HOLMES CASE—PART TWO

Benjamin Pitezel.

H. H. Holmes.

Judge Michael Arnold.

Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, October 30, 1895.

COUNSEL CALLED BACK.

Holmes Unable to Stand the Terrible Strain.

LAWYERS RE-ENTER THE CASE.

The Prisoner, However, Proved Himself a Fighter by Conducting His Own Defense All Day In an

 Aggressive and Capable Manner.

   PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 30.—It has become apparent that the picturesque and startling features of H. H. Holmes' career are not to be confined to his destructive wandering over the American continent, for with each successive day comes something still more strange and unexpected.

   First he dismissed his counsel and began to try his own case because the court refused to grant the pleas made by them for a continuance. They left the court in spite of Judge Arnold's threats to disbar them and kept religiously away.

   After fighting all day tooth and nail, single-handed, against the tremendous machinery of the commonwealth and the apparently complete chain of evidence which has been forged around him, he threw up his hands and sent for his lawyers, Messrs. Shoemaker and Rotan. Then he told the court what he had done and a reluctant consent to their continuing with the defense was given.

   There was an impression that this was but another piece of by-play following Holmes' personal failure to catch the sympathy of the court and jury by making himself out a much-wronged man, forced to fight alone what may prove to be his last battle, in spite of his ignorance of the technicalities of the law and his alleged physical infirmity.

   The big work of the trial—taking the testimony—was begun at 10 o'clock and, with the exception of brief intermissions at lunch and supper time, was continued until nearly 9 o'clock last night. It had been the intention of the court to sit until 10, but the absence of a witness hindered this, and an adjournment was taken.

   The star witnesses of the trial—Mrs. Pitezel, Detective Geyer, Agent Perry of the swindled insurance company and the arch-criminal himself—yet remain to be heard, as also nearly two score of others.

   District Attorney Graham remarked that there was a likelihood of the trial outrivaling the Durrant case in point of time, but that if night sessions were held regularly it might be concluded within a month or less.

   Holmes made a plea, asking the court to hold but two sessions a day. In plaintive tones he said that his physical condition was such that he felt unable to continue the cross-examination of the witnesses, and besides, he was subject to sick headaches.

   Judge Arnold insisted, however, on holding an extra session last night, at least, and said this could be attended to when it came.

   During the supper recess which followed this incident, Holmes privately said that the preparation of his case in his cell the previous night had kept him up until 4 o'clock in the morning and then he was roused from bed two hours later. In addition to this he had not eaten anything from that night until 1 o'clock the following afternoon.

   It was after making this statement that he sent for his counsel. Up to that time there had been a general impression that human nature could not stand the terrible ordeal which he had set for himself, and that if he persisted in going on with his own case there would be a break down before long.

   All day as he sat in the dock the eyes of the man he is charged with murdering gazed at him from a large crayon portrait placed upright on the district attorney's desk in full view of the entire court. Next to this was an equally large sized picture of the daughter, Alice, whose death is also laid on his shoulders. But Holmes did not seem to be affected. His stolid demeanor never deserted him for an instant.

   The announcement that the taking of evidence would begin, drew a still larger crowd to the city hall, but the admirable police arrangements kept everybody out of the courtroom except attorneys and those connected with the case.

   The interest manifested in the case is not confined to one class. During the day Judge Arnold had no less than eight visitors, all judges from this and other cities in the state. Besides the head of every municipal department was noticed in the room at different times, including the mayor.

   The first witness called was Jeanette Pitezel, the 17-year-old daughter of the dead man. She was merely asked to identify certain portraits of her father.

   Eugene Smith, who found the body, then detailed his discovery.

   Holmes, on cross-examination, asked a number of immaterial questions, but showed much legal skill in their construction. He presented a strange picture, standing in the dock, with his pencil levelled at the witness, trying to confuse him.

   Dr. William J. Scott was called and at this juncture Holmes renewed his plea to have all witnesses, except the one on the stand, excluded from the room.

