Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1885 — A CELEBRATED CASE. [ARTICLE]

A CELEBRATED CASE.

The Crouch Murder—A Concise History of Michigan’s Dark Tragedy. Jaoob D. Crouch went from New York gtate many years ago to Michigan, and there engaged in fanning near Jackson. He prospered in ail his enterprises, and amassed a large fortune. Besides his farm, which was one of the largest and best in the State, he owned exten ive tracts of land In Texas, and was largely interested in stock raising, both In the West and here. About twenty-five years ago his wife died, leaving an Intant girl named Eunice. Besides this ohild there were three sons and a daughter. The latter had already been married to Daniel Hotoomb, and lived on the latter s farm, adjoining that of her father. Jndd Crouch, then a mere boy. lived wjth Mrs. Holcomb. De was a cripple, and for many years was not exj ected to live, but while with his sister his father paid for his care. The two other sons. Byron Sad William, were in Texas, superintending the estate there, in which both were Interested. The Holcombe did not prosper. Mortgages and debts accumulated, and when compromises could not be made they wonld appeal to Mr. Crouch for assistance Many times he gave them large sums of monev. Onoetbev presented him with a bill for $10,1 0 » for supporting Jndd from lnfanoy, and when, after some high words, he paid It, he threatened them with disinheritance. The old man, ss the years crept upon him. grew morose and gloomy. He lived in his great house alone with his daughter and the servants. For several years when she was away at college he was quite alone, and was seen but rarely. On her return a tew years ago, a beautiful and accomplished girl, she introduced some life Into the old home, and, »s her father was in failing health, Bhe took upon herself the duty of attending to his correspondence and keeping bis books. In the course of time Eunice was wooed and won bv Henry White, a young business man of Jackson, and Mr. Crouch consented to their union on the promise that they would live with him. This was assented to, and White took np his residence at the Crouch homestead. During the last year of his life Crouch frequently talked of his Oraslness affahs in the presence of the Holcombs and his daughter Eunice. It was understood that before long he would call his heirs together and divide hie property between them. He did not wish tw make aaavlll, and. he thought it would be more satisfactory all around to dispose of the property by deed. For some reasoh, however, this* was postponed from time to time. Presently there came a prolonged quarrel between the old gentleman and the Holcombs over the settlement of some of their indebtedness. He held several of thair notes and a mortgage or two on their property, which the understanding was should be deducted from their share in the estate when the time for settlement should arrive. On the morning of Nov. 22, Bolles, a little negro boy, who was employed about the houge, ran to a neighboring fanner's, and, almost speechless with fright, said that Mr. Crouch had been murdered. Hurrying to the house, tho neighbors discovered Mr. Crouch dead in his bed with a bullet hole in hie temple. In the spare room, adjoining, was found the dead body of Moses Polly, a cattle buyer f ora M6rcer County, Pennsylvania, who had accepted the hospitality of the Crouches for the night, and had lost his life in consequence. He also had been shot in the head. Both men lay in their beds as if they had never moved after receiving their death wounds. Going into the apartments occupied by Eunice and her husband the young couple were also found dead. White had received but one wound, like the others, but Eunice was shot four times, twice in the head aad twice In tne body. The negro boy and the servant girl, who slept in another part of the house, were closely cateohised, and both adfnitted that they heard the shooting, but declared they were' paralyzed with fright and were unable to move until daylight. Although there was little reason to believe them guilty they were placed under arrest. A hasty search of the house revealed the fact that nothing had been taken but the blue and gold box on the whatnot, although there was over SI,OOO in money in the house' and much valuable jewelry. The night on which the murder was perpetrated was one that had been waited for. It was of inky darkness and a fur.ous rain-storm prevailed. The wind blew almost with the violenoe of a tornado, and the noise made by the warring . elements was such as to serve a murderer’s purpose well. Nobody would be on the highway on such a night, and the sound of a revolver shot would be drowned Instantly by the tumult of the winds. There was one