Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-07-15

! holes through IL. torn in several places, much
worn, and with several pins sticking in IL. was
| here shown witness THE hat Is the same hat but
! looks older as though il had been handled
roughly. The hat was left with Esq. Reed. 1t
was shot at during the inquest we tired several
shots at It. Ii vaa at A heeds- Think that
| boy. This was after we had bean on the ground.
Vas but one hole in the hat before We com
menced firing. One shot was hfed a. about three
4 feet, the smoOtheEt one We cut First shot We
/ made vas about Is inches. 1t Was rough. Hat
was on a hickory stick. not very sound one.
| ket.5ed good deal Of powder about hat after
shot at Is inches or two teet- At longer range
no impression Of powder was made; at three
feet no scOrehing or impression Of powder was
shown. Have made no experiments since then;
We used Mr. Holeomb's RIA, and the balls used
/ body was found, They were picked mp near .
| large tree, between little pool Of blood and
the tree, about two feet from the blood toward
the tree, east from :hs tree. picked up some
the leaves not much. Noticed logon the ground,
about six inches through. and six feet lons.well
rotted. Was another stick across it-sppeared
| above the ground. Imsastred. and the small
end Of the stick was about II or IA inches from
| the ground. 1t appeared NOT 10 have been there
long; it was not imbedded IN the iesVes or
ground. Noticed white oak tree about three
/ feet through. Noticed oths trees but could no {
1 give distances Saw the brush fence. Some
brush had been cut lately, fenee was between
1 lAE sawyer lana luhA VI LoAos
Fence for several 70 ds mostly brush Had been
quite q lot Of brush thrown on some time before;
the leaves had vilted. saw two thorn bushes
ana an iren wood that had peen lateiy cur and
thrown on. perhaps from three 70 i've. They
were cut with dull az. They could nave been
cut and thrown on in I've or ten minutes. This
examination was when the Jury was down tnere
the next day. We looked along thai tenoe ten
or 1fteen rods both Ways, down as fA- as the
creek. and above where the body was found.
Saw Sawyer the night Of Hoicomb,s death at
his house. Esq Reed and chester Reed were
there Didn't see that Sawyer did very much
Was round when We were. Was near BY when l
talked to Chester Reed aAd 70 A heed about
having DR. Allen Jones come and examine the
head. Talked eonfdentitliy. and when got
through saw that Sawyer had been listening.
SsWyefstated at the coroneras inquest how the
accident happened. Said he Wentdoun to lower
part Of bis farm to his feacei AIR Sawyer came
there about half an hour Holeomb made four
or i've shots before Sawyer saw him. and had
shot one squirrel be bad not been with Mr IL.
but they talked across the fence; vas busy q
his work; Holcomb had been there ten or IF
teen minutes when this happened; he saw him
draw up his gun to take sEht and then looked
up. and then set his gun down as men ordinari,
os sst guns dov a. E,snts,as t nIt5 noItioo 9so1
towards gun. head turned up. looking up, Step
ping around Said he stood facing northwest.
Alter he set gun down and vas looking around
gun went of he heard feport. saw him tall.
went 70 him. raised him up, saw he was dead.
strsightsued him out and put hat on his face.
and1 think he said be picked up gun and SET i
BY tree Question as asked him By pr hnlgnt
il there was anything there 70 toueh gun on:
De said no there was chunk but It was not
large euouKh IL must hsVe been dene by set
ting II on the ground. ThisWas at Mr. Holconbs
comb fell from his gun with head 70 the south.
1 attended burial. Body was buried in buryins
ground. i-oi1rl-
oRoss KxAuISATios.
Have been somewhat mixed up with Mr. Hs.
family. Have never aimed 20 take sides. Had
some difficulty with Mrs Holeomb, She has
charged me with talking about her 9 good deal.
Has commsnced . SANDER suit against me for
rested for assault ana bSttsry. sawyer and I
are on good terms so far as know. / was oD
the eceIoner'sjury. the frst one. E. Reed act
ed IS Coroner. Sawyer was witness. The seq
ond examination and Coroner's inquest was af-
terthe assault and battery suitspoken Of. Moth
ing was legally done in regard 10 investigating
the manner Of Holcomb's dea Il affer the trst
alter the assault and battery and slander suits
was commenced. The body WAS taken up and
second inquest held about . mcnth afterl
the assault and battery and SANDER suits NEs
commenced. The second inquest was the last OF |
March, Have spoken to Others since about |
commencing this prosecution. signed therezi
p ort sfthe nrSt Coroner,s jury. Tank hayn' 9
iestihed 70 anything here that didn't know OF
case Of accidental shooting at ue time, but
when saw the stick and the Gmsoth hole IN /
the hat, Thoughts i good tSng 60 ease on and
sign the verdict. L thoughtShel II ought TO be
inv est gated. Don't know that had more TO
do with tnis Investigation than others did. i
would have done all that have done if Mrs II
hsa not sued me- Have spoken 9TH the Pros;
with hun two or three times. Haze not been to
has once Hore than twice thatl reeolleet Of.