   This was finally agreed to and Dr. Scott was then permitted to tell his story, which concerned his having been called in to examine Pitezel's body after its discovery. He explained the situation of the room and the arrangement of the windows, so that the sun's rays should fall upon the corpse and hasten decomposition, together with the position of the burned body, the broken jar, pipe, etc. He verified the district attorney's assertion that the pipe could not have fallen from the lips of Pitezel to the place where it was found, and that the jar could not have been broken by an explosion, because the pieces of glass were not scattered about the room, but were inside the jar.

   The doctor dwelt upon the discovery of chloroform in the stomach, and said large quantities of the drug had been used, and from the congested condition of the lungs and the empty heart, it was apparent that the man had met a sudden and violent death from chloroform poisoning.

   At the conclusion of Dr. Scott's testimony Dr. William K. Mattern, coroner's physician, was called.

   The witness said he had made the post mortem examination at the morgue on Sept. 4, and the conditions were the same as were described by Dr. Scott. There had been paralysis of the heart, causing sudden death and evidence of chloroform in the stomach.

   He dilated on the ghastly scene at the Potter's field, when in the presence of a half dozen other persons, including the officers of the swindled insurance company and the young daughter of the dead man, Holmes took a lancet and coldly and ruthlessly cut and hacked off portions of the corpse of the man he is charged with having murdered. The girl, Alice, had then positively identified the body, and Holmes himself, the witness said, did not hesitate to declare that it was Pitezel's body.

   Holmes began the cross-examination of Dr. Mattern by requesting him to read his notes of the result of the autopsy in their entirety. This was permitted, and after it had been done the physician was put under a long series of technical questions touching the possible cause of death, the effect of chloroform poisoning and kindred subjects. The doctor unqualifiedly declared that death had been caused by chloroform poisoning.

   Dr. Henry Leffman, the well-known analytical chemist, was the next witness. In answer to Mr. Graham's questions he said it was impossible for a man to fix himself in an attitude as reposeful as that in which Pitezel's body was discovered, after having administered chloroform to himself.

   Holmes merely asked a few questions on cross-examination, but reserved the right to call Dr. Leffman as a witness for the defense after his (Holmes') testimony had been taken.

   The evening session began a few moments after 7 o'clock. There was a brief delay which Holmes utilized by glancing over an evening paper as he sat in the dock, apparently unconscious of the fact that an artist for a New York newspaper was, with the consent of Judge Arnold, sitting nearby sketching him.

   The taking of testimony was about to be resumed when Holmes, who could probably be more appropriately called the arch actor than anything else, brought out a new piece of by-play. He arose in the dock and, addressing the court, said:

   "If your honor please, I have a request to make. In consequence of the severe strain to which I have been subjected and also because of the criticism leveled against my former counsel, Messrs. Shoemaker and Rotan, I have within the past half hour sent for them and asked them to again assume charge of my defense. I should like to ask the court if it will permit this?"

   "Let them come in," said the judge.

   A moment later, the two counsellors, looking pale and worried, entered the court room, and Mr. Rotan, going up to the bar, was about to enter upon a lengthy explanation, when Judge Arnold curtly interrupted with: "No apology is necessary. Go on with the case."

   The dock, with its occupant, was then moved back to its former place and Holmes' counsel took seats at the desk.

   William Moebius, who at the time of the murder was employed as a bartender in a saloon at 1322 Callow Hill street, was called to tell of Pitezel's drinking habits. Mr. Moebius is a German with a very pronounced dialect, and so long as he was testifying, Holmes, still taking notes, wore a smile of amusement at the witness' efforts to elucidate the difference between "bints and half bints" and their respective values.

