Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-02-28
A MICHIGAN TRAGEDY.
MURDER MYSTERY WHICH Is PROB
ABLY UNPARALLELED.

The Homicides OF tho Night OF Nov. 2I,
1888, Near jackson, Mich.-Other vio-
lent Deaths Growing Out of the Crime
VIII the Mystery Ever BE Cleared Up?
[Chicago Daily Tribune.l
The publication in the Tribune OF the
dispatch from Ann Arbor. Mich. In which
detective named Ballard claimed to have
discovered clew which might result in the
apprehension OF the Crouch murderers. has
revived the interest In a dark and bloody
mystery which for Eve years has remained
unsolved. The night Of Nov. 21. 1888, seven
miles from the Village OF Jackson. Mich, in
the Township of Spring Arbor. Jacob ID.
Crouch, his daughter, Eunice White her
husband, Henry White. and Moses Policy
drover. were murdered In their beds at the
home Of Crouch. Jacob ID. Crouch removed
to Michigan in 1880 from Orange County N.
y. settling two years later on the farm
where afterward he was murdered.
keen. shrewd driver OF bargains in horses
and cattle, at the time OF his death he was
worth $5OO.OOO. and, though IA years old, he
was still vigorous, hard-working man. In
1858 his eldest daughter eloped with a poor
young man OF the neighborhood, Daniel 5.
Holcomb. and, though the father finally ex-
tended his forgiveness. Ii was with reluc-
tance. The old man doled out to the couple
occasional pittances. so that outwardly they
seemed fairly prosperous. Mrs. Crouch died
in childbirth, Judd Crouch, puny, crippled
infant, surviving her. The sight OF Judd
seemed to increase the stornneSs OF the old
mans nature, and while still babe he was
sent to the home of his sister. Mrs. Dan
Holcomb, where he grew up. his father.
however. always seeming to cherish an an
| tipathy toward him,
There were three other chiildren-Eunice.
at the time Of her mothers death years
| old. and Byron and Dayton, who left home
and became Texas drovers Thus Eunice as
she grew up took the principal place in her
fathers heart. Dayton died leaving an
estate worth $50O0O Byron bought his
fathers interest therein, and gave notes to
the extent OF $4,000 to cover part OF the
transaction, In 1880 Eunlce asked permis-
sion to marry Henry White, a young mer-
chant OF Jackson. The old man freely
consented to the proposed union. but it met
| strenuous opposition from the Holcombs
and Judd and Byron Crouch.
The morning of Nov. ~. 1888, Mr.. Crouch.
| Mr.. and Mrs. White and Moses Policy. the
latter Pennsylvania cattle dealer who was
| stopping at the Crouch homestead tempor-
arily while on a purchasing tour. were
| found dead In bed. The house was a roomy.
story country residence. standing back
! some distance from the road. The old man
| had a whim never to lock door or window.
He had been killed by gunshot wound in
the back OF the neck, the weapon evidently
| having been placed close to the body. In a
! front bedroom his SON. in law and daughter
were found. Both had been shot in the
| head and there were bullet holes elsewhere
| in the bodies. The bed on which they rested
literally dripped with blood. Policy had
been killed by bullet fired into the neck.
almost identical with Crouch's death
wound. while another leaden missile had
| entered his side.
The night had been wild, dark, and
stormy. Two servants slept in the house.
an p-stairs room, above where the slaugh-
ter was committed. He heard repeated
shots and groans. and, paralyzed with ter
ror, secreted himself in trunk. into which
he could scarcely press his form. The
stairway door was opened and some one
listened for few moments to see whether
the lad had been aroused. and then. evil
IDENTIFY satisfied. closed it. The boy lay con-
cealed until daylight came. and then stepped
| into Crouch's room, as had been his GUS
tom. to awaken him. only to find him dead.
He Immediately alarmed the neighbors.
Julia Reese. q domestic, had occupied a
| little back bedroom and had slept undis-
turbed throughout the tragedy.
The inquest developed some important
facts. One was that, though Crouch him
self had considerable money In the house
and the drover Policy also had several
thousand dollars in a pocketbook in his
| clothes, not n cent had been taken, but u
package Of notes. mortgages. and other pa
pefs OF a family nature was missing. Be-
| meath the parlor window was a large.
plain track made by a rubber boot. as IL
some one had stood there watching. Anoth-
| er point brought out was through the testi-
mony Of a Jackson merchant that he had
sold to Dan Holeomb shortly before the
murder pistol of the same caliber as that
with which evidently the deed had been
committed.
Then tragedies crowded quick and fast
upon one another. Mrs Dan Halcomb was
found dead in her bed, the victim Of heart
disease. aggravated by the tragedy. though
il was widely rumored that she had taken
| 49,. 70 70 1ap lONn Inn nv
the hired man. stung at an article in the
Union City Register, mstook Elmer Shules
for ID. ]. Easton, the newspaper editor, shot
him dangerously. returned home. lay down
on a lounge, and an hour later was found
dead. shot through the head. and although
he grasped in his hand pistol, physicians
80 positively secuted the idea OF suicide
that verdict was returned: Death from
hands unknown. The weapon in his hand
was of the same ca!iber as that with
which the four people had been slain al
the Crouch residence. Then Detective
Brown, who was at work on the case, was
met at night on the highway by two
men, one of whom, after inquiring his
name. shot him in his thigh. Both then
fled. but the detective at once caused the ar
rest of Judd Crouch and Hugh McCallum
for the shooting. Following this Dan Hol-
comb and Judd Crouch were arrested
charged with the quadrupple killing. Three
weeks later Lorenzo ID. Bean. farmer. be-
came insane from brooding over the trag-
edy. and died after seven days OF terrible
suffering. Within the two weeks following
A. H. Lee imagined he was the murderer
and killed himself. Ten days afterward
Joseph Allen was arrested in Canada at the
instance Of Henry Holcomb. who alleged
that Allen had confessed. while both were
tramping together. that he committed the
crime, further telling where some OF the
papers were concealed. Allen was held
but a short time. however. and then caused
Henry Holcomb's arrest for perjury. but
the latter was released a few months ago.
Briefly summarized. this remarkable
crime has the following record up to the
present time:
Four victims OF the original murder the
night OF Nov. 81, 1888: Jacob ID. Crouch
aged "a years; Eunice White. his daughter
aged 33 years. and her unborn babe; Henry
White, her husband. aged 81 years; Moses
Policy. the drover, aged % years.
Four other violent deaths:
Mrs. Daniel Holcomb. heart disease, ag'
gravated by the tragedy. Feb. 2. 1884
James Foy. either committed suicide ol
was murdered. Feb. 8. 1884
Lorenzo ID. Bean. died In paroxysmt
brought on by insanity. caused from brood
ing over the crime. March 28. 1884.
Alexander III. Lee thought he was one o.
the murderers, and killed himself April IS
1884.
Two persons wounded:
Elmer Shules. shot by James Foy, Feb. 4
1884.
Detective Browns attempted assasslna-
tion. Feb. z. 1884.
The arrests have been:
Julia Reese and George Bolles. the ser
wants, discharged.
Andrews, at the instance OF Col Perry
Judd Crouch and Hugh McCallum. Feb. 8
1884. charged with shooting Detectiv,