Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-09-04
AGED CITIZEN AND H0UsEKEEPER
MURDERED.
John s. Holmes and Catharine Shute vic
Tins of Negroes Greed.

John s. Holmes and Catharine shute vic
Tins of Negroes Greed.
All his long life John S. Holmes has
lived in a substantial brick home at Bow
entown, near Bridgeton, surrounded by
fertile fields. A successful farmer and
enterprising in all things, honorable and
upright in his dealings with men, he was
universally esteemed.
On Wednesday evening Of last week, his
son, tenant ON the farm, took party of
young people on straw ride. Soon after
dark the Holmes barn was on fire and
the neighbors gathered to aid their old
friend The barn was a mass of flames
when they arrived, and the doors being
locked, the horses within persisted. Neither
Mr.. Holmes nor his housekeeper could be
found.
Next morning, among the smoking ruins,
the forms of farmer Holmes and his house,
keeper were found. Those of Mr.. Holmes
were located by suspender buckles, bunch
of keys and knife, near him, and those of
his housekeeper by belt buckle and some
hair pins.
Inquiry was at once set on foot. 1t was
found that Holmes had discharged Charles
Williams, colored, last week, and that
they had a dispute over small amount of
wages due the man. In that dispute, it
was alleged, Williams had said ''This will
cost the old man a good deal more than
So" The man was arrested. lie denied
all knowledge of the fire and said that he
had spent Wednesday afternoon and night
at Springtown, colored settlement six
miles away, but he refused to say who he
was with. Officers at once began to trace
his movements, and he was locked up.
Attention was next'given to Job Williams,
a colored man in the employ Of Mr.. Holmes,
and he was arrested, and confession was
wrung from him on Friday.
JOB WILLIAMS CONFESSION.
He declares that he was desperate be-
cause he had no clothes suitable for the
wedding ceremony in which he was to be
one of the principals. He had told his
friends and bride-to-be that he was pre-
pared with clothing, but when the night
previous to the wedding came he had no.
suit and but So in money, which had just
been advanced him by Mr.. Holmes. The
fire was planned to get the old folks away
from the house so that he could rob the
desk
LEFT COUPLE TO THEIR FATE.
Williams says that he first planned the
robbery when he found that Charles
Williams, the farmers son and manager,
was to take out a party Of straw-riders.
He knew that Mr.. Holmes usually kept
about $50 about the house, but to make
sure of it on Wednesday evening he asked
his trusting employer for a couple of dol
lars 10 buy some necessaries for his APP
preaching wedding. Mr.. Holmes, almost
blind, told Miss Shute to- get the purse,
and she took a 81 note from the pocket
book, handed it to Mr.. Holmes, and he in
turn passed it over to Williams. The latter
had all opportunity to notice the contents
of the poeketbook, and it contained nine
SIS notes.
A half hour after Charles Holmes left
the farm the negro went out in the barn,
and in place furtherest from the house
started the fire. He himself gave the alarm,
and both Mr. Holmes and Miss Shute
rushed out to the barn. He assisted the
old couple to enter the barn, and when
to the horse stables Williams retreated,
ClOclAS OWO NOOiC dluCI HILL 14OOlo
were not fastened, but one Of them dragged
heavily upon the floor and required con-
siderable strength TO handle, The two
aged people, cropping in the dark and
choking with suffication, could not follow
the negro to- the open air and persisted when
the flames reached them.
William went Immediately to the house
and took the money, came out OF the house,
locking all the doors excepting the shed
entrance, came to Rridgeton. Arriving in
Bridgeton, Williams was joined by his
bride-eleet and ooolly went to bakery,
purchased wedding cake and afterward
drove out the farm in lively rig to see the
result of his work.
The next morning Williams was one of
the most unconcerned men about the ruins
and went quickly about his work caring for
the stock and doing other things about the
farm. 1t was not until he was questioned
that he was in the least suspected, and he
might have escaped even then had he been
shrewd enough to tell straight story.
EMPTY REVOLVER IN NEGRo's ROOM.
Despite the negro's detailed confession,
the authorities feel confident of convicting
him of murder. What strengthens their
belief in this in the discovery made
in the room occupied by Williams at the
farm house Coroner Mcpherson made
careful search of the room, and in match
safe be found the exploded shell Of a So
calibre cartridge The search was con
tinued, and the farmhand's s. trunk yielded
a revolver with none Of its chambers loaded.
The belief is general that Williams meant
that the old couple should not escape from
the burning barn, for he closed the doors
upon them, and ii is argued that this shows
that he would not have hesitated to shoot
them or Club them in order to- improve his
chance of robbing the house.
sam'l Iredell, Esq, has been retained
to defend Williams,
The inquest was begun Tuesday morning
and is still in progress.