Evening star., 1950-01-10
Brother Testifies
HoIober ALWAYS
Was Abnormal
Unusual Behavior
During Youth Cited
At SIoyine TrioI

charging him with burying alive
his 8-month- h-old daughter, June,
beside her mothers body will be
tried separately.
Recalls Suicide Attempt.
Edward Holober, in describing
his brother as abnormal" said
that the defendant had attempted
to kill himself by taking gas when
he was Is.
He said his brother never as
sociated with other boys and was
unable to keep a job.
Sometimes" the witness said
Charlie used to get on a streetcar
instead of going to work, and ride
around all day.
"At home, his room was always
Uttered with trash and he never
let any one come in to clean it
up or to change the linens on his
bed.
He used to take gold fish which
had died and keep them in his
drawer for months at a time. !
often heard him talking to him
self"
Remained in Room.
The brother also testified that
Charles Holober sometimes re-
manned in his room for two DAYS
without eating and that his only
food after such periods consisted
OF carrot and a slice of bread
He added that his brother used tt
play the violin very we'll" wher
he was IL or 13 but as he grew
older he couldn't even get tune
out of It,"
When the defendant was abou
20. his brother said, his famil,
tried to persuade him to under.
go medical treatment. but he re.
fused.
Other members Of his family
scheduled to testify are his moth.
er, Mrs. Isadore Holober, and hi.
sister. Mrs. Adele Itkin.
State Rests Case.
Before Edward Holober took
the stand, the Commonwealth had
rested its case without calling
the State psychologist, who had
examined Holober. @
Commonwealth's Attorney
Hugh B. Marsh told reporters
however. that he would call the
State psychiatrist to answer any
testimony by defense psychiatrists
that Holober is insane.
The psychiatrists summoned BY
Defense Attorney T. Brooke How
ard include DR.. Benjamin Karp.
man of st. Elizabeths Hospital.
Also summoned as a defense
witness is DR.. Francis S. Chance
who examined Holober at the
State hospital. His failure to ap.
pear as a prosecution witness las
month because of illness forcee
postponement of the trial.
In his opening statement to thu
jury of IL men and two alternates
Hr. Howard said he would prov
that on the day of the crime, eth
defendant, by reason of his dis
eased mind, was incapable of dis
tinguishing between right an,
wrong"
Urges Commitment.
"We will show that he acte,
as a result of an irresistible i'm
pulse" he declared. 1--WE will pre-
sent psychiatrists who will tel
you Holober is a shizophrenic
and that he has displayed ab
normal conduct for the last i
or 20 years.
Mr.. Howard emphasized HI
would not ask that the defendant
be released because of insanity
but rather. that he be put away
for life because of his disease.
The jury was locked up las
night in the George Mason Hotel
Alexandria.
Most of yesterdays testimon,
concerned the discovery by police
Of the two bodies and a statement
made by Holober in which h,
admitted the murders.
DR.. Nelson Podolnick, Fairfa.
coroner, said Mrs. Holober, VIII
lived at 931 New York avenu
NV. had been shot twice-onc
in the back of the head an
once in the left ,chest.>
Another witness, DIR. Williar
Dolan, Arlington Hospital pathol
ogist who performed an autops
on the body, said Mrs. Holobe
was seven or eight weeks preg
nant."
Father Breaks Down.
Her father, Irving G. Garner
with whom she lived. broke dow
and sobbed on the witness stan
when asked by Mr.. Marsh whethe
Mrs. Holober was his daughter.
Holober's statement was read b
Detective Sergt. Cecil Brown, q
the Fairfax County police.
In the statement, which Serg
Brown said Holober made Febru
ary % at police headquarters i
Washington. the defendant wa
quoted as saying he had decide
to do away with" his wife Will
visiting her, October %.
He said In the statement tina
he reached the decision becaus
his wife had failed to live up t
her part of the agreement" b
threatening to move In on me.
He explained he had married he
only to give the baby "a name.
Holober appeared calm through
. out the testimony. And wheI
Sergt. Brown pulled Mrs. Holober'
blood stained clothing from a bo,
the defendant, who was sittin
about 10 feet away, craned hi
neck in an effort to see over hi
attorneys shoulder. 4