Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-28

The witnesses subp0nasd in the case
were then swern, and the investigation en-
tered upon.
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT CRAWFORD.
Robert CrGVford called Am twenty
eight years old, and have lived in the town
ship Of 0lmstsd since November last. Knew
Rosa Colvin. VIM. Colvin came to me to
get work three or four months ago. Did
not know Joseph Miller. On Saturday, the
oath, I saw Mrs. Colvin pass by my stable
all dressed up, about sight o'clock, going to
0lmsted; last / saw Of her. On Sunday
morning at nine o'clock, when I was pass
ing by Colvin's shanty to go to my stable
fifty reds east of the same, Colvin came out,
half dressed, having on only 6 shirt, pants,
boots and hat He said, "Boys, did you see
anything belonging to me Rround7" "No,"
| said, "only your woman l saw yesterday
morning, going towards 0lmsted, all dressed
up" He said, .'She has skedaddled with
that Canadian, Mcconnell" He was the
man who boarded with Mr.. Colvin. Boys"
said he, "come in and Fu tell you all about
it." We went in. He told this story, that
when he was near olmsted, on the railroad
track, he turned and saw his wife. He
asked her where she was going? She said,
to Berea. He told her to go home. "Why
should you go there1" I asked. "Alex.
has gone back; go home" She returned,
and he considered that they had gone of
together. told him 1 thought it a good
Joke, and laughed, and said, "Perhaps 1t
was good for YOU" He said this fellow bad
taken away some of his (Colvin's) things
boots, overcoat, &c. At that instant | saw
blood on the partition between the
two rooms. l asked him how that
blood came there, when Miller
Jumped up and said that Mcconnell had cut
his hand il trying to get out of the window
to escape from them, with the stolen things.
| then saw streams of blood on the floor,
which made me think murder had been
committed. I said, "There has been more
than a hand cut here; this mans (Colvin's)
wife has been murdered" l was alarmed
and started away-alarmed for my W
safety. 1 and my brother james ven to
the stable. As we were going Colvin said,
" Boys, stop on your way back" told my
brother we must give the alarm and hold
those men till the constable should come.
We got hSp, seized the shanty and told the
men (Colvin and Miller that they would be
held till the constable came. We went in
and I told the men to seize the axes and not
let Colvin and Miller escape. l charged
them with the murder. COlvin raised his
hand to his head, and said, "My God, my
God! what shall we do?' He got consider
ably excited. Colvin was laying the blame
of the murder on Mcconnell.
We made a little search of the house /;
thought we smelt something like a corpse
on one side of the house, near a cupboard,
close to the partition at the west end Of the
room. When / went near it, Colvin would
say, "she is not there, she is put into the
well or hid in the woods" ! told him he
should nave informed US of this matter, that
any one with proper eyesight would have
seen that blood. He said, he had nc light
all the night through. l am positive of
this. had seen a light there a few min
utes after nine o'clock Saturday night, as
much as a common lamp or candle would
show. l was passing home at the time close
by the shanty. When we went to the sta
bic there was no light that was about eight
o'clock. We thought strange that Mrs.
Colvin had not lighted a lamp. asked
him why he hadn't reported the case Sun
day morning. He replied, that they got up
late. Don't remember any other answer.
But Miller said he wanted Colyin to come
to our house, the night before, and report
the fact that the woman was gone, the house
torn up, and, l think he added, that things
were missing. But Colvin said he would
not. Colvin had said TO me that his trunk
YVES broken open, and he supposed that
the money which was in it, his wife and
Mcconnell had taken. Don't know that he
stated the amount or value Of the property
taken:
The constable came in and arrested VIM.
Colvin and Joseph Miller, and they were
taken to the Falls.
Cross denomination: came to 0lmsted
in October last, to the place where 1 now
live. Am cutting wood by the job, and
Colvin commenced work for me shortly at
ter l came and worked for me or my father
until within a few days past. He worked
last for father, my brothers and l having
dismissed him for laziness. We had some
hard feeling. Miller said to my father and
me, Sunday morning, that he and Colvin
had been up nearly all night. Colvin was
getting breakfast, had some ~victusls on the
table, and invited Miller to eat, but he re-
fused, and said that he would rather have
given 81, 00O than some to that house. This
was after the discovery of and talk about
the blood. Saw Mcconnell about nine
o'clock Saturday morning. He said LIE had
started for Olmsted with Bill, but his knee
panied him and he returned. He was 60
ing to Berea to get lighter employment !;
was too poorly to chop wood. He had
nothing in his hands. I never saw him
again.
Direct examination resumed: Colvin and
his wife did not live pleasantly together,
but fought often.
TESTIMONY OF JAMES CRAWFORD.
james CRAWFORD called: I am twenty-five
years old. Live in 0lmsted. Know the
prisoner Colvin. Was with Robert Craw-
ford when he went into Colvin's shanty.
Colvin came out and said, "Helloa, JIM"
l said, ais that you, Bill " " Yes, how are
your" He asked if l had seen his little
woman? I said "no." He said q" she and
the little Canadian lave gone of. Did not
see them last night" He said, Boys,
l want you to come in q minute till you
look around here" Went in. Saw Miller
there was surprised to see him. Never
saw him before. Colvin said, "LOok at that
partition see how the wall is broken" I
then saw blood all through the house where
ever I looked any one could have seen it.
I asked, what put this blood here?"
Miller jumped up and said, "a man who
had taken Bill Colvin's pants and coat, in
coming through the window cut his hand on
the glass and so got the blood through the
house" Bill Colvin went with me into the
south room and said, " See how much blood
is on the wall" I said, "See that blood on
the floor; that has been mopped of; no
hand cut with glass could have made SO
much blood as that" Went through the
house, and wheI near the stove in the north
room said, " Bill Colvin, there is the mark
offs persons head on the wal. in two places"
Don't remember what he said. l said, You
should have found that out sooner and let
the neighboFs know it." He said, eve
home last night and talked almost all
night by the FIRE. They did not observe my
thing, except Joe who noticed q board lying
between the partition wall and the stove in
the front room. "They said Miller had
partly whitfield up that board for kindlings
with which to build the fire. 1t was all
blood where they had whitfield. Miller
said they did not observe it. l said, "Bill
I believe your wife is murdered"
Miller jumped up, went to the door, follow
ed by my brother and 1. Colvin told us to
call when we came back.
Cross examination: We went to the stable
after eight o'clock Saturday night. Was
showing when we came back. We got two
Of the Eglers and six other men to 90 with
US to the shanty, Sunday morning, and sent
man for the constable. Searched
the house all through. Colvin went about
his hair and exclaiming, "Oh God, |
Oh God how l tremble" In answer to
my inquiry why he did not bestir himself |
Saturday night when he learned of the
absence of his wife, he said he thought that
she had gone to Berea, and that was the
he had not given the alarm as Miller
wanted him to do.
TESTIMONY OF Mr.. EGLER.
Michael Egler called: l am q years old;
i've in this township; have seen the prison
rs; was at the shanty on Sunday morning;
he Crawford boys asked me TO go over to
lelp keep colvin and Miller until the