Year: 1868

II In self.Defence Against an Indecent As


sault by Mr.. Holmes.


BOSTON, June 1s, 1858.


The mystery which has 80 long clouded the murder
Of Cornelius Holiness in Kingston, Mass, some weeks
since has finally been cleared up. Deacon Andrews,
the accused has made iull and detailed confession
of the crime, and 1t has been submitted the Grand
Jury now In session in Plymouth. II s substantially
the same as made by him a day or two after his
arrest, but was at that time suppressed Opinions
are various as to how much credit should be given
IT, but his friends seem TO feel somewhat relieved
and appear to gather little hope, as some circum
stances tend to corrobOrate the statement in some
particulars. II made In presence OF his PASTOR
counsel and the Register OF Deeds OF the county,
who wrote out the confession:-


l, Samuel NJ. Andrews, of Kingston, in the county.
OF Plymouth, now confined in the jail at Plymouth
suspicion Of being the murderer OF Cornelius
Holmes, OF Kingston, do hereby make true and
correct statement OF my connection with and knOwl-
edge OF the death OF Cornelius Holiness


on the 23d day OF May, 1865 on my arrival at my
ionnd at mv pI", %ouse Cdrnens Holmes Who showed
me a bunch Of tulips, which he said he had brought
me, and requested me not TO take them to the
Orthodox church. | made him no answer, but
laughed He stayed at the house about One-haf hour
We asked him to remain and take tea with u.s. but he
declined the invitation and started to go. followed
him into the back room and he informed me he was
going to Boston soon, and wanted to know what he
should buy me for present. told him anything he
wanted. He then asked me to come to his
house on Monday or Tuesday night and ! told
had some work to do and could not CO.
Tuesday afternoon felt could not spare the time,
as had some nour and potatoes TO get at the store
Just before left the factory Of Thomas Newcomb
where was employed as an overseer, l wrote note
to Cornelius Holmes stating could not come down
that night, as wished to do some work in my gar
den and should be there until halfpast eight O'CLOCK
and should Sa then go TO the store and T ne wished to
my house. This is about what wrote On my way
home from the factory saw Charles Newcomb and
gave him the note TO take to Cornelius Holmes, and
gave him two cents for doing the errand. then
went home, took my supper in a plate and sat down
the sofa and ate my supper in the presence of my
family. At about seven O'Clock l went out OF doors
and George Clark came along to buy my hens. !
thn think sD, ne e about napas 16e seven O'CLOCK a,
ging hills for potatoes in that part OF my gar
den lying to the left of the path that leads
from my house to the back end Of the lot, with my
face towards the house and my back to the woods,
when Cornelius Holmes appeared, having come from
to sit on, and placed 1t an apple tree by Mr.
BradfOrd's line He then told me he had been up to
done before for two years. and to Walter II. Faunces
house, to see him about doing some work. He then
spoke of going to Boston After sitting there short
my house, and knowing he had come to pay me
pew tax met him, took the money and went back
would not sit there hong; he was afraid he should get
cold. We also spoke Of some stumps had been
him when / had covered my hills / would go
to the place. After finishing the hills we went
to the stumps, and after stopping there
store. told him was not, as Mary T. Johnson
had been down and got what wanted. He asked
some new lots. We passed out by the back end Of
my lot by Mr. Bradford's and Mr. McLaughlins lots,
and by the path that leads to the ste into the ceme
terry. We looked at Mr. Thomas Princes and some
other lots, and then returned to the stile and sat
down on the steps few minutes, and he then told
ten dollar silk ana an every day hat-and asked my
advice as to buying an every day coat, and then
again asked me what he should buy me In Boston.
told MIN to suit himself lie then asked me to
walk a little ways with him. told him was tired,
and thought we had better go home. We then
started He took me by the arm ana drew me down
she road on which his body found. He stepped
up to the bank on the left hand side Of the road,
where his hat found among the trees,
and asked me to come in there. told
him should not, He again asked me to
He then out from among the trees, looking like
madman; caught hold OF me and threw me down,
ME very roughly. l caught up stone that was near
my right hand and struck him with 1t on the side OF
the hair. think We fell once or twice felt must
kill him to save myself but ! cannot remember all
stones on mis- head, then ran over the stile TO the
cemetery pond and washed the blood from my face
and hands. Several times he has attempted some
thing OF this sort before. Once while he was living
at his fathers house, he came TO my house one
stormy night and stayed alinght, where he under
took the same thing. He had given some clothes,
would not wear them after the occurrence, but
gave the pants to Andrew Blanchard OF Plymouth. l
told of this occurrence about that time to- L. Wilson
Barnes now OF Attleboro. He Cornelius Homes)
has always been sorry about these uansac
tions that had forgiven him. then
went home the same way came, and when In my
garden recollect OF seeing Mr.. Wormell ] think he
was going into the side door. waited around the
committee meeting were leaving, and when they
were going out OF the east gate spoke to them. !
cannot a asen papSg and D one e s
ladies' Mrs. Jones, said she should think l would
need an umbrella and lantern. After they had gone
went into the house, took OF my shirt and coat and
nut on Others This was In the dining room l then
wenl into the Kitchen and washed myself then went
ana took the and shirt and buried them down
cellar in the rubbish then went up stairs into Mr..
Wormell's room. took up one OF his compositions,
but did not read It, He read read to me me poem he % had
ham, who was giving ether TO my wife, was
ready TO go home, and then went down and
nv alarm clock up into my room and prepared 10 20
TO bed. then took larger towel, saturated 1t with
ether and inhaled the ether. had been In bed about
an hour when my wife inquired what was the mat
ter, she thought the ether bottle stopper must be
out. 1put out my hand felt OF the bottle and told
her IL was all well. | did not sleep any. got up at
about three O'Clock, put on the pants had on the
night before. and went out to the hen house TO clean
II out slipped down in the hen house and then
went in and changed my pants and partly cleaned
the dirty ones. AT little after Ave O'Clock boy by
the name of Richard Smith came to do some plant
ing for me- went out and told him to dig some
hills on the right hand SIDE Oh the path, and then
plant what few potatoes theIe were LETT on the side
where was at work the night before l then went
In and eat what little breakfast needed, which was
not much | then went to the factory by the road.
When arrived here examined my clothes and found
my robin sleeve,r which rolled up when washed
the night before, was bloody in the folds tore of
part OF the sleeve and threw N the dam. saw
II had lodged on the side and | took broom and
went down and swept 1t into the wasteway. AGer
the mill was started up Mr.; snroul, the baker came
to the factory and inquired OF Inc II knew where
Cornelius WAS. I think asked him II he was not at
home. | then put on my coat 10 go home.
When | arrived ut the foot OF the stairs Mr..
Thomas Newcomp met me and asked what was the
matter. told him Cornelius was missing, and he
asked me what could do about IL, and then said
something like 'Let the Holmses turn out and look
for themselvesn I turned about aud went back,
took OF nv coat and went to work. Shortly
afterwards Mr. Newcomb came up stairs and We
had some conversation, but cannot remember what


II was but he said he was going 70 Rocky Nook, and
N wished to go to the house had better go, or
something TO that erect. went home and found my
wife feeling badly, and she wanted should go and AJAX
Mrs. Peckham 10 come to the house. | started, and