motion."

The year 1895 opened to find the much enduring Holmes still a prisoner
in Philadelphia. The authorities seemed in no haste to indict him for
fraud; their interest was concentrated rather in endeavouring to find
the whereabouts of Miss Williams and her children, and of one Edward
Hatch, whom Holmes had described as helping him in arranging for
their departure. The "great humiliation" of being a prisoner was very
distressing to Holmes.

"I only know the sky has lost its blue,
The days are weary and the night is drear."

These struck him as two beautiful lines very appropriate to his
situation. He made a New Year's resolve to give up meat during his close
confinement. The visits of his third wife brought him some comfort. He
was "agreeably surprised" to find that, as an unconvicted prisoner, he
could order in his own meals and receive newspapers and periodicals. But
he was hurt at an unfriendly suggestion on the part of the authorities
that Pitezel had not died by his own hand, and that Edward Hatch was but
a figment of his rich imagination. He would like to have been released
on bail, but in the same unfriendly spirit was informed that, if he
were, he would be detained on a charge of murder. And so the months
dragged on. Holmes, studious, patient, injured, the authorities puzzled,
suspicions, baffled--still no news of Miss Williams or the three
children. It was not until June 3 that Holmes was put on his trial for
fraud, and the following day pleaded guilty. Sentence was postponed.

The same day Holmes was sent for to the office of the District Attorney,
who thus addressed him: "It is strongly suspected, Holmes, that you have
not only murdered Pitezel, but that you have killed the children. The
best way to remove this suspicion is to produce the children at once.
Now, where are they?" Unfriendly as was this approach, Holmes met it
calmly, reiterated his previous statement that the children had gone
with Miss Williams to England, and gave her address in London, 80 Veder
or Vadar Street, where, he said, Miss Williams had opened a massage
establishment. He offered to draw up and insert a cipher advertisement
in the New York Herald, by means of which, he said, Miss Williams and he
had agreed to communicate, and almost tearfully he added, "Why should I
kill innocent children?"

Asked to give the name of any person who had seen Miss Williams and the
children in the course of their journeyings in America