Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-12-04
HOLCOMB'S TRIAL.
Examining Witnesses to Determine
Who Murdered the Crouch Family.
A synopsis OF Testimony.


ing of Nov. 81, owing to the inclemency
of the weather Julia Reese could not
be- found for the continuation of her ties.
timony. Capt. Crouch, from Texas,
was in attendance. The prosecution did
Lot object 10 his presence in the court
room, although he may BIO called as q
witness for the defense.
John Gibson testified that he was q
dealer in boots ana Shoes, that Judd
bought pair OF rubber boots Novenl-
Der 81, 1888, saying that they were for
his father, as he was tired OF seeing him
90 around with wet feet. He could
not swear positively whether they were
of the Boston or Goodyear manufac-
ture, but thought they were the former;
they were finer creased thau the ordin-
airy boot, and had raised letters on the
bottom; they were the best boots he
kept in his store.
Sheriff Winney stated that Dan Hol.
comb first notified him of the murder at
O'Clock in the court house; he went to
the Crouch farm and saw the tracks,
but could not get clear idea about
them as SO many people had trampled
over them; he secured the shells and
rubbers, and had them examined by
John Sluiers and r. Dodge, who are
experts, he still has them; he also re
lated bis trip TO Ogemaw last February
with Detective Harris; also his examine
ton of Daniel Holcomb in a Hubbard
house room; Holcomb made different
answers'to his questions, which he took
down in writing. Holoomb said he went
to Ogemaw TO induce his brother to
return To Jackson to work on the farm.
He also admitted hesitatingly that he
bought q Smith a. Wesson revolver at
Lansing.
Quite a dispute arose here between the
opposing counsel. The prosecution
wished to show that Holcomb was
nervous and excited during the inter
view and the defense objected because
mental excitement worked differently
upon different individuals. The court
decided to hold the matter open for the
present.
The sheriff continued that Holcomb
could not tell at what store in Lansing
he purchased the revolver; he said he had
intended it as present for his brother
but lost it; be also referred TO Holeomb's
subsequent trip; witness had found a
pair OF rubber boots of the Boston man.
ufacture in Daniel Holcomb's house
which were produced at the inquest. He
did not think the bootsfittedthe tracks a.
they were too large. He did not claim
to be posted on the number of barrels
in the revolver nor on the Smith q
Wesson make and did not know that
they never made SO. caliber revolvers
Julia Reese was found in the after
noon, and gave a rambling desultory
talk about the events on the night of
the murder. After her direct testimony
Mr.. Montgomery questioned her very
closely, and as n result her testimony
was considerably shaken. The defense
regard this as a strong point.
There was no session of the Jackson
circuit court on the morning Of Nov.
%, on account of the funeral of the late
Prosecuting ATTORNEY Frank Hewlett,
which Judge Gridley and the bar at
tended in a body. The trial of Daniel
5. Holcomb for the murder of Jacob
ID. Crouch was resumed in the after
noon.
The first business brought before the
court was the application of the COM
mittee of supervisors to employ Mr.. L.
K Baikwortk as counsel to assist the
prosecution in the case at bar.
After an animated discussion Mr..
Barkwerth was finally sworn in.
VIM. n. Palmer, clerk in Gibson's
shoe store, was called and sworo to SELL
ing Judd Crouch on Nov. 81, 1888, q
pair of fine rubber boots of the Boston
Rubber Company's make. They were
q pair not in their stock, but obtained
from another dealer for customer, but
not taken by the latter. They were
marked on tho sole with fine creasing
and the name of the manufacturers upon
the heel. Judd purchased them for Mr..
Holcomb. They were No. 10. The
whole transaction took but few min
utes.
Upon the REORGANIZATION Palmer
was badly cut up ty the questions put
to him, frankly admitting that his opin-
ion varied according to the atmosphere
which surrounded him.
The event of the day was the exam
ination of The colored boy Bolles. In
him the lawyers found a n atch, the
ready manner in which he answered
the questions put to him causing CON-
ment on all sides.
In very matter. of-fact manner the
Young man gave his testimony substan-
.ially the same as given by him on the
examination. He told of the manner
in which The family and the guest Mr..
Policy spent the evening previous to
the murder. He retired about o'clock.
after assisting Mrs. Reese about her
domestic duties. Between II and 2
o'clock in the night he was awakened
by noise that sounded like some one
striking d heavy blow on the floor with
a club. Ho heard some one cry "Oh!
oh" and heard q scream. but could not
say whether either sound was made by
a man or woman. He was badly
frightened and ran and hid in the chest
where he remained until z o'clock in
the morning. He usually rose about
o'clock, but this morning he waited TO
hear some one stir down stairs. He
saw where Mr.. Crouch lay, but did pot
go near. He shouted several times, but
receiving no answer, passed out through
the kitchen and thence to Holcomb's.
At Holcomb's he told them he had
heard a noise in the night, and that no
body was astir at the Crouch house and
he believed they were all murdered.
He then went back to the Crouch house
and very soon the neighbors came.
When he came back Julia Reese
asked him why he had not called her
He was about to reply when Mr. Hutch
ings rushed up and said excitedly and
rapidly to witness: "Coonl Coon! get
on my gray horse and 60 and tell tho