Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-12-04

Woo oub uOOlb Will tn ONcICOdL Oh Ills
arm. The witness had told the others
about the murders and MIR. Holcomb
inquired and he told the story over
again, holeombs remark was: :'And
father, tooP "Oh, Lord!' or something
like it.
Every effort to break his testimony on
cross.examination resulted in failure.
George Bolles was recalled to the wit.
ness stand at the resumption of the
Crouch trial November 26. He remark
cd before bong sworn that he did not
come there tor the purpose of denying
anything and ii, perchance, re told any
thing differently than at the former ex-
animation IL would be because he had
forgotten. Under oath, he continued.
he could not tell whether the wind was
blowing hard or not when he heard the
pounding below. He renamed ia the
chest until morning and notified the
Holcombs. He again tod how the
evening was spent by the victims the
evening before the murder.
Bolles was closely questioned about
the chest he claims to have spent the
mig mt in. 1t was very small and partly
hlled with books, but he said he
doubled up" and the lid rested on his
head
Before resumipg in the afternoon
Juror Brown asked the judge to explain
tho law which authorizes the contne-
ment OF the jury, as they were all very
anxious to spend Thanksgiving with
their families at home. The court re-
piled that the law and practice was on
his side, and in this instance he could
not permit the jurors to 90 home until
the case was finished.
Beverly Snow gave testimony regard
ing the alleged forged insurance certiti-
cate; he SAID Holcomb obtained policy
on the lie of Jacob Crouch, signing the
latter name, but added that he got
Crouch's consent.
Snow was disappointment to the
prosecution, who lntimated that no had
been tritied with by the defense. The
prosecution in ended to prove by Snow
that Holcomb had secretly obtained said
policy and forged Crouch's name.
Sheriff WinDey was recalled and tes-
tilted further regarding the bullets
taken from the wounds of the victims.
The case will be resumed the day
following Thanksgiving.
The testimony of witnesses Oh the
morning Of Nov. 20. was largely that OF
experts, who tried to prove that the
bullets which did the terrible work
were of 80 calibre and that Smith &
Wesson pistol of that size was the
weapon.
Frank Mason of Warren, Macomb
county, was called to the stand. Mason
testified to having met Holcomb on the
train between Bay City and Ogemaw at
a date between October 25 and Nov. l,
1888 The witness said that Holcomb
talked of various matters. and among
others the cattle business in Texas, say
ing he had at one time been interested
in that business in that state. Witness
remarked that from what he had heard
he would be afraid to go 20 Texas with
much money in his possession, where
upon Holcomb produced SO calibre
Smith & Wesson revolver saying "that
guards man." and volunteered the
information that he had bought it in
New Orleans that fall for $40.
Mason was closely questioned on the
cross-examination. He was perfectly
clear on some points, and strangely
mixed on others, but in The main he
substantiated all the statements made
on the direct examination. The testi-
mony of Mason is regarded as impor-
tant if substantiated in all It's details.
The crowd at the Holcomb murder
trial was treated to its first real sensa-
ton Nov. 20, the sensationalist being
Mr.. Frank Mason of Warren, Macomb
county. 1t will be remembered that
there is very positive evidence that the
victims of the tragedy at the Crouch
homestead were killed by bullets from
SS-caliber Smith g. Wesson pistol. 1t
was also claimed that defendant Hol.
comb had such a pistol. This claim
was com batted by the defense, and the
sensational event of the 2Sth was that
Mason swore to statements that
strongly reinforce the pros ecution's
theory of Dams having such a
pistol The witnesses story in detail
was. that about October 90 last year he
had been to Bay City and other points
along the road to sell some of his man.
lfactIred articles, which consisted OF
canthook and other tool handles, he
being at that time engaged in running
factory in Gaylord. On his return
trip he got on to the tram at Bay City
about IL o'clock at night, and occupied
a seat with a man whom he had never
seen before, but with whom he en-.
gagged in conversation. After witness
had told where he resided, the stranger
inquired about Mrs. Dickinson, wife
Of Col. Dickinson. and asked witness IL
he knew of such person in Gaylord.
Mason replied that he did, and the
stranger said his uame was ID. Holcomb
and that he was in Col. Dickinson's
regiment during the war, and he asked
Mason TO give his respects to Mrs. ID.
Witness in turn became more contiden-
iial and told the stranger what he was
doing up at Gaylord, and. in return for
such confidence, the latter went on TO
tell witness that he had formerly lived
at or near Jackson, but lately had
bought large ranch in Texas, where
he now lived; that the ranch contained
27,U00 acres; that ne frequently sold
huge droves of beeves and sheep, and
that he had made sales as large as
$40, 900 at one time. To witnesses re.
ply that he should. be afraid to go about
in that country with SO much money
upon his person the alleged Holcomb
put his hand into his pocket and pro-
duced new SO Smith a. Wesson re-
volver, and, remarking, "rhis speaks
for me-" offered the weapon for the
young man inspection. Witness swore
positively that the weapon was of that
siza mad nathan a ha mil oil ~
closely, and that he knew pistol OF the