Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-25
NINE MYSTERIES.
Series Of Tragedies that Com
menced 1hree Years Ago.

from JN6 NctO 4 - Hof""
JACKSON, Nov. Goa servant girl
FAMED Jennie Farley died in this city on
not q from the effects of morphine
poisoning.
That GRIPS death will shortly result in
trial which, it is expected, will be one
If the most exciting and sensational that
has ever taken place in this country.
Jacob ID. Crouch was living III the town
shin OF Spring Arbor, about seven miles
from this city, in 1883. lie was then "a
roars old. had always been hard worker
and was Still a hale and hearty man, clear
United in business affairs, strong in his
likas and dislikes and not at all disposed
a. release in the slightest degree his firm
rim on the half a million dollars that he
5ad gathered together. He came to Michi-
con from Orange county, n. Y, in 1880,
nd about ten wears later settled down on
tho 5nring Arbor farm. He was noted for
his shrewd bargains in horses and cattle,
ond through his agents, carried on bust
ness as a drover,
THE TWO CROUCH GIRLS.
In 1916 Jacob Crouch's wife died, after
having borne him five children. The do
nestle life OF the Crouches was anything
hur happy. The fathers greed for money
and his stern and unbending nature led
his family to become unruly. In 1853 the
elder of his two daughters elOped with
nanniless Young fellow named Daniel S.
Holcomb. In the course of time her father
reluctantly f0rgave her, and the Hol-
combs finally came to live near the old
homestead. By dint of repeated beggings
Mira. HolcomD was able to get enough
m,nev from her father to tide her hus-
hand and herself over the rough places
until moderate prosperity settled down
upon them.
her mothers favorite child. She alone OF
all the children seemed able to reach her
fathers heart. Left motherless at the age
of 6 years. she grew up to be her fathers
main dependence, and when in 1880 she
asked the paternal consent to her mar
riage with Henry White, a promising
Young merchant of Jackson, she readily
obtained the desired permission. At the
time of her marriage she was about so
years old. The match, however, was bit
terly opposed by her two brothers and by
the H0lcOmbs. Whether or not their op-
position was due to a fear of an increase
In the number Of prospective heirs to the
Crouch thousands can only De suTmised.
FATHERS HATRED FOR HIS CHILD.
There were three Crouch boys. OF these
Byron and Dayton went into the cattle
business in Texas. Dayton never mar
RED, and when he died his estate was
worth $4,000. Byron bought out his
fathers interest IN the Texas estate, CIV
ing notes to the extent of $4,000. He
continued to live in Texas. Judd Crouch
was the youngest of the family. He came
into the world a puny and crippled in ant,
and his mother died in giving him birth.
The loss of his wife acted on the old man
and be learned to bate the misshapen boy
whose birth had caused her death. His
antipathy to the child became so great
that he could not endure the sight of him,
and finally, for this reason and because
there was convenient way of caring for
the child in the wldOwer's house, Judd
was turned over to his sister, Mrs. Hol-
comb, to be brought up.
Eunice and her husband lived with the
old man, and he was accustomed to lean
on them in his business affairs and to
have them about him. The prospective
advent of grandchild was known to
have given him pleasure. Meanwhile
the Holcombs, despairing of finding
favor with the elder Crouch, had brought
in a bill for 81 900 for taking care Of
Judd. This the old man absolutely re-
fused to pay.
WHOLESALE MURDER.
On the night of the 21st Of that Novem-
Der the Crouch household was made up
OF Mr.. Crouch, Mr.. and Mrs. White,
Moses Policy, a Pennsylvania cattle
dealer, " no was about closing bargain
with Crouch; negro boy named John
Bottles, and Julia Reese, a servant girl.
The night was dark and stormy and
bright flashes of lightning had been tre-
quently followed by sharp bursts of thun-
der. Inc Crouch house, a large two story
farm house, stood we'll back from the
road. Early in the evening the family
went to bed. No doors were locked nor
windows barred before they retired, for
1t was whlm of The old man to take no
such precautions at night,
AT day light, as was his custom, Bodies
went down to call Mr.. Crouch. On an
Proacnlng his masters room he was hor-
FIled 10 see him lying on his bed with d
gunshot wound in the back Of his neck.
In the front bedroom Mr.. and Mrs, White
lay dead with pistol holes in their heads
ana wounds in other parts of their bodies.
rolley, TOO, was found shot in the neck,
as crouch had been, and there were also
wounds IN his body. The work had been
gone so surely and so quickly that there
Aad been no struggle in any case.
Rushing from the house, BoIes gave the
alarm to the neighbors, who fastened to
me scene. On examination it was found
lnatalthough Policy had several thousand
GoliafS ID mis- pockets the money was un-
disturbed, nor was any of the house money
taAen' Nothing had disappeared save a
OuhuIe OF notes, mortgages and private
papers.
A long, tedious inquest followed. The
luduruple murder bad created such a
great commotion that persons focked
rom all quarters to take hand in dis.
covering the perpetrators, but in the null
utuoe OF counsellors there was eyery-
tuing out wisdom. Two facts OF impOr-
IIauce were brought out at the inquest.
Inuerheatn the parl0r window was the
pam imprint OF rubber boot-so plain.
,,nueea, as to suggest that it was the
m"ck OF one who had stood there 10
match' Again, a jackson merchant
1"Vre positively that he had sold to Dan
mo4colhD revolver OF the same calibre as
ssue weapon from which the bullets were
nleu mat killed the Whites. The testi-
himself. A"N
ITS TRAGIC CoNeEoUENCEs.
Meantime Capt. Byron Crouch. who was
Sn hls way home at the time OF the muir.
yer Yer appeared at the scene andsgaye the
merton agency full authority to do
v 'ely ming In their power to discover the
ywuluerer at his expense. Nothing In the
VI dlrect evidence was found.
>. ~ mucn for the original murders. But
se nan mas not been told. The loss OF
NJ Ialher and sister SO wrought upon
- holcomb's nerves that on the day
''V murders were digcOyarpd eha W n