Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-24

Sell de[enSo VIII De pleaQeQ IN an
attempt to clear John A. Holmes of
the charge of murder Of Mrs. Emma
Ghys in East Moline.
This was intimated in the opening
statement made by c. ]. Searle, one
of the counsel for Holmes, in his ad-
dress to the jury this morning in cir
cult court. A new bit of information,
that Holmes intended only to shoot
Mrs. Ghys through the wrist to halt
her attack upon him, was also given in
the statement Holmes, in other
words claims that he intended to shoot
Mrs Ghys through the wrist to make
her drop the revolver, he claims she
had in her hand, but that the shot
went awry in the scuffle that followed.
Mr.. Searle contends that Mrs. Ghys
scuffled with Holmes at the top of the
landing of the stairs at the Ghys home
Also that Holmes was in an extremely
nervous state of mind at the time and
really not responsible for his actions.
This state of mind, Mr.. Searle con-
tended, was brought about by the con-
tinued designations of Alice Garrison
his housekeeper. Mrs. Ghys was re-
sponsible for the Garrison woman car
rying on in the shameful way she did
Mr.. Searle claimed. In this connec-
ton he went back some years to the
first meeting of Holmes and Alice
| Garrison at Marseilles, ILL.,, and how
they soon became attached to each
other, the woman being engaged as his
housekeeper. He stated that Holmes
was attempting to cure the Garrison
woman of a morphine habit, wher
Mrs. Ghys stepped in with her evil
influence and shattered his hopes and
well founded plans to help the CARR
son woman. Holmes had been in the
habit of going after the woman at the
Ghys home on many occasions, accord
| ing to Searle's statement. On the day
of the shooting the parties at the Ghys
home were in the midst of an org,
which had covered several days. 1t i!
contended that when Holmes went III
the stairs at the Ghys home to get hi.
housekeeper, Mrs. Ghys appeared ant
ordered him out, resisting his attemp
to enter and that she drew a revolvel
on him. Mr.. 'Searle vigorously at
tackled the characters Of Mrs. Ghy'
and the Garrison woman
There is no question but that thu
state will ask death penalty TO
Holmes because of the murder
States Attorney Floyd E. Thompson
in the opening statement for the state
commended that Holmes walked up tn
stairs at the Ghys home and shot a
Mrs. Ghys through door of the bath
room, which was partly ajar. He con
tended that there was no evidence t
show that there had been scuffle be
tween Mrs. ,Ghys and Holmes, or tina
Mrs. Ghys was carrying a gun. TIL
state will seek to show that the onl
gun found in the house, outside of tn
weapon held by Holmes, was a revol
yer located, after careful search, 4
the bureau in the bedroom, some dis
lance away from the hall where tn
shooting took place.
+ Johnson First Witness.
DR.. George F. Johnson, mayor c
/ East Moline, was the first witnes
called in behalf of the prosecution. H
said he went to the Ghys apartment
with Officer Mayberry upon call Of til
policemen at the scene of the shooting
He told of finding the body in the bath
room, and said it was necessary t
push 1t back before the door could
opened. He said he did not probe 70
|, the bullet, but his examination re
vealed that it entered the left breas
it's course indicating that it had pene