   Mrs. Adela Alcorn, a physician, who lives at 1904 North Eleventh street, was called. Holmes had been at her house from Aug. 5 to Sept. 2, 1894, under the name of Howell. He had hired rooms there. He said his wife and little sister would be there later; that they were then in Atlantic City. Holmes told her he was himself going to go there Saturday and would bring them back with him the following Monday. On the 19th a man called to see Holmes, or Howell as he was there known, and was shown to his room according to instructions. She identified Pitezel's picture as the caller. Later she saw him go out.

   John Crammer, who lives in the Eleventh-street house, corroborated the greater part of Mrs. Alcorn's testimony and added that when Holmes came back the second time he had a little girl with him.

   Witness identified Alice Pitezel's picture as that of this girl. They remained until the following Sunday, the 19th of August, and then went away.

   Mrs. Alcorn was recalled and Mr. Graham began to question her as to whether or not Holmes and Alice had occupied the same sleeping room in her house.

   To this line of examination the defense objected as irrelevant and after a whispered consultation between counsel on both sides and the court, the witness was dismissed.

   After some further unimportant evidence was heard, adjournment was taken.

A NEW WITNESS

Who Says Pitezel Told Him of Schemes With Holmes.

   CHICAGO, Oct. 30.—Wm. Collier, a carpenter, started for Philadelphia yesterday and will be a witness in the Holmes case. For some time before Pitezel  left Chicago he boarded with Collier of whom it is claimed a confident. Collier also knew Homes and says that Pitezel often told him of their schemes. He also told the police that mysterious people called as his house to see Pitezel and packages were delivered and taken away from there during all hours of the day and night. It is said Collier had been told things by Pitezel shortly before the latter left for Philadelphia that will go far to implicate Holmes in the murder.

   All the documentary evidence accumulated by Chief Badenoch and Inspector Fitzpatrick during the investigation in this city was yesterday sent by registered letter to District Attorney Graham of Philadelphia and it is believed will be used in the prosecution of Holmes.

BURNED AT THE STAKE.

Negro Pays a Fearful Penalty at Tyler, Tex., For the Outrage and Murder of a White Woman.

   TYLER, Tex., Oct. 80.—Henry Hillard, the negro who so brutally murdered Mrs. Bell, was captured three miles from Kilgore. He offered no resistance.

   Soon after the officers had him handcuffed a mob of some 200 men, heavily armed, arrived on the scene and demanded the immediate surrender of the prisoner, which was readily given.

   The mob then left for the scene of the murder. The crowd continued to gather at the scene of the horrible crime until nearly 2,000 citizens of Tyler and vicinity were there.

   A few moments before the fiend was brought to the place, a meeting was held and a committee was appointed to investigate his identity. Witnesses were summoned and closely interrogated. The result was a thorough identification.

   Hillard made a full confession, in substance as follows:

   "I was coming down the road and saw Mrs. Bell in the road. She was scared of me and I knew that if I passed her she would say that I tried to rape her, and I concluded that I would rape her and then kill her. I cut her throat and cut her in another place and left."

   He wrote a note to his wife and gave it to the sheriff. It read as follows:

   I am arrested by [Sheriff] "Wig" Smith. You know what they will do with me. If I don't see you any more, good by. HENRY.

   After his confession and thorough identification a vote was taken as to what the mode of punishment would be. It was agreed to burn him, and it was agreed that he should suffer the penalty on the public square.

   No less than 7,000 people were assembled. Large crowds of ladies and children were congregated on the awnings surrounding the public plaza.

   Wagons, carriages, trees and buildings were converted into grand stands and were thronged.

   A scaffold was erected in the center of the square. Wagons laden with kindling wood, coal oil and straw were driven to the scene and placed in position. The negro was then given an opportunity to speak, but his words were inaudible; but when he offered up his last prayer his words could be heard for several blocks.

   He was then lashed to the iron rail that extended through the platform.

   Mr. Bell, the husband of the murdered woman, applied the match and the flames shot upward, enveloping the negro in sheets of fire. He begged for mercy. It was denied, the assertion being made that he would be punished for the murder of the woman.

