Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-09-09
MICHIGAN MATTERS.
More About the croueA rragedy.

Detective j. Y. Ballard of Jackson, who
has been constantly at work attempting
TO unearth something positive la the
Crouch tragedy case for the past two
years, 1T Is now said has found some I'M
portant clews. lie has been TO Jefferson
City, Mo-, to visit a convict in prison
there and claims now to he in possession
of important facts, but declines TO make
them public.
In an interview with reporter of q
Detroit paper Prosecuting Attorney
Blair said:
ave have in our possession black hat
that we can show in half a dozen ways as
having been worn by Jim Foy just before
the murder and which was found near the
depot at o O'Clock the morning following
the murder. My theory has always been
that the Crouch murder was planned III
Texas, and that parties were sent here TO
do the deed. Reasoning in that way we
conclude that Foy drove the assassins to
this city after the murder, and in the
storm OF that night lost his hat. The hat
was purchased in this city, and it will be
shown beyond cavil that it is Foy's hat.
Now, taking this fact, il seems clear that
we are on the right track, and while do
not desire to say what Mr. Ballard has
found out, will say that he has visited
the jefferson City, Mo-, prison with my
sanction, and he went there TO interview
a convict of that institution, end has
gained important information If 1t shall
be corroborated, as l believe it will be.
You will remember that there was guam
tity of jewelry found out near the rail
road track, not far from the
Crouch house, short time sub
sequent to the murder. We
have always had an idea that this jewelry
was in some manner connected with the
case. Now think we are in a position TO
show, when the time comes that 10 was.
We have the SatChel in which the Jewelry
was taken TO the place in the woods where
it was spilled out, and we hope to be able
before long to produce the person who
carried the jewelry there. l think the
bloody clothing comes in at this point
believe the murderers, or one of them at
least, left the clothing somewhere about,
and it was put under the stump by Jim
Foy. Taking all these things together, |
consider we have some strong facts bear
ing on the case. Whatever Detective Bal
lard may have been told by the convict in
the Missouri penitentiary has, thus far as
we have investigated, proved true in every
instance, and that leads me TO believe that
we shall find all the rest correct as we pro-
gress. There is great deal of work ito
be done yet before we can stralghten out
the tangle, but hope it will come by and
by. We do not care to say what the next
move will be, and it may be long limo
before we can arrive at any satisfactory
conclusion, but every thing that we have
found out corroborates what l have al
ways said and bClieved-that the murder
was planned in Texas"
1t is said by person who claims to know
whereof he speaks, that while at the pen
itentiary detective Ballard was told 10y a
convict that he and pal were hired to do
the murder for $1,000, and that he also
told detective Ballard who employed him
and put up the scheme. Ballard declines
to be interviewed as 20 what information
ne has, but said that he could give the
public startling news if he was in mind TO
do so; but considered that it would not
be polite TO do SO yet awhile.