The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-07-01
The Killing Of COFn9H6s ! H

The Killing Of COrnshaf Holmes
DEACON ANDREWS CoNFEssEs THE
- HOMICIDE, AND ALLEGES THAT 1T
WAssDoHEIlNSELF DEFENsE.
MIR Cornelius Holmts, brother of
Mr., Alexander. Holmes. formerly
President of the'oId, Colony Raill Dad,
was found murdered at about Z o'clock
on he morning of the, 9th of May
last, in a. bye-road near the back en-
trance to the,cemetery, in the town of
Kingston, adjoining plymouth, Alaa7,
His, brains had been beaten out with,
astone! The report which came; Dy
telegraph represented that at s O'Clock
on the evening of the Goth, while
Holmes was at Deacon Samuel. An,
drews' house, a boy delivered a note
TO him, upon which he remarked that
he must be going. He started by the
path across the cemetery for the Slo-
ny Brook neighborhood, at the depot.
MIR. Holmes was wealthy man, but
not being efa strong mind, his prop
known that he received a large sum
of money on the 26th, which was
found upon him. The scene Of the
murder bore evidence of a violent
struggle. For while no arrest WAS
made, but at length suspicion fell. on
Deacon Andrews, at whose house and
in whose company the-deceased gen.
tleman was last seen, and hG was, on
the Sd of June, taken into custody
The community of Plymouth and
Kingston, among whom the Deacon
bore a high reputation, was shocked
by his arrest, and the general impres-
sion was that the suspicious of. his
guilt were not only unfounded, but
cruel. Deacon Andrews waived a pre-
| liminary examination, and on the 9th
of June aVoWed his determination to
make Il confession of all he knew to
the Grand Jury. The confession was
made on the 18th inst, and w2squali-
fed by the claim that the killing was
done in self-defence. The confession,
/ it is UNDERSTOOD, was rejected by 7he
Grand Jury, and is now made public
by the consent of Deacon Andrews
counsel. In it the Deacon details his
interview with Mr., Holmes two days
prior to the tragedy, and on theleveu.
ing of the homicide, showing that he
and Mr.. Holmes were on terms of in
timacy and friendship. After desert
bing their last intervIew, which took
place at about O'Clock, p. M, on
Tuesday, May 26th, when Holmes
found the Deacon at work in his gar
den, Andrews says ..-
He once asked me TO walk with hinl
fdown to the new cemetery to see some
new lots. We passed out by the back
end of my lot, by Mr.. Bedford's and
Mr.: McLaughlin's lots, and by the
path that leads to the stile into the
cemetery. We looked al Mr.. Thoma:
Princes and some other lots, and theI
returned to the stiIe, and sat down OF
the steps few minutes, and he theI
told me he was going to buy him, il
Boston, two hats-a $40 silk, and al
!. everyday hat, and asked my advic
Is to buying an everyday coat, ant
then again. asked me what he shOulC
buy me in Boston. I told him to sui
! himself. He then asked me TO wall
= little way with him. told him.
was tired, and thought we had bette
go home. We then started. He too
: me by the arm and drew me dow
| the road on which. his body we
:, found. He stepped upon the banl
: on the left hand side of the road wheI
t his hat was found among the tree
and asked me 10 come in there. tol
3 him I should not. He again aske
me to come in there. l told him
J, should not. He then came out froI
among the trees looking like Il mao
man. Caught hold of me and thre'
/. me down, pulled my pantalOons Ope
q and got on top of me, and treated n
; very roughly. i caught up stor
that was near my hand and hit hi
with it on the side of the head. l.
caught me by the beard, then by IL
j.. hair think he fell once or twice
1 felt that 1 must kill him to say
u myself, but L cannot remember, a
the circumstances, but that L thre
7. two stones at his head, then ran ov'
}. the stile to the cemetery pond, ar
:. washed the blood from my face ar
hands. Several times he attempIt
something ofthis sort before. On
l while he was living at his father
house, he came To my house one sto
my night and staid all night, whe
he undertook the same thing. L tol
of this occurrence about that time
l.. Wilson Barnes, now of AttleborC
l. he Cornelius Holmesl had alwa.
been so sorry about that transactiC
that had forgiven him."
The above embraces all that "A
+ drews says directly about tlieIraged
Opinions upon its credipility are Y
= rious, but the Deacon's friends fe
r relieved, and seem. to gather q lit
hope as certain circumstances tend
corroborate the Deacon's STORY. II
trial of Andrews will not take pla
before November. 1t is understo
: the Ora fury found an indictule
7. for wilful murder. -fs..
- e - -,-L5.&
THIS paying the national de
seems to be rather slow business. T
total debt on the first day CT Jur
/ | 1875. hicla. ryvaS after fhe close nf Z