The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-01-22
The Recent ATTEMPT AZ Robbery.

Saturday morning last the town was
thrown into considerable excitement
over the fact that one George Holcomb
had acknowledged to being the party
that assaulted Express Agent Layne
last Tuesday night two weeks ago. The
report was generally discredited at
first, owing to the character Of some of
the witnesses and also the fact that he
was fool enough to acknowledge with
ont any II accusing him. lIolcomb
was arrested by 10. Oneil and Alex
Naples aud placed in Jail till time for
trial, when he was brought before +.
L. Hardwick Esq, for a hearing. The
witnesses for the State were John
Wolf, John Cash, VIII Cate, Crawford
Cash, Samuel Waters and one or two
others. Wolf testified that the night
of the occurrence he was running
through the alley near Mrs. HamptOns
and while nearly to the end on Inman
street he saw Holcomb rs he thought
then, in a fight with some one He
says that he ,WOlD then turned and
run back the way he came giving as
reasons for running that he had just
been in a fight with a stranger and
didn't want to be seen himself. He
then came to the public square and
heard Of the assault On Layne, then
went to where Layne was. After this
he met up with Holcomb in the Bird
ward at that part known as "Dean
town" and that Holcomb was excited
over something, and that he had on a
cap but pulled it of then. lie further
stated that on the following night he
had a conversation with Holcomb in
which the latter owned to having been
the guilty party, and told Wolf not to
diyulge it. John Cash's testimony was
about the same and coroborated Wolf
throughout, rs did all the other wit
nesses. Holcombs brother and a ne
gro woman of bad character both swore
for the defence and claimed that Hol-
comb was at home from an hour before
till next morning after the occurrence.
But LIolcomb had acknowledged before
this that he was not at home all the
time. After hearing the evidence in
the case however the Justice failed to
give the State witnesses any credit and
released the prisoner.
When the prisoner was released the
audience. in the court house cheered,
and nearly every one endorsed the ac-
ton of the Justice, bat. on Sunday
morning the facts came to light that
Holcomb had went, after being released
and told the witnesses that they had all
sworn the truth and that he had no i'll
telling against any of them. This at
once proved to all that had heard of it
that Holcomb was guilty, and on Mon
day, parties set about to work the mat
ter up again, in which they were sue
c~essful, as Holcomb acknowledged his
guilt to Mr.. Laync, also to Perry Gaut
and Tom Hayes and others. He also
implicated John Wolf and John Cash.
Holcomb and Wolf were then arrested
and held under guard till Tuesday,
when officers who had gone to Benton
after Cash, returned with him, then all
three were putin Jail, until their OK
animation which takes place ut the
court house to-day. We understand
Justice Brown of the 9th, and two 9TH
ers will hear the case. The court house
will in all probability be crowded as
there is great interest felt in the COM
munity over the trial, and a strong
feeling to bring the guilty party or
parties to Justice.