footprint, however, which the rain did not obliterate. Under a window en the west side of the house was the mark of a rubber boot or shoe, showing that somebody had! stood there and watched while the murderer was at his work Inside. Everything, connected with the case indicated that the murder had been done by somebody familiar with the house and the habits of Its occupants. Without doubt the guilty parties knew where the servants slept, for after the shooting they opened the stair door and listened. Had the servants-made the least sign of wakefulness they, too, would have been slain. Suspicion attached to the Holcombs, though no arrests in that quarter were made.' It was found that a man in Holcomb’s employ, .named Foy. had a pair of rubber boots which fitted the track made by the window. - Mrs. Holcomb took to her bed after the murder*and refused to see auy one, but her deposition was taken soon afterward. She admitted that' Halcombhad got np in the middle, of the night to go out and shut the barn door, which was slamming, but denied that be was- absent long. Byron Crouch come home from Texas and 1 remained a few weeks, returning then to hkt. ranch, after putting the Pinkertons to work on the case. Soon after his departure foi home Mrs. Holcomb was iortnd dead in . beck under circumstances indicating that she had oommltted suicide, but, after an invest! gation* the coroner’s jury found that, her death was oaused by heart disease. At the inquest In thocase of the Crouch murders, which dragged along most of the winter,, the only Important evidence introduced was that of a hardware-dealer in Jackson,, who testified that several weeks bofore tho tragedy Daniel Holcomb purchase ! of him o 38-oallber revolver. This was-the size of tho-pistol with 1 which the shooting had been done. Holcomb - denied that he ever, owned a revolver of any i kind, and positively swore that he bad never ; been in the hardware store spokemot ; A close surveillance, however* wus kept on 1 Holcomb and Jndd Crouch, and detectives hung about the old homestead with greatupersistence. Several amateur detectives busied themselves en the case, and some of them wene< threatened ; by the hired man Four and by Judd; Crouch. One day For went, to Union City with the fn--1 tention of killing D. J. F.a-ton. editor of the 1 A* eg inter, but mistaking Elmer,Shules to be the I gentleman lor whom he was searching, shot and j dangerously wounded him. Foy then returned home’ and lay down on a lounge*, where he waa. afterward found- dead with a pistol by his side and a wound imbiis head. Physicians testified, upon the bolding of an< invest gation into the mattor, that it was Impossible that Foy had committed suicide, audi the jury rendered a decisiomin accordance with* their testimony. This tragedy was followed:in a few days by a> murderous attack ou DetecUve Brown. who was at work on the'ease. One night Mr. Brown was. riding along the highway netr the place where the murder was commit ted,when ho was stopped, by two men, one of whom inquired: “Is yourname Brown?" Beceivinma reply in the affirmative, the-spoaker drew a - revolver and firod, the. ball taking effect in Brown's thigh and causing a badi wound. The twio men then tied) andi Brown made his way to Horton, from which, place h»-telegraphed to Jackson charging Judd Crouch with the attempt upon his life and demanding bis arrest. The demand was, complied with and the prisqner was arraigaed and released on bail. On March 1, Judd Cranob.and Daniel Holcomb were arrested charged with the murder of Jacob D. Crouch. After a preliminary trial they were > dmitted to bail In s2o,puo each. On the ‘filth of March,Lorenzo D. Beaux.a former who became lnsane on tho ilHt from, brooding over the murder, died after seven days of terrible suffering, and an April 13, A. H, Log*, who imagined himself bhe murderer of the Croueb fonjily, committed* suicide. On th*2£d:of April Joseph Allen was arrest! d in Canada ot arged with being the prineip *1 m the Crouch murder, but was soon after'released. Tne-case was called In May, 1884, but adjournments, tedious examinations, and cross-examinations of witnesses, the elaborate arguments, of oonnsel, and other matters have delayed tho verdict, which was not rendeeod till the sccoad week in January.—New York Herald.

A WisoOKsm farmer who buried SSOO in. an oyster can has taken fcho nu recognizable pulp that remains to Washington, to try and have it redeemed. The Treasury experts were unable to identify any of die notes, and the fanner wifi have to appeal-te Congress, and exercise more judgment! in future. 4 A little gW at Wind Gap, Pa., has ears that are bent forward’and grown fast to the face. She is bright and her hearing is very acute. Gov. of Maine, is an advocate at