Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-03-20
MICHIGAN
STARTLING REVELATIONS.
The Testimony in the Examination of
Crouch aud Holcomb
1T WAS VERY EVIDENT

1T WAS VERY EVIDENT
when court assembled on the morning OF
the third day that the interest in the eX-
animation of Jud Crouch and Dan Hol-
comb had not abated in the least. Jud
Crouch continues to attract great at
tention, not alone from the fact that he
is n prisoner, but from his remarkable
indifference TO all that is said and done.
Holcomb maintains quiet and reserved
manner. The first man to go upon the
stand was w. A Gibson, physician and
surgeon. who made the following speci-
fc statement in answer TO query rs to
the results of his examination of the
bodies of the murdered people when he
first visited the blood-curdling scene:
On examination of the body of Henry
White he found that one ball entered
the right side of the neck thres inches
below the ear severing the artery; an
other ball entered the upper temple
near the right eye, passing INTO the
brain. The wounds inflicted on Mrs.
White were: Two balls in right arm, a
third in the right breast, passing into
the chest, a fourth under the chin,
through the neck, and fifth in the left
wrist. In the case of Policy, one
ball entered the opening of the left ear,
passing directly into the brain, and the
second ball entered the right side pass
ing into the chest. Mr.. Crouch re-
ceived but one ball, entering the left
SIDE of the head, two inches back. of
the ear, passing into the brain.
DR.. Mclaughlin followed with cor
roborative account of the wounds in
flicted by the murderer or murderers'
bullet but added statement about dis
covering blood upon the carpet which
he thought was caused by blood squirt
ing out of the wound in Henry Whites
neck, which severed his carotid artery.
He said on this point:
l did not notice any particular squirt
ing of blood on the bed clothing; there
was blood on the clothes and carpet;
think White did not stir much after he
was shot; did not make an examination
to see ii the artery was severed, but
knew il was severed without examina.
ton; the carotid artery was near the
surface in Whites body; the blood on
the carpet could not have reached the
carpet by flowing continuous stream /;
it must have spurted; there was quite q
pool of it in the carpet; Drs. Williams,
Gibson and myself made the examina-
ton.
Jacob Hutchins, who lives less than
q mile from the Crouch homestead and
visited the place the morning after the
murders, swore that he found tracks,
which he believed to be Jud Crouch s
in the field between the Crouch's and
his sons lane. They were traced plain
~ from Holcomb's towards Crouch's
house. Being cross-examined by Mr..
Frazer, witness said: ] knew Jacob
Crouch well and liked him; had a little
unpleasant feeling with HolcOmb be-
cause people said he furnished money
TO carry on q suit in favor of Mrs. Kim
ball; l don't like the Holcomb's, but
never did them any harm; did not ex-
pect to find Holcomb's tracks; but
wanted to find out whether it was done
by travelling tramp or some one else;
saw the track very plain and felt sure
it was Jud's; | am sure it was made
by peculiar foot: called it Il cloven
foot-but maybe was wrong; whether
it was an iron foot or not can't say
but it was JudCrouch's; Isaw the track
next day; did not show it to anybody
till several days; / am not detective;
[ never swore that ] was not sure whose
track it was; / think it was CrOuch's
and always swore TO it; | think the
track was made the night of the MUIR
ders; there was some rain that Night
it was muddy; don't know whether the
tracks were made before or after the
ras,.. I,I ~ 4ba t,-oolye. lsI
not see any bodymeasure the track.
Wiifred White, q brother of Henry
White, was the first witness called
when court assembled in the after
noon. He had examined the tracks
at Mr.. Hutchins' suggestion, was not at
all certain as to whose they probably
were. From the general appearance of
the tracks he thought they conformed
closely to Jud Crouch's, but in the next
breath confessed he had never seen
Jud's tracks for certain.
Harry Hague testified TO his inspec-
ton of these tracks in company with
John Thomas, Eber Murray and DR..
Kimball, said he: The track looked to
me just as one made by person that
walks as Jud Crouch does; the right
track was smaller and deeper, and the
heel of the right foot seemed to come
down first and make Il much deeper
impression; the popularity of these
tracks was plainly noticeable; If the
tracks had been followed back they
would Of came out north of Holcomb's,
but swamp interviewed, and found
the tracks north of the swamp; the
swamp is northwest of Holcomb's
about 10 rods; they seemed to come
from q shed-like building in the edge of
the woods, near Holcomb's buildings;
there was another track alongside this
peculiar track, but it was not as dis
cernible, and we could only see it &C
casionally; the tracks showed that the
two feet came together when coming
down hill; in other places the right foot
went ahead; after / saw these tracks L
watched Mr.. Crouch's manner of walk
ing; am positive the right foot was
smaller than the left by one inch; il
looked like a track just such as Jud
Crouch would make going across the
field and that's all can say.
John Thomas testified that the much
mooted tracks, in his Judgment, were
such as could be made onIy by person
whose feet were formed like those of
Jud Crouch. On the morning after the
murders he saw Jud outside the house;
was there three or four hours and did
not see him inside the house; asked him
questions and he seemed to be reluctant
about answering; saw Dan Holcomb
there also, in the yard, but had no con-
versation with him; both of them SEEM
ed to appear as usual, and showed no
signs of grief; they were not looking