The Washington times., 1915-07-09
MURDER CLIPPINGS
COLLECTED BY HOLT
Crimes Described Happened
About Time Erich Muenter
Poisoned His Wife.

NEW YORK, July s.-several hum
<red letters addressed to Frank Holt
and a mass of newspaper clippings de-
scriptive Of famous murders OF about
the time OF the murder of Mrs. Erlcn
Muenter have been turned over to
Police Commissioner Woods. They were
found In the room Of Holt in Ithaca
Many Of the clippings were on phases
Of insanity.
The letters were read with the idea
they would aid in establishing three
things: the identity of Holt with Mueii-
ter. the fact that Holt did or did not
have accomplices in his wrecking or a
pArt Of the Capitol, and the existence
or non-existence OF a widespread plot
to destroy public buildings and ships
carrying munitions of war to Europe.
Guy Scull, secretary to Commissioner
Woods. says that only one-fourth OF
the letters have been gone through and
Il Is not possible to say as yet what
significance they bear. For the most
part. he says. the letters are purely OF
a business nature and have no refer
addressed to Eric Muenter.
Most Atrocious Murders.
Greatest interest centered in the
strange sheaf of newspaper clippings
found in his room. The collector ap-
peared to have a morbid interest In the
murders Of a particularly atrocious ma
ture which were happening about the
country.
Almost without exception the clippings
were dated in June or July, l9oo, whlch
was shortly after Eric Muenter was &C
cused of killing his wife. Another CO.
incidence was that they were mostly
from the Boston Herald or the Chicago
Tribune.
Muenter was a professor at Harvard
poisoning his. wife. 1t was to Chicago
that he was believed to have fed.
Some of the headlines in the murder
clippings were suFsss Msn fTr Tsde srGrneT Iusens
by Conviction;" Charles Tucker Must
Die Early Tomorrow morning This In
reference to the stabbing of Mabel
Massj Making Heroes Of MurdeEsrs; :.
Anderson Faces Murder Charge in
Youngstown" Trio of Murders for
Htroegus Deed MGrderer msxs e"s of Mrs
Hollister Calm AS He Goes to Gallows;
woman Is Held for Murder" Loves
Another. Murders Wife," Husband
Captured With Woman Confesses He
Slew Spouse"
Crimes In Chicago.
The clippings. from the fact that sc
great a proportion OF them were lroii
Chics 60 papers. gave strength to the
theory that Holt, or Muenter, was in
Chicago at this time, and vas watching
tho Chicago papers daily, and occasion
ally buying a Boston Herald.
The clippings on insanity had mostly
to do with conditions in the insane asy'
iums In Illinois. Several were discus
sions of the likelihood of insanity de-
,eloplng from too close application to
study. an affliction which Holt is said
to have feared.
AR editorial clipped from the Chicago
Tribune said:
TOO nun study of a given subject
may be even more dangerous than a
little learning. An example In point Is
that a graduate of a college and q
medical school, an expert In crimlnol'
oGy, now Is reported as an inmate OF
Denver Jail, a physical wreck. as the
result of too close study into the ways
ard work of criminal classes
None of the letters so far examined
contain any reference to explosives OF
Indicate that Holt had accomplices II
any of his deeds, 1t was said at police
headquarters. No reference was mad
in any of them to Muenter, although
all those 80 far examined are Of date:
in 1O6 following the murder of tn
Mventer woman.