   It was determined to burn him at once, but the fire was quenched after the last piece of wood was burned. In a few moments the fire was started again.

   From the time the match was applied until his death was exactly 50 minutes.

   The southbound train was crowded with people from the towns north. Hundreds of negroes witnessed the execution, and representative negroes expressed their indorsement [sic] of the punishment.

   The officers were powerless and the sheriff wired the governor, but his message was too late.

   All business houses and factories closed and the big cotton belt shops were deserted.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Why Vote a Straight Republican Ticket?

   The Republicans of Cortland county ought to [have reason] enough in the important state and national questions which are at issue this year to bring every man of them to the polls, and make a straight Republican ticket the only one voted. But they have an additional motive in a state ticket made up of tried and proven public servants, upon whose records only the verdict of "well done" can be passed, and a further notice still in a county ticket than which few if any better ones have ever been presented for the suffrages of the people of any county of the state, and every man on which is well known to the people of the county.

   Neither state nor county ticket has upon it the name of any one who needs defense, apology or fulsome compliment to commend him to the unanimous support of his own party or the favorable consideration of his political opponents. None of them, either, has such overweening personal vanity or bumptiousness that he wants a newspaper calliope constantly sounding his praises or a paid retainer beating rhetorical tom-toms in his honor, and indulging in futile and ridiculous attempts to make the people who know him believe him to be about ten times as big a man as he is. The Republican nominees this year for every office which is to be filled on county, district and state tickets, thank Heaven, do not require to be tailed up by any one, and can command support on the ground of merit alone.

   A sure sign of a consciously weak candidate is that he wants some newspaper constantly bugling for him—and when the people hear the bugling, they are almost sure to inquire what crookedness the man has been guilty of to require so much noise to distract attention from it.

   The entire Republican ticket this year calls for a full, clean, straight vote from Cortland county Republicans, See to it that such a vote is given it.

EMERALD HOSE FAIR.

THE DARKTOWN FIRE BRIGADE MADE A GREAT HIT.

No End of Fun, Everybody Tired With Laughing-—Firemen as Guests—To-night's Program.

   Last night was the second of the fair held by Emerald Hose company which was attended by an immense crowd. The guests of the evening were Neptune Hose, No. 1, of Dryden, Tempest Hose, No. 3, of Homer, and Orris Hose of Cortland. Before the entertainment the Emeralds escorted the visitors to the armory, Neptune Hose of Dryden headed by the Dryden cornet band, having the right of line.

   As soon as the parade was over the rink was quickly filled and until the entertainment began, there was music by the Cortland City and Dryden bands alternately. A special feature of the music by the City band was "The Midnight Alarm," which was rendered in an exceedingly creditable manner.

   Of course the particular feature of the evening's entertainment was the presentation of "The Darktown Fire Brigade." This was one of the most amusing and entertaining performances ever given in Cortland by local talent. The vast audience was kept in one continuous roar from beginning to end. The singing and dancing introduced by the Messrs. Stephen, Lawrence and Will Dillon and John Fitzgerald was especially good.

   The fire scene in the last act was as realistic as was ever seen on an amateur stage and the work of the fire brigade in extinguishing the flames was extremely funny. The piece bristles with funny jokes and sayings and it made a great hit. The credit for the successful presentation of the piece is due to the untiring efforts of Mr. B. D. Hakes, who has had full charge of its preparation. The piece presented last night was composed and written by Mr. Hakes himself.

   After the performance dancing was engaged in until a late hour.

   The program offered this evening will consist of a strictly vaudeville entertainment introducing some of the strongest specialties that can be procured. Among the number are Sullivan and Ketchum who appear in a knock-about song and dance and Frank W. Lanigan, Cortland's favorite tenor singer; Chas. Maas in one of his famous baritone solos, Chas. Fennell an old-time clog dancer, and T. O'Connell who will sing some of the latest ballads. Billy Walsh late of Sautelle's circus, will appear in a choice bit of nonsense. John J. Hayes, who does some very clever and finished jig and reel dancing will appear. Not the least entertaining will be the appearance of the Dillon Brothers, Lawrence and Will, in a most amusing singing and dancing specialty entitled "The Rubens With the Funny Bunch of Whiskers."

