American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-30
From the Providence Gazette.

From the Providence Gazette,
REMARKABLE DELIVERANCE FROM DEATH.
\ Or, an account Of Stephen and Jesse BOorn, gcho
mere sentenced to be executed for the alleged
murder If Russell Coicia
There is now lying in the jail Of Providence
county, in this city, a mau who is sentenced TO
die by the hand OF the exccutioner, on the 18th
day of February next. We have no disposition
to impcach the sincerity fthe Jury who found
him guilty still less, If possible, are we inclined
ITO censure the court for Pronouncing the SEN
tenee of the Law, when the verdict of the jury
had rendered the work no longer optional. But
as the prisoner in this case was convicted upon
evidence exclusively circumstantial, and as the
subject of capital punishment itself is engross-
ing no small share of public attention at the
present time, we have been induced to lay be-
fore tho readers Of the Gazette, the history Of a
y most remarkable case intending to show the
unreliable character of this species Of evidence,
however strong, and how remarkable conc-
dence OF circumstances which may sometimes
constitute an apparent complete proof of the
guilt of person, who is in fact all the while
innocent.
The case which we have to present, is not
the less entitled to consideration, Oh account of
Its not being recent one.
More than forty years since, there lived at
Manchester, Vt two brothers, named Stephen
and Jesse Boorn They were, it appears ma
tives OF the place; of humble but respectable
parentage Sally Boom, one of their two sis
tiers, was marred to Russell CoIvin, about the
year 1902. Colvin, always a man of feeble
mind, was offer laborng under actual derange-
ment. When these seasons arrived, he COM
monty left the place; and as he was incapable
of taking care Of his family, wife and two
sons, his absence excited the less iention and
regret. At one time he was gone some nine or
ten months, and was heard OF from this State,
(Rhode Island, as being here
On the 18th day of May, 1918, he suddenly
disappeared. This, as may reasonably be sup
posed, excited but little attention at first, ow
ing to his well known character and habits
1t was supposed that after an absence of a few
weeks or months he would return as usual
Soon after, however, suspicious of foul play
arose, and ruynors were rife that he had been
murdered. Occasional remarks thrown out by
the Boorns, tended TO fasten suspicion upon
"~hem as the perpetrators. Dreams too, it APP
pears, were not wanting to confirm the impress
sion, and to guide the fancies of an illiterate
creduious and excited people, Mr.. Boom, an
uncle to Stephen and Jesse, man of high re-
spectability, dreamed that Russell Covn came
TO his bedside, told him that he had been muir
dered, and stated that if he would rise and fol-
how him, he would lead HIM to the spot where
he was buried. Mr. Boorn appears to have
accepted this proposal The place which he
afterwards pointed out to his neghbors, was
one which had been much talked of previous
to the dream. 1t was spot where house had
formerly Stood Here hole had been made
/. for buryng potatoes, but it was now filled up.
On opening the potato-pit, which was about
four feet square, nothing was found, except a
large knife, penknife, and a button Mrs.
no che To ar h.
ed them accurately, and stated that the large
knife and the button had belonged to her hus-
band.
But there were things more worthy of no.
tice than dreams, or thar the discovery Just
mentioned, which sustained the popular sus-
picon. "A lad with dog one day going from
MIR. Barna Boorns, father of the suspected per-
sons, was stopped by the strange conduct of
the spaniel, which put his feet against his
young master, whned and retreated to little
distance, as though DESTROYS that he should fol-
low him. The boy went accordingly, and
found hollow a, little distance from the path.
The dog drew out number of bones from I'M
der the roots of the stump, and on further
examination being made from the cavity of
the stamp were taken toe-nails, which had the
appearance of having belonged to human
foot Other nails were found in a crumbed
, state, as though they had passed through the
oSfre.
court Of enquiry was held; the bones were
examined by physicians, who, with the excep-
tinn'of one of their number, thought them to
be human.
MIR. Salisbury, it appears, person in the
neighborhood, had had his leg amputated some
years before. The limb, which lay at the dis
lance of four or five miles, was dug up, and
the bones in it were compared with those which
had been found. The result was, that the
bones discovered in the cavity of the stump
were decided not to be human; but the nails
:, found near them, it was agreed on all hands,
had belonged to some one of the human race.
The ingenious creduty Of the populace, too,
found way of accounting for the appearance
of the boues. 1t seems that some of the bones
looked as though they had passed through the
fire, and indeed had in part been pulveIized.-
:, Some time before, barn belonging to Mr..
Barna Boorn, had taken fire accidentally, as
was supposed at the time, and been consumed.
The Boorns had also a log heap burning near
the spot where the murder was supposed to
Nave been committed. Hence the popular no.
ton was that the body had been taken up and
disposed so TO DO consumed at one of these
fires; that the work had been partially effect
ed, and the remaining bones, it was asserted,
were concealed in the stump, having been mix
cd with some not human, in order to avert sus-
pioion in case they should be found.
Suspicious that the Boorns had some guilty
connection with the disappearance and con-
tinued sence of Colvn had now become SO
strong as to occasion the arrest Of Jesse-Ste-