Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-01-08
BEGINNING OF THE END
Holcomb's Defenders and Relatives
Testify in His Behalf.


SuOpsls OF the TestlmOny.
James A. Ferguson. the first witness
on Monday December 29, the opening
day of the ninth week of the HOlcomb
trial, testified to having business tran.
sactions with Jacob ID. Crouch. On
cross-examination witness said the
transaction began II years ago and
continued up to July. 1888.
Warren b. Baker, farmer who
lives six miles from Union City swore
that James Foy worked for him from
1880 to 1881. Mrs. Baker said Foy was
at their house through June, 1890.
Stephen G. Miller corroborated this
testimony, except that he didn't know
when Foy left.
Charles Fletcher, Julia Fletcher and
Jonathan w. Harrison, of Y psilanti. all
saw Harrington in February, 1884.
Harrington bought several farms but
paid for none. and stated he was the
third person at the Crouch house the
morning after the murder.
Frank Hammond remembered that
Judd changed from an old suit to new
light suit the day after the murder.
Alfred Synder. miller, of Horton viii
lage, saw Policy counting his money the
day before he came to Crouch'e. 1t
might have been $500 or $500 in amount.
Witness saw one $50 bill.
John o. Smith saw Trostle's book at
Lansing, and it showed the sale of a re-
volver on the day in question.
Miss Ellen O'Brien said she had been
a teacher in the public schools of Jack
son for sixteen years, and previous to
that she taught in tie Holcomb district.
and at that time Eunice Crouch lived
at Holcomb's and the relations between
the families were friendly.
Charles Fletcher said he lived one
fourth CT mile from Ypsilanti, and a
man calling himself c. ID. Harrison was
at his house last spring and made a
bargain with witness to buy his farm,
and told witness he had just sold farm
near jackson 10 Mr.. Merriman of 470
acres.
Julia Fletcher was the next witness
and corroborated her husbands story.
Jonathan w. Harrison was the next
to be taken in by the opium eater Har-
rington. He had bargained his farm
to Harrington under the name of G. ID.
Harrison. Several other witnesses fol-
lowed in the same strain.
Alfred Snyder saw Policy at Horton
November 20, 1883, and Policy had q
package of money half an inch thick
with $50 bill on the bottom and a S5
bill on:the top.
Mrs. McKernan, wife of the Sheriff
at Mason, said she saw Allen and Hull
walk by the Jail eight or ten tines be-
fore they came in, and they did not
knock at the hall door.
Katie Klotz, a short and extremely
stout German girl, who used to work
for the Sheriff at Mason, came next,
and moro than corroborated Mrs. Nc
Kernan's story, for she said Allen and
Hull walked past twenty times before
they came in.
j. Evart Smith. who was living near
Yysilanti, was one of those who was
going to sell a farm to Harrington.
he said Harrington was to give Sl8. 500
for the larm provided it suited his son.
Sidney 8. Smith testified that he
bought hogs and cattle of Jacob ID.
Crouch about three years ago and Dan
Holcomb transacted the business for
Mr.. Crouch.
Mrs. Elmer Hatch swore that she was
walking with Ella Shannon since the
trial began and Ella said she had heard
what horrible looking man Detective
Baker was, and wanted witness to point
him out.
Oscar Steele testified to seeing Judd
Crouch and his father walking and
talking together at the county fair 8
year ago last fall.
Mrs Oscar Steele testified to the
same occurrence.
Mr.. Gibson asked leave TO put the
name of Gilbert Wilson on the informs.
ton for the reason that he learned since
tho adjournment of court the other day
that MIR. Wilson was the possessor OF
important evidence for the people. The
defence objected, and 1t was argled for
some time, and the court said he would
take statement OF what the evidence
would be and rule on its admission in
the morning.
MIR. Montgomery then offered the
deposition of the defendants wife, taken
during the inquest at Holcomb's house,
as she was sick, and as sac had since
died she could not now be produced.
The deposition was not signed and the
prosecution objected TO it, and argu-
ment followed to the hour of adjourn.
ment. The main point of the deposit
ton is to show that HOlcomb did not 90
out Of his house the night of the muir
der.
On the morning of December 80, the
court ruled out Mrs. Holcomb's deposit
ton, taken at the inquest as evidence.
The court also ruled that the prosecu-
ton could not add the name of Gilbert
Wilson to the information. What Viii
son would swear to was furnished tho
court by the prosecution, but Judge
Gridley said: 81 don't think it impor-
tant enough" 1t was conversation
Dan had with Wilson which showed
Holcomb was cognizant of the Henry
Holcomb-Allen scheme.
Several witnesses swore that Joe Al
len was out of his room in the city the
night OF the tragedy. The defense
called Holcomb's daughter Edith. 16
years old. Edith stated that she was
at Holyoke Seminary, Kalamazoo,
when the murder occurred. She further
said that the relations between her
father and Jacob Crouch were
of the most friendly character, and that
Judd and his father never had any
trouble. She contradicted Ella Shan
non about the bloody clothes behind the
chest, declaring there was none there.
Capt. Byron L. Crouch swore that he
lived near San Antonio, Texas. He
heard of the murder on Friday and
started for here the following Sunday.
Naver Oot INV diapotch Taarrad -