BREVITIES.

   —The Normal football team goes to Whitney Point Saturday to play the team of that place.

   —Three tramps occupied the cooler last night and were ordered to leave town this morning which they did with neatness and dispatch.

   —Mrs. Almira D. White of 20 Reynolds-ave. died at 11:40 o'clock last night aged 48 years, 8 months. The funeral will be held Friday at 2 o'clock P. M.

   —Edward Sharp was arrested by Constable Robinson of Summerhill, Cayuga county, this morning on a warrant charging him with assault and battery.

   —Mr. O. D. Moore has purchased the interest of Mr. Asa Davis in the grocery firm of Harris & Davis. The new firm will be Harris & Moore. Mr. Davis will soon move to his farm in Virgil.

   —Delegates to the conference of the Young Women's Christian association which is being held in the Y. M. C. A. parlors to-day were photographed by Hyatt & Tooke at 1:30 this afternoon.

   —The jury in the case of Williams and Higgins against Thomas S. and Ransom Brooks, which was tried before Justice Dowd yesterday, rendered a verdict of $134.50 and costs in favor of the plaintiffs.

   —Officer Jackson arrested Frank Williams at Marathon yesterday on a warrant sworn out by his wife charging him with being a disorderly person and abandoning his wife. The case was settled this morning without coming to trial.

   —Chief of Police Linderman has received a card from Chief Mead of Binghamton asking him to be on the watch for the burglars who entered the store of B. T. Ash & Co., Binghamton, on Sunday morning. Two Boss hunting cases, watches, a tray of rings and a diamond and opal ring were taken. It is supposed to have been done by tramps. Jewelers and others handling such goods are notified so that they can be on their guard.

Mrs. Anne Hodges Hunter.

   The late Mrs. Anne Hodges Hunter whose demise was reported a few weeks since was so long and favorably known, both in Cortland and Homer, that her many friends will be interested in a brief review of her valuable record. A sister of the late Mrs. Timothy Rose, she accompanied the family of Mr. Rose on his removal from Windsor, N. Y., to the old farm of Mr. J. Stillman on what was then the Homer road. For several years she was a member of the M. E. church of Cortland, following her occupation of teacher in which she was one of the most successful of her time.

   Many are now living both in Homer and Cortland who were among her pupils. Of a deeply religious heart and life she carried this characteristic into every department of life, never opening the work of a school day without the scripture reading and prayer. She was often heard to say that all her success in every department of her life work had grown out of her constant reliance upon God. None knew this better than her own family.

   At the close of a long term of service in the Homer public schools she was married to the late David Hodges, becoming a mother to his two little girls in the truest sense of the word. This home which had been darkened by the death of the first mother, so long, began a new life and the devotion of each to the other through all the years that came and went was proof of a motherly service bestowed. A son, whose home has been her home for many years, and a daughter, who died many years ago, were aided to the family.

   Mr. Hodges passed away over twenty years ago leaving his widow alone. Some years later she was married to S. R. Hunter, who was stricken with fever, and died about three months after. Mrs. Hunter then settled down in the home of her son at Port Watson and from that time she was a member of his family.

   Several years since a partial paralysis seized upon her. A fall resulted in a broken hip and from that time she was confined to her room, the family looking after all her needs. The best room was hers—one overlooking meadow and river—and her last years were spent with her books, chief of which was her Bible, always having a warm greeting for all who looked in upon her.

   Her last months were full of suffering and she waited for the Master as one looketh for a friend. No one was forgotten. The absent daughters, the old-time friends and the family of which she was so important a member were constantly ministering to her wants.

   These sunny autumn days shine upon a sacred resting place but the mother is safe at home. ***