The Washington times., 1920-06-13

by Captain Frederick Rothwell Holt
II is known as the murder on the sea
>, ,stnds because II was committed at night
al lonely spot on the seashore when not
'ahother soul was within miles, and only
loving woman. trusting utterly In the faith
tof man, would have ventured to be there.
Frederick Rothwell Holt, an officer OF q
distinguished regiment hero OF the late
war. a man of good family, convinced
,usie Breaks that her husband, who had
st her. was dead, proposed marriage to
her, insured her life for $4,000, induced
her to will the money to him, persuaded
4, ar to 20 out with him on the lonely
eands, and then. when she was listening
his loving words. deliberately shot her
,ad.
Never in all the annals Of crime has
there been a more cold -blooded and treach-
erous murder than this. Criminologists
who have studied the matter profoundly
declare that there are few men who have
the unspeakable villsiny to kill Q woman
at the moment she is gazing at them with
love in her eyes.
The trial was made remarkable by many
extraordinary circumstances. After the
case had begun the prisoners counsel, one
Of the most distinguished lawyers in Eng
land, quite Unexpectedly sprang a defense
Of insanity on the court, supported by an
amazing piece OF nonsense which Holt had
written, and by the fact that he had re-
fused to give any instructions to his law
yers.
After the prisoner was condemned, his
sister, a woman OF strong character, made
visit to Prime Minister Lloyd George
and made heartrending appeal to him to
reprieve her brother Executive clemency
to criminals In England is granted after
consideration by a Cabinet member and
Mr.. Lloyd George could have set the pro-
cess in motion. He refused to interfere.
doubtless fortified by the crime as much
as the rest of the nation.
The courtroom at Manchester. where
the trial was held. was besieged by thou
sands Of fashionable and well-dressed wo-
men. many Of whom had secured tickets
ef admission. Other thousands were shut
ont.
- Sir Edward Marshall Hall, X. c.. the
noted counsel who defended Holt, in sup
. port Of his contention that the prisoner
was not mentally responsible, called Cap.
tain Dawes. of the War Office and the
Berkshire Regiment, who testified that
Holt took part in the bombardment OF
sFestubert, noted battle in France, where
the British losses were particularly heavy.
after this he suffered from depression and
shell shock, condition which. 1t is well
Known, may result in sudden insanity
following further shock or injury.
,stDr. Robert Percy Smith, an alienist. tes'
s,tined that Holt was suffering from delu.
seional insanity and that he believed his
insanity followed his arrest on the shock.
ing charge Of numbering his sweetheart.
." Counsel then called the Holt family law
yer, who swore that the prisoner, since his
arrest, had given no inteligible instruc-
tions concerning his defence and had held
no communication with them beyond issu-
ing a document written the day after his
arrest, which read as follows:
~ First attempt dogs. They we're given
every encouragement to reach my cell.
After entering police station door dog
leader said Yes NO Yes, yes, yes, &C.
The best dog was called by name. They
said he had never fed before. It was a
good dog. Second attempt. | spent most
Of the time near my door. but could see
partly into the office. Just before the sec.
ond time | noticed two long strips Of news
paper had Just been put down between my
door and the office gate. The dogs were
tried the same way, but this time with
very little speaking. On both these occa-
sions the policeman standing in charge
/, Just opposite my door lifted his leg across
the remainder Of the passage. the idea be.
: ing to turn the dog into my cell. After
the dogs had left noticed one OF the long
strips Of paper had been chewed into a
ball. Third attempt After about another
two hours interval the policeman went to
the gate. When he returned he came as
far as my door, This time felt sure the
dogs would enter the cell, so | got to the
far end, to see what would happen"
Or. Blair declared that when he visited
Holt in his cell the prisoner talked about
vast hordes Of South American flies under
10 aleader that prosecuted him there.
.,, Sir Gordon Hewart the Attorney.Gen-
eral, who prosecuted, pointed out that
man who had conceived such a diaboli-
tally cold.blooded crime as Holt would
certainly be capable OF writing and talk.
ing nonsense to escape the consequences
OF his crime. The jury retired at this
point. and in ten minutes decided that
Captain Holt was sane and At to plead.
.u The case against Holt depended mainly
on the Identification OF certain footprints
In the sands, Of a discarded glove and an
army revolver.
-"If," said the Acknowledgement, "the
njury find that the footprints In the sands
! were made by the owner OF the glove. and
III they find that the owner OF the glove
was the owner OF the revolver, and that