the body of Harris. and gave it as
his opinion that the latter came to bis
death. through concussion. as there
were no wounds except slight cut
on the head
Ida Dyche, colored, was then called,
and her testimony was of very dam
aging nature. She told how Holland
had visited her place three times on
Saturday night, before the explosion,
and how he had made threats involv-
ing the Higginbotham woman. The
Dvche woman declared that Holland
said emphatically that the Higgin-
botham woman should not remain in
Julia Whites house all night. and
that he would "break it up." mean
ing her association with other men,
whom Holland seemed to think she
| was ChbCA vboo ibC
witness said that Holland had visited
her house about IL O'Clock, aud that
when he went away he said he in
tended to wreck the id shack, :"
and that this is the night / get in
trouble She said the shock of the
4 explosion was so great that she was
Jared out of bed.
The Dyche woman's testimony was
not shaken by cross -sxaminatiop, and
Pete Walker was then put on the stand.
Walker is the man who was with
Holland for several hours on the night
of the tragedy, and accompanied the
accused man when he went to the
Dyche woman's house, remaining
there while Holland visited the board
ing place of the Higginbotham woman.
Walker said re lid lvt hear Hrilerd
tnres ter &C. "wIeck the shack" but
stated that Holland told him he (Hol-
lland1 would "break il p''-meaniDg
the association of the Higgiabotham
woman with Julia White and other
companions.
Katie Higginbotham then took the
stand and told in detail of how Hol-
land had come to her house and
wanted her TO go driving with him.
She said she told him to go away, that
she wanted nothing to do with him,
and that he was apparently in an ngly
4
| mood. She met Harris, the man killed,
when she and Joplia White weet mp.
town on All errand about 2 O'CLOCK.
Harris accompanied them home. and
hs heing sick, Julia White told him
to go into another room and go to bee
which he did. she claims she did NJ
see him after that, and was oslror
when the explosion occurred. Her
cross-examination was not severe.
Julia White corroborated in great
"a I the testimony of the Higginbothsm
| wamau and told with 81 wealth Of