Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-02-12
HOLMES CASE GOES TO JURY TODAY

Mr.. Holmes. Tne attorney stated
three propositions that he would at
| tempt to prove first. thai Nj. Holmes
was not a man apt to commit tits |
crime, second. that he dill not COM
| nit. ard third that on the tacls he |
could not ave been guilty OF it,
The complete friendliness of the two
families made it not necessary to COM |
| NIT this crime to get the note. There |
had been other times and opportuni- |
| ties. The attorney reviewed Mr.. |
| Holmes testimony as to HIS movements !
and claimed that the bright red blood !
spot that Officer Carroll said he saw
would have been seen Ivy others. It
was preposterous that 4 man would
so back TO the scene of his crime with
the ed Vence en- him. Holmes didn't
| do this because he had no object in
| doing it and his whole course of cor
duct is against the theory that he
| did it. It was physically impossible
for Holmes TO have been al both the
Lennen house and Pulaski hall Why
should he seek to establish an al bi
bv asking the time of two utter
| strangers. There was no blosd IN
the front of his left glove and no: :,
particle of hood on Holmes until he
had gone in tc speak to Cartain Len
men, the attorney claimed. He would
venture to say that there were few
hands that wouldn't fit the stains on
the table cloth.
Attorney Desmond made his closing
al peal with tears in his eyes and his
vote" shaking with ernoGisa,
lie reminded the jury that they
were to determine a serious matter.
For judge, Jury, and attorneys. the
! events of this trial. would be merely
events, when they We're past Each
man would go or his way as before,
but for Royal G. Holmes his wife, his
| children, his brother-ln~ law, it wcs
. The one important occasion of their
lives. 1t was for the Jury to say
whether Mr.. Holmes Should again be
restored to the position Of au honora-
! bic cit zen in the community.
: once III the course of Mr. Des-
: monds argument, after he had spoken
: Tor about 40 minutes, Judge Maltbe
: called his attention to the need of
: bringing his argument to a close ii
2 the arguments We're to be finished
. during the day. Mr.. Desmond there
a upon brought his arguments to a
t speedy close.
State Attorneys Argument.
! States Attorney Hadlai \. Hui!
J oTened the closing argument for the
state by telling the jury it IVES in
deed serious matter when a peace
loving old gentleman had Been MUIR
= cerously assaulted in his home. 1t is
: easy to put tears into the voice but
= a man with wife and children is tG
g be treated no differently than The
:, man with none. The jury is here 10
, dc justice. 1t remains for the Judge
y to show sympathy, if sympathy is Io
E be shown.
! 1t is admitted that Holmes got into
u the house by a key. said Mr.. Hull
u That he knew the comb nation of the
u safe, that the bloodstains on the to-
= lie cloth were seen there before
- Eialnes came back to the house TIE
II 2olice find the house hid 1.oc beer
e broken into, they find the key tina
fits the house. they find the fashlight
) they find the note and take it to the
le hospital where they find from Capt
+ enIlen that it hadn't been paiG anc
had been in his safe but a few day.
id tefOre.
n Major Hull praised the Norwich 10
IS lice force standing between the citI
zens and those who would do vic
: 'ence. He said their conduct had heel
intelligent, prompt efficient aud tn
N results accurate. The first work the
g did on the case was worth days q
l. york a few kours later.
re He argued that if Holmes hadn
" gone back TO the Tennen house thu
9s night, his intelligence would hay
t Ghe three necessary THINGS in III
lg case were fastened on IIolneS-th
a. key, the f1ashlight and the knowledg
Ks Of the combination of The safe TIL
d combination ends this case He ar
gued that it was all the work of
rs novice. 4 thug wouldnF have lake
re The note. He would have grabbc
be tie watch at first sight and if Thu
r had done it Capt. Lennen would hav
es been dead today. The noe was take
Id by the one man who would have an
er interest i'll Getting possession it.
he The search1ight was neressar
n. Holmes bought it that day. Nobod
Mt CorrOborates what he says about ii
he way he vas to use the salrchlighf
ht The states attorney spoke of II
all composure that Holmes had shown i
IS, court all through the trial which !
said had not been exceeded even !
ev tie comnosurc of the crafty detectiV
re from New York. Why hasn't tn
7is willy gentleman found out where II
nj money went to that it was elaine
or Holmes paid to Capt. Lenren in Sc
nm Ting up the note?
II Did Holmes pay the noLe was OF
leo Of the vital questions. argued Mai
a+ Hull. Holmes says he kept the mol
zee, cE in till where either of the par
iii 0trs had access to it and never h:
ed There is absolutely no trace of Il
he payment of the note either on Il
nd cash book or by tne check stubs
% the ha NIX account
81 Nobody ever saw that receipt un
he it was produced in court and Holm
~ made no explanation in the police st
nd ton when he was told what CAPITA
cd Lennen SAID at the hospital. If Ca
mo tain Lennen had signed that recei
2t- he would fly to the defense of his clio
of friend. Mr.. Holmes. The attorn
n-o challenged anyone to suggest mott
n,s why Captain Lennen should deny /
on signature
tba What shall we say of this cvclo
from New York that hit the cou
r. said Major Hull in referring to \
ed Carvalho, the handwriting expert w
". testified for the defense. Tie knt
7be everything. He told us what a
oos man he was. The wind went all out
,eIy him when I asked him if he had ev
Fl, been fooled on q signature. And
be- said he didn't know. And he we
80 back to New York"
he The states attorney eontrasted wi
-'e Mr.. Carva1ho the handwriting expel
,or for the state especially Mr.. Churt
,,od who is the responsible man in this Ii
III, in the largest bank in this part of I
~. state, and would have given the q
~ cuSod the benefit of any doubt that
~, might have had.
IN The states attorney closed W
,11.s paying attention to the smears a
spatters of blood on the overcoat a
the marks on the tab'ecioth. These,
Or said, fit the stitching on Holmes !
'rtS glove, they fit the V-shape at the wri
had thew fit the worn snot on the thun
en- and the torn spot on the little fing
cHe and thew were seen on the ia