Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-07-15
TRIAL OF
JAMES @. SAWYER,
FOR THE HukDER OF
WILLIAM HOLCOMB
Before Court of Common Pleas,
JUDGE FUTILE, PRE3D DING.
TCOutinu.d from first parsI

IContinusd from first page.l
Jacob ~S,0arz-Live in Vernon. Was
at place when body was found and
brought up. GARNER got to body first,
myself next. l first saw body, then
went round by feet to other side. Saw
gun lying down before me. Didn't take
particular notice of it. 1t was lying
across stick. Not a large stick. II lay
up off the ground by support of small
tree, iron wood | think. Couldn't tell
direction from body. L didn't look
much at body. Was u~npleSssntly sf,
fected by the sight and walked away
when examined.
RoS EXAMINATION.
There was a stick lying near body,
east and west, Saw other sticks lying
round. Didn't take no great particular
notice at the time. Should think there
was a stick lying cross the other.
Think it was after that lying x the
north, the but of il. Far ssI mind oil
seeing il, il laid in that shape the day
we found the body. When | saw it a
short time after, the smsll end lay above
the grounds and l think it was substsn-
tally 80 that day though was 30 much
affected by seeing the body, that l did
not pay much attention. Heard Saw.
yer say that day down there, that he
was at work south esst on the fence,
and saw Holcomb looking up into a
tree, had the gun up sighting il, took
it down by his side, and was looking
up in the tree. Sawyer said he took
his eye off to where he was working f;
heard the report Of the CUR, looked up
and didn't see him. and the thought
struck him that the'gun had gone off,
or something, and he went up TO him.
spoke to him, took him up, saw he was
dead, and Strengthened him out on the
ground. Don't. remember he said
he saw him fall. Heard him say he
put hat on face. Was on ground Sun.
day after the occurrence. Saw stick "
ing across other stick as on that day.
Wm. GiHmer-LiVe in Warren. Am
Deputy Sheriff. THE gun shown to
witness. Have seen the gun fred at
hat by Mr. n B Tyler. First shot was at
one foot second at 1S inches /; third
at two feet; fourth st three feet. First
shot made a hole in hat about size of
barrel of gun, large place burned about
it. Second hole not quite SO large, but
was burned about it, and patch stuck
partly in hole. Third hole was still
smaller, and not burned as much about
it. Fourth hole was not much larger
than ball, and 1 noticed q few marks of
powder around the hole.
Saw Sawyer the 14thof o ctober last,
Mrs Holcomb's, in Vernon. He WIS
supper. Saw him two days after
at same place, leaning against wall.
Went to serve some papers on him first
time, second time arrested him. Sawyer
came with me to Warren in 8 buggy.
| asked him about the death OF Mr.
Hoicomb. Said he had been yer about
noon at Holcomb's shop, and told Mr.
Holcomb there we're squirrels inBeech's
woods, four young ones. He went home,
took his ak and went down. to fix the
fence. Holcomb came down with his
gun and they sat on a log and talked
| think he said Holcomb had
fer squirrels and complained of
being tired,an not well, said he would
20 home and come again another day.
Started, got of about ten rods from
he saw him have his gun up.
sighting up ina tree; kept it up about
minute or so, took it down, run the
breech of the gun down to his right
side and kept his head turned to m side
looking up in the tree in the direction
be was looking when he WAS sighting ;
just as he ran the breech on the ground
the u went off and Holcomb fell. He
ran to him, picked him up,spoke to him.
| think he said he found ne was dead,
and then ran up 10 Mr. Reeds. l was
recently on the ground where it is sup
posed Mr. Holcomb was killed. Saw two
logs, one nesr the brush fence near
brush was cut. one northwest of
where the body was found, and one
Were old logs.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
The arrest nf Sawyer was for disobe-
.ience of an injunction from the Pro-
bate Court in a civil suit. Understood
he was taking meals at Mr. Holcomb's
at time of arrest. Mrs Holcomb, old
Mr. Holcomb and some children we're
there. 1t was in the evening.
AHdreO BigginS-Liye in Vernon,
east part, on road leading from Orange
vile 70 Kinsmsn, a little north of east
and west center road. Is about a mile
and q quarter from our house'to center
of Vernon. Know Mr. Sawyer and Mrs
Holcomb by sight and have spoken to
both of them. Saw them out riding to-
LAST fall. 1t was in the morning.
Saw him alone FIRST, q little south of
the corners east of the center of Yer
non, south of our house. He was COM
ing north in two horse buggy. Came to
corners and turned west. Saw him
driving back in a few minutes from the
west, with Mrs Holcomb in the buggy.
They turned north at the corners and
went up by our house. was standing
by the barn. Saw them in the evening
passing south by our house. Watched
them to the n Then she got out
and went west. and he rode on South.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
Do not recollect that Sawyer had a
vendue about that time. Recollect he
had . vendue. From the just
south of our house the road going north
leads to Kinsman, east to Greenviile,
south to 0rangeVille, and west TO Yer
non center. In morning when first saw
Sawyer, Twas by the barn, about 3
rods from corner / wasn't doing any
thing but looking round. Saw a man
whom l took to be Sawyer. Had seen
him before a number of times. Was
about the barn while he was gone west,
walkingaround. Merely looking around.
Looking to see if the wagons wanted
greasing. Didn't go for that purpose.
Walked around without any object.
Think it was nearly ten minutes he
vas gone west. Open buggy. Can't tell
which side Mrs Holcomb was on, nor
what color her clothes we're, nor Wheth-
er she had on bonnet or hat They
passed from 80 to 40 feet from nae. It
was before shutdown they came back.
Can't tell which side of buggy she was
sitting. Can't fix the date. Told this
first to ESQ Reed. He asked me what /
knew of SaWyer's affair. This was a
year ago last fall. Think Mr. Holcomb
was living at the time.
Thomas BiggiaS.-Live in Vernon one
and one quarter miles east of center,
aud a little south Of corners. Am faith
er of last witness. Have seen Sawyer
occasionally and Mrs Holcomb occa-
sionally. Saw them a year ago last fall
to the best of my knowledge. l saw him
come to corners from the west in bug