Have felt and manifested some interest in the
Ion 81 eraa Tauf0 Il
day. Have consulted with ESQ Reed about this
matter. Did not say TO Mr. Hevering at his
house thatI thought Mr. HolcomA shet himself
might have said that at first thought Sawyer
guilty, but on second II ought wouldn't believe
It. On day OF tpnsral. l.AtHelveriRr's house did
not say that Holcomb shot him ielf. was. at
Holcom6s house that day, but ke was not at
home.
lHat again shown to witness.) The clearness
o. cut ana that il passed through lining enables
me 70 tell which hole was in the hat when It
was found. l noticed that the hole vas more
cut below than on the upper side. Don't know
what the pins are in the hat for. Didn't see
any pins in hat at first Coroner's inquest. nor
until second inquest in Msrch,. when saw but
ones Could smell no powder on hat at first in !
quest. The hrst inquest was commenced the
evening Of the occurrence. The second shot
We made at hat next day tore a hole and left .
dent OF the patch on the hat. Had shot some N
former years, Never before saw patch tear
as the one did in this hat. At three ;eet from
hat ball made clean cut: at tWofeet. and
from IS to IS inches il blew powder OF the hat
and tore the hat. We inquired Of sawyer if
thought he did. as it sounded we'll. We put in
charger fall ofpoEder. should think v, put In
a good sized charge. At the brush ence we
ound quite q number Of bushes that hoked as
though they had been cut a number # days.
fhe leaves had Wilted. Have no means q know
ing how many old brush Mr. Sawyer had rather
ed up and put on the fence, This fence ia often
" Washed away BY the creek We're bushes In
skae II m aaar 4
brush that had been cut that spring than old
brush. Cannot say as TO sny except the brush
that appeared fresh. Did not examine the fence ,
Iar wesi Of whore the body was found. about op-
pOsite, should think. s-.-..
Cantsay how often have mentioned over the
testimony Of Sawyer before coroner'sjury. Not
of en-. Can't Esy how often have tod it to Mr.
Stull-thInk not more than once. but nay have. l
Sawyer said he went down TO his work about !
o clock. He didn't say he sat down on a log
Or shots. There is more probability Of my re- Z
the hour correctly. than the num-
er OF shots. Said Holcomb had shotOne squir- ;
.el. and that he had shot four or i've shots. and
hat b c and Holc0mb talked. they bting about !
en- rods apart. think Sawyer said At Inquest c
.hat he put the gun against the tree. = don't g
know as matter OF fact that some one else put !
the gun against the tree. First mentioned this a
matter to Mr.. stull the last Of August or first of
September. That was the only tina until last
evening at his office. Mr.. Stull thenspoks to me v
on the NlreeLt anu Il went 10 us OUlc.
Edialgad A. Reed.-Resids at Venom where
have lived 80 years. Knew Mr.. Hsleomb and
Know Sawyer. SaWyers family. in May, 1867, a
Onsisted Of himself wife daughter, and adopted Q
,art OF the day. Saw Sawyer that day. Saw L
lin going south on the center road about noon '
Jaw him next coming through maRocks, bar
ard. between and three o'clock. As near as r
can Tecoilect. he spoke to me saying "Mr. q
Ioleomb has shot himself. and wish you to 20 b
nd tell the family. Am not positive that / l
sked him how It occurred went over to Mr.. d
iolcomb's to notify them, and found old Mr.. 81
hen have any conversation with Sawyer about a
death. Think asked him how it b
occurred. and l think he said '-aecidently." y
ext conversation was when came back from n
ioleomb's. asked him how it occurred at Mr.. q
dattocks'; At the corners, neighbor's had be- Z
-un to gather In. Sawyer related the eireum- d
tanees at that line. said ne went to Mr.. Hol- d
omb's TO get some work thar Holcomb had 8,
zen doing for him and Holcomb spoke of 60
ng hunting that afternoon; said he thought b
4 going into Mr.. Bates, woods told him i'd D
cen squirresl In Beaches land. and if he'd Il
ONE down he could get some. Sawyer went il
own there 10 work and when he'd been there oi
ali an hour Holeomb came down. and he shot Il
bur or i've shots u think he said and he put n
is gun up to his face in the act Of shoet-
ing again. and he took the gun down asif what o.
. was looking at had moved. and he took the
IN down suddenly and set II at his right side a.
nd took hold OF the gun near the muzzle with ol
IS right hand, and stood leaning near the tree fr
nd he lSaWyerl heard the gun go OF. and saw pl
i'm fall, and ran up to him. called him By name Il
nd raised him up, found ne was dead and laid II
i'm down. This was said AZ the corners. We Il
len, quite a number Of us,.uent into the woods
nd brought the body up. / took my wagon. | "
armer, was the first one 70 the body. We 10
ade some little search for the squirrel. but il ~
asn't found. Sawyer didn't point any particu- n
? LEGALITY where the gun was pointed. Body te
y with feet to n W. and head TO s. L. Ground pI
as level. Were Standing trees. The white sa
X tree near the body was nearly four feet ID
rough. s. of W. there is another oak nearly So
large. Have no distinct treeolleetiOn Of look 81