The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-01-11
BY Thu. MAILS.
CASE OF RUSSEL COLyIN.-

| have 10 inform yousthat the trial orthf case
you allude TO. and all the propeedikgs dkeIein
will soon be published, and eoktbens accom-
nodaie you, but il ia oui Of ny p6wer at pre-.
sent 10 give you full and. correct statement
Of all The evidence had slthe case, &c. Rus
sci Colsin married dsxhier Of a Mr.. Boorn,
and lived in bis family 1ndi he sbsconded,
which was in the yea 1879. The last in
formation they bad OF him.he went into field
TO wySepVnh Jesse and Stephen Boom. As
he had not been heard of for number Of
years, Jesse and Stephsd wepes strongly sus-
Pec,ed OF having murde red him. IA last they
we're apprehended, and con6pedsSt trial, and
after being confined awhile, Asnd every one
telling them they must suffer, and they being
ignoran. of lieirsituation, and without friends,
they we've. SO wrought upon, that they despair.
ed themselves, and undertook to introduce
fraud into their defence, which you know is
often dong in such cases. though this is Of an
uncommon hiad.. The first plan suggested
was thus--Jesse says to Stephen, i" We shall
all .hs huQg, and believe we had better send
and get the old man tssesning their falberl to
come and confess that he killed Colvia, and
they may pardon him, hc'bsisg an old man"
and accordingly they sent for him and made
the proposition 10 him, that he should confess
The murder and save them and the family
The old gentleman readily told them he could
not accede to their proposal, for he was not
guilty. Jesse then proposed 10 Stephen that
they should themselves confess the crime.
Stephen told him he would 60 his halves but
Jesse was too cowardy, and after repeated so.
licitatons, Stephen made up his mind to take
il upon himself, and save the lives Of the rest
of the tan'ily-being strongly impressed with
a belief that they must all suffer death.
Accordingly he made confession in wri-
ting that he killed Colvin in the field, and bu
ried him and that his brother Jesse saw him
do it, although be did not assist him, and re-
lated all the circumstances-ihat he dug the
body up, eighteen months after the murder,
and put il under barn which shortly after
was burnt, and thai was the way the bones
were destroyed. Jesse confessed he saw his
brother commit the act-and from these con
LESSONS they were both convicted Of The muir
der Of Colvin. Il is now ascertained, how
ever, that they are both innocent, and that
Colvin went off privately and,was never heard
from until NJ. Chadwick gave 'he Information
IN New York paper. Blu, few believed il
until Colvin himself arrived in Manchester,
which was announced by the firing Of cannon,
and The people assembled in immense numbers
TO see The man they really supposed had been
murdered many years-You can more easily
imagine than can describe the feelings Of the
Boorn family aud their connections which they
must have experienced on such an event. Il
has made q very considerable excitement in
the minds OF The people in this quarter Of the
! ~-@sume that courts and juries
with US will in faure be more cxuiious in their
convictions. Respectfully. &c.
In addition 10 The above We learn from the
Rutland Herald. ihs, the corporation OF New.
york with much liberaily advanced the money
TO convey Colvin home. lie arrived II Man.
chester on Wednesday the Esd ut.-S,e phen
Boorn was Immediately sat at liberty-5O
guns were fred in testimony OF the public Joy !.
the first OF which was discharged by Stephen
Boom. Jesse Boorn was in the state prison,
but was Immediately released. A report Of
the trial is published at Rutland.
UTICA, IN. ~ DEC. 90.
SING UL.4R sEXPLOIT--A singular con-
dict with large Pohther, is related to have taken
place few days since, in Jefferson county. Mr..
Rich, formerly the conductor Of q newspaper in
WATERFOWL, went out to examine some traps
which had been set for wolves, and found a
Panther caught in one of them. Tie returned,
and procured friend to accompany him, for the
purpose Of bringing in the animal alive. When
they arrived at the trap, they found that the
Panther had disengaged itself and escaped.
They soon scovered 1t at no great distance.
Mr.. Rich advanced towards it, and his COM
panion retired and left him. Nj. 4. fired and
shot the Panther through I e head. Having dis
covered what he supposed to be another, he
instantly loaded and fired again, but found he
had mistaken his object lmme dately how
ever, he perceived a large one advancing to-
wards him, which sprang at him fereely, with
its mouth open, before he could load his piece.
He thrust his hand into the mouth of the Panther,
and caught hold of its tongue The Panther
scratched furiously, but Mr.. r.. kept his hold,
until he took from his pocket jack knife, which
ne opened with the assistance Of tbs teeth, and
cut the threat Of the Panihcr.-Both the Pan
theirs were afterwards brought into WATERFOWL.
Mr.. r. was badly scratched, and his clothes
nearly torn off -Putnam's exploit with the vol
was a fool to this
Bosrox, JAN. 8.
The amount Of disbursements made during tho