The New Orleans crescent., 1868-06-28
tn. Last na..aehu.e,t. norr.r.
MURDER COMMITTED AND CONFESSED BY cHuRcH
DEACON.



Holmes, perpetrated in the town Of Kingston Oh
the night of May 26. The two cases have re
semblance in common with the character of the
parties, and still more 10 the circumstantisty o
the evidence fixing the guilt upon the accused
Andrews has confessed his guilt. after denial had
become vain, and sets up the preposterOus plea
OF having acted in self defense. The deceased
(Holmesj was found on the following morning IN
q grove Of pines, his head battered and crushed il
the most horrible manner, as if the ruthless mur
derer had lifted heavy stone in both hands snd
repeatedly brought 1t down on the skull Of his
victim with all the violence of which he was ca
psble. 1t wss as il q man had been killing q rat
tesnake, and, TO make sure, had stoned IT'S head
until it was thoroughly mashed into the earth.
-Four places where the ground was stained with
blood showed the scenes OF suggestive stages OF
the crime. The murdered man, though not OF
wholly strong mind, was physically powerful and
evidently made desperate struggle for his Life.
Struck from behind, and stunned at first, 1t may
be be YVES afterwards stoned TO death.
at first no one could be suspected. The neigh
bors all knew each other, and not Que bore
character calculated TO excite even the fsntes'
suspicion. The murdered man had been seen a.
tie house OF Samuel Andrews, friend, and
deacon 10 the Congregational Church, man who
WAS without repTOaUh in the community. IL
could pot be that he bad followed from mis- own
door bis own friend and brntaily stoned him 10
death. y ct on him suspicion soon fixed. aud
Touud him circumstances have woven a network
OF evidence from which be seems unlikely to
eEc8pe. Some operatives had seen him 60 10 the
direction OF the Tlyer with a bundle. and return
without it. BY Singular chance owing to ths
high water in the river, the locsened contents Of
the bundle, thTOgn into the water to be carried
into deep ocean, were caught and held by over
hanging willow branches until they were found
aDG secured They proved to be shreds of cloth
ing covered with blood, and out of them was
made, without difficulty, nearly complete coat.
pair OF rubbers was also found, with pine nee
dies sticking 20 them. When these facts were
r.. - g. lsrlaa lel.a
on the evening Of the murder, although he had
appointed a religious meeting at his own house,
was inexplicably absent. His explanation was
that be was at work in his ga rden. BloOd was
found on his vest. He said he had been killing
chickens. Micr0scopical and chemical examina
ton proved that it was human blood with which
be was stained. Then some ladies recalled that
tley bad met and spoken with him in the even
ing, and that he held with his hands to fence
rail while he stood with them. UDon examining
this rail it was found to bear blood marks as iii
had been grasped by blood stained hands. Even
the wife of Andrews remembered that he was
restless and nervous during the night after the
mnIder. A hatchet belonging to him was missing.
Whit was the motive of the cTmel The mur-
dered man. Cornelius Holmes. brother OF
Alexander Holmes, the richest man in the town.
worth some thirty five thous4 and dollars and
had made will in which be gave twelve thou.
SAND dOllsrs TO Andrews. without any apparent
reason. This will was carried to be registered by
Andrews himself, the day after the murder
Holmes was in the habit of carrying his money
oD he person, and $500 was found 10 the pockets
Of the corpse. Andrews says that he mnst have
had $500 at least; but this assertion became a
OF suspicion its object being 10 convey the
idea Of murder for the sake Of robbery. Andrews
steadily denied his guilt. Then his friends gave
out the theory of insanity. Now a confession
and plea of self.defense is sent in to the grand
jury, who very properly decided to reject it. II
the guilty man will be tried and convicted this
plea OF self defense viii be unavailiDg with the
public, or jurors, or courts ADdrewss defense
is a horrible relation of unnatural passion and
fienzy. He says he was decoyed to the cemetery
by BOlmes, there assaulted By Holmes. who ia
frenzy Of madness and lust knocked him down
near the cemetery. because be (Andrews) refused
to 60 into the woods with him. terrible scene
then followed. during which Holmes attempted
by force TO commit an act which shall be name
less. He had before displayed the same passion,
and made the like attempt and had been forgiven.
Holmes had given $40 COO in his will to Andrews
for what motive no one knows Andrews, too,
wrote note inviting Holmes TO the Interview.
The attorney for the government has no conf.
dence in the truth ot the prisoners story, and
the public dscTedits it. Here is tue material part
Of the confession:
He asked me to walk with aim down to the cem-
etery 10 see some new lots. We passed Olt by
the back end Of my lot and by Me-. Bradford's
ard ifr. McLaughlin's lots, a1d by the path thai
leads to the stile into the cemetery. We looked a.
Mr.. Thomas Princes, and some other quarter lots
anu W TUE etilt huu SIT iOH0 OQ EpN
steps for few minutes; he then told me ne was
going 10 buy him in Boston two haJs-l tea dol
lar silk hat and an every day hat, and then asked
me sgein what he should buy me In Boston. ]
told him to suit himself. He then asked me to
walk little wsys with him | told him was tired
and thought we hed better 20 home.
We then started; he took me BY the arm and
drew me down the road on which his body was
found; he stepped up on the bank on the lef'
hand side Of the road where his hat was found
among the trees aexfd m "a in
| told him should not; Se again asked me to come
in there; told him, - shall not" He then came
out from among the trees, looking like madman
caught hold OF me and threw me down;
and treated me very roughly. ] eaughi
up stone that was near my right hand. aud
struck him with it on the side of hishead. He
caught me By the beard, and then by Che hair. J
think we fell once or twice. felt must kill him
TO save myself, but cannot remember all the cir.
cUusts bat that I afterwards threw two
stones on bis head; then ran over the stile to the
cemetery pond, and washed the blood from my
face and hands. Several times he had attempted
something OF this sort before once when he was
living az his fathers house he came to nv house
o.e stormy night and stayed all night. ! told this
occurrence, about that time, to l.. Wilson Barnes
now Of Atticboro'. He (Holmes) has always
been SO sorry for this transaction | had forgiven
him.
then went home the same way I came. and
VIXEN in my garden | rseoect seeing Mr.. Wor-
neil F.; l think he was going into the side door
waited round the house until some ladies', who
were at the house on committee meeting were
leaving. When they were going out Of the east
gate was standing near the west gate and spoke
to them. | cannot remember all said to them
but remember saying had been planting some
potatoes, aud one Of the ladies Mrs. JOnes-said
she should think would not need an umbrella
and lantern. After they had gone home went
into the kitchen aud washed myself, aud then
went back, took the coat and shirt and buried
them down in the cellar rubhiah. l then went up
into Mr. Warmell's room. l took up one Of his
bat did not read it, BE read 20 me
q poem he bad before him. stayed there un-il
Mrs. Peekham, who was giving ether to my wife.
was ready to 60 home, and then went down and
went home with her. / then returned home
took my alsrm.clock up into my room, and pre-
psred.to 60 to bed.
"Agate" writes TO the Cincinnati Gazette as
h.