Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-07-15
Che M.g. GhruuitIe.
TRIAL OF
JAMES @. SAWYER,
FOR THE MURDER OF
WILLIAM HoLCoMB
Before Court Of Common Pleas,
JUDGE FUFTLE, PRESIDING.
r,rposr CONTINUED YRox LAST WEEK.

| 1KEPoRT CONTINUED FRoN LAST WEEK.
Tuesday MORNING. July 7th.-At opening Of
Court a cloud of witnesses were in attendance.
mostly from Vernon, and that vicinity. The
arrsy of spectators was not large. there being
] apparently but few besides wi theses present.
The defendant SAWYER is a man apparently
about forty-fve years Of age. ofmedium height.
somewhat stoeky in fern, with dark hair and
blue eyes. He appears well dressed. and his
manner in the Court room is good He gives
close attention to ths procsedinEs. but does not
seem in the least fnrTied or disconnected.
MRs HoLcoNI. the widow of the deceased,ap-
peared in Court accent panied by several 9TH
er ladies and two of her brothers. Messrs
RBKR and B. ?. WRIGzT. She is lady Of from
thirty-two to thirty-fye years of age. dressed IN
black. quite good looking, of pleasing manners
and prepossessing eountenAnee. The father.
and sister Of the deceased were also present.
The examination Of witnesses was conducted
by Mr.. StuII for the State. and the cross-exami-
nation By F. {. Hutchins. Esq, for the defence.
The first witness called was
...Jesse RighIGnd.-Resids now at Burg Hill
station. Was acquainted with Mr.. Holeomb
for or S years. Lived within four rods OF him
for two years, and within 100 rods before that
time He lived at the center Of Vernon. on
est neignbor. Mr. Z. ]. Mstt0eks. Mr. Homer
Bates. Joseph Hat. Henry Flower. Edmund A.
Reed. Mrs Suttle, VIM. Thompson. and =. z.
Sawyer, the defendant, were near neighbors-
Sawyer lived 100 rods south OF the center on
the east side of the road. lived last year on
west side Of the road across from Mr. Sawyer.
Mr.. VIM Holcamb was q shoemaker; had
shop near his house. Had been in business u
or "a years. HeEas about ny height, I've feet
eleven. and thin Of flesh; Had poor health
ease; he had been quite sick bat was recover
ing at time Of death Didn't see him for sever
.! days before. Am carpenter and joiner. and
trequently away from home Helped fetch the
was killed. Il was in May. 1867. We found bin
on the creek bottom in Vernon township. this
county. 1t was between two and three o o'clock.p.
n Was at home that day. working IN the gar
den. Heard shooting down toward the creek,
three or four shots. Not very loud but heard
them plainly. Might have been half-a mile
away. Thought the shots FAR enough apart 50
that man could load and hre miadlinE we'll
The reports were q little north Of east. We
found Mr.. Holeomb's body on Pymaruning
creek bottom. on land Of Moses BesehS keirs.
y: A; REED: 2. J Mattoeks Jss, HSh; Saeeb
defendant and myselfwent together TO bring up
the body. Can't say who was first on the ground.
rode down with Ralph. Deft owned the land
south Of where We found the body. 1t was
found iour or i've rods from the line. The
ground H rolling there and gets fiat OF each
Eay. Gotmy information Of Holcomb's death
hrst from q son Of Mr.. Reed The body IVES ly-
ing with head to the east. face to the north,
partly turned down. Hat lay on the face. COW
ering II over Legs were laying out pretty
straight a little way from him. about six or
seven feet. laid deca yed log. about six inches
thick. all destroyed but the heart. 1t was lying
about the direction the body lay. south OF east.
Was not much imbedded in the earth; might
have been little covered with leaves. Anoth-
er stick lay across this about as large as hand
spike. with end to S. E., about two INCHES
through Saw il the day we went for Mr.. Hol-
comb. It was SIX or eight feet long. the largest
feet from Mr.. H's feet. right west stood q large
white oak. 31S 10 feet through. Another. not
so large. stands S. W. not Tar of; may be three
Or; 2r iour rpSSaSlSonlaet pSa Pc certain. pldnt mo-
the head-brains was ooEing out. Saw no bull
lets. Wound was above the right ear, perhaps
two inches Examined the wound. It appear
ed to be clean hole. cut through skin and
skull. Examined hat; hole was through hat
in same direction, near the band. Can't say |
whether through lining. We looked for indi- |
Of powder on hat. Attention not specially |
called 10 hat excspt that 1 took il in my hand |
from others who were looking No Indications |
OF barn on the hat and no sign Of any powder
on the face. No scorching of hair that 1 saE. |
De wore middling quantity Of hair. Had |
Yhlskers- can't sHy a to whether heavy or not |
DIDN'T see that ball came out. Was present |
when wound was examin ed and washed by DR.. /
Knight. BE cut the skin and pulled il over the |
skull. Did not probe wound Can't say who |
was present when this was done. II wan st Mr.. /
down; The hat was an oldish. wornout. black i
wool hat Heard Sawyer make a statement Of !
the occurrence In the woods where We found |
nc ipooy, Dut cannot remember what II was =
Saie ne was then fixing line fence between his
land and the Beech heirs. First said be was
nxlng brush fence and saw VIM. Holcomb there
snootlng; said 4. was IN the act Of shooting !
squirrel as he supposed. and he saw him fall to |
ha - anf m 70 Uh II
was dead or not; found him dead, then straigh-
tened him out and came up and gave the alarm.
The conversation was at ny house where ne
told me this; think he told it also down at
woods when We were getting the body. Don't
remember what he said about how long n. was |
down there. or the time he came. Body was
is timbered. scattering three or four rods from
cleared land on the west. Center road Z. and |
w. runs tHenty-fye or thirty reds from where
body vas found Sawyer continued TO live at
or six weeks. or moro. He staid NJ at old Mr.
Holcomb's while. Saw him going there; don't
know as he ate or slept there. Don't know Of
Certainty u as T. e his living At hons; sew him
carrying things there. Mr.. Wm. Holcomb had
lived good many years st this house in Yer
non. His family consisted Of wife. four or FIVE
children. sister and father. all living togeth-
er. Mr.. Sawyer was married man. had wife. one
daughter. about 70 years old. and adopted child.
Can't say whether Sawyer slept at home or not.
Saw him at Holcombs and at home; can't say
al which place most. He vent of along in the
sall. Don't know where he went. was gone from
fall to spring made no great efforts TO learn
Of his whereabouts but merely asked the ques
tion as 70 VIII ere he was Did not inquire Of
his wife but Of some neighbors. Can't tell Of
whom. He had lived about two years in our
neiEhborhood before this occurrence; before
that in Hartford. Saw him so 70 Holo0mb's
frequently before H.s death. Don't know
whether on bus iness or not. Don Z know as any
one was with me when 1 saw him. Can't say
that saw him 70 in the evening. Never watch
ed him. Havilah smith and saw him 90 there
the Sunday evening after H0lcoub's death. It
was about sundOwn. Smith and myself had
been at Esq. Reeds.