The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-01-29

The Crouch Murder-A Concise
History of Michigan's
Dark Tragedy.


in farming near jackson. He prospered in all
Besides his farm, which was one OF the largest
and best I'm the State. he owned extensive tracts
OF land In Texas. and was largely Interested In
twenty-five years ago his wife died. leaving AN
infant girl named Eunice. Besides this child
there were three sons and daughter, The
latter had already eeen married TO Daniel
Holcomb, and hveI on the latters farm, adj
joining that OF her father Judd Crouch then
mere boy. lived with Mrs. Holcomb. He was q
live. but while with his sister his father paid for
his care. The two other sons. Byron and Will
lam. were Ia Texas, experimenting the estate
there, In which both were Interested.
The Holcombs did not prosper. Mortgages
and debts accumulated. and when compromises
could not be made they would appeal to Mr.
Crouch for assistance. Many times he gave
them large sums Of money Once they present
ed him with bill for $4,000 for supporting
Judd from infancy. and when. after some high
inheritance. The old man, as the years crept
upon him. grew morose and gloomy. He lived
in his great house alone with his daughter and
swav a. college he 's was quite Alone and WAS
seen but rarely. On her return few years ago.
a beautiful and accomplished girl, sire intro
father was in failing health. she took upon her
self tho duty OF attending to his correspondence
and keeping his books. In the course Of time
Eunice w.s wooOd and Won by Hs len White :s
consented to their union on the promise that
they would live with him. This was assented
TO, and White took mp his residence at the
During the last year Of his life Crouch fire.
Quently talked Of his business Affairs In the
presence OF the Holcombs and his daughter
Eunice il was understood that before long he
would call his heirs together and divide his
property between them He did not wish TO
make a will, and he thought It would be moro
satisfactory all around 70 dispose OF the prop
erty by deed For some reason, however, this
WAS postponed from time to time Presently
there came prolonged. quarrel between the old
ment Of some OF their Indebtedness. He held
several OF their notes and mortgage or two on
their property, which the understanding was
should be deducted from their share in the
estate when the time for settlement should ar
rive.
On the morning OF Nov. %. Bolles, q little
ran to a neighboring farmers. and, almost
speechless with fright, said thai Mr. Crouch
had been murdered. hurrying to the house, the
bed with a bullet hole In his temple. In the
spare room, adjoining. was found the dead
body OF Moses Polly, a cattle buyer from Mer-
Ger County, Pennsylvania, who had accepted
the hospitality Of the Crouches for the night,
and had lost his hfe in consequence. He also
had been shot in the head. Both men lay in
their beds as IL they had never moved after re-
ceiving their death wounds. Going into the
apartments occupied by Eunfce and her hus-
band the young couple were also found dead
White mad received but one wound. IKE the
others, but Eunice was shot four times. twice
In the head aad twice in the body. The negro
boy and tho servant girl, who slept in
eciised, and both admitted that they heard the
shooting, but declared they were paralvzed
with fright and were unable to move until day
light. Although there was little reason to be-
lieve them guilty they were placed under arrest
hasty search OF the house revealed the fact
that nothing had been taken but the blue and
gold box on the whatnot, although there was
n NM N IA
valuable jewelry.
The night on which the murder was perpc-
trated was one that had been waited for. 1t WIS
of inky darkness and O furious ratn-storm pre-
vailed. The wind blew almost with the violence
OF tornado, and the noise made by the warning
elements was such as to serve murderer pur-
pose well. Nobody would be on the highway on
such night, and the sound OF revolver shot
would be drowned instantly by the tumult Of
the winds.
There was one footprint. however, which the
rain did not obliterate. Under window on the
west side of the house was the mark of rubber
boot or shoe. showing that somebody had stood
there and watched while the murderer was at
his work inside. Everything connected with
the case indicated that the murder had been
done by somebody familiar with the house and
the habits OF it's occupants. Without doubt the
guilty parties knew where the servants slept,
for after the shooting they opened the stair
door and listened. Had the servants made the
least sign Of wakefulness they, too. would have
been slain.
Suspicion attached to the Holcombs. though
no arrests In that quarter were made. 1t was
found that O man in Holcombs employ, named
Foy. had a pair OF rubber boots which fitted
the track made by the window Mrs. Holcomb
took to her bed after the murder and refused
to see any one, but her deposition was taken
soon afterward. She admitted that Holcomb
had got up In the middle Of the night to 90 out
and shut the barn door. which was slamming,
but denied that he was absent long Byron
Crouch came home from Texas and remained
few weeks, returning then to his ranch,
after putting the Pinkertons to work on
the case Soon after his departure for home
circumstances indicating that she had commit
ted suicide, but after an investigation, the cor
oners jury found that her death was caused by
heart disease.
At the inquest In the case OF the Crouch muir
ders, which dragged along most OF the winter,
the only important evidence introduced was
that of o hardware dealer In Jackson, who tes-
Daniel Holcomb purchased of him a 33-cahber
revolver. This was the size OF the pistol with
which the shooting had been done Holcomb
denied that he ever owned q revolver Of any
kind. and positively swore that he had never
been In the hardware store spoken of.
A close suIveiliance, however. was Kept on
about the old homestead with great persistence.
Several amateur detectives busted themselves
on the case. and some OF them were threatened
by the hired man Foy and by Judd Crouch.
One day Foy went tn Union City with the in
tention OF killing ID. j. Easton- editor Of the
Regisfer, but mistakingsElmer Shules to be the
gentleman for whom he was searching, shot and
dangerously wounded him. Foy then returned
home and lay down on a lounge, where he was
s sn SgYS4 k GO Ss. yin pistol by bis side
Physicians testified. Upon the holding OF an
inveet CATION into the matter, that IL was i'm
possible that Foy had committed suicide. and
the jury rendered q decision In accordance with
their testimony.
This tragedy was followed In few days by q
murderous attack on Detective Brown, who was
mt work on the case. One night Mr.. Brown was
riding along the highway near the place where
the murder was committed when he was stopped
by two men, ono of whom inquired: lis your
name Brown" Receiving reply in the affirm
atlve, the speaker drew revolver and fired, the
ball taking effect in Browns thigh and caus-
ing n bad wound. The two men then fled and
Brown made his way TO Horton, from which
place he telegraphed TO Jackson charging Judd
Crouch with the attempt upon his fife and de-
handing his arrest. The demand was COM
piled with and the prisoner WAS arraigned and
released on bail On March !, Judd Crouch and
Daniel H0lcomb were arrested charged with the
murder of Jacob ID. Crouch. After preliminary
trial they Omitted To bail in $40, 900 each.
On the 29th of March Lorenzo ID. Bean. farmer
who became insane on the 21st from brooding
over the murder, died after seven days OF terri
BILE suffering. and on April 10. A. IL. Lee. who
imagined himself the murderer of the Crouch
family, committed suicide. On the 22d of April
Joseph Allen was arrested In Canada charged
with being the principal In the Crouch murder,
&c.. r.