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


county, N. Y, at the distance of 1875 miles
Jesse was accordingly taken into custody on
Tuesday, the 9th day of April, and search
was made in many places for the body These
searches, however, proved unavaing, aud
Jesse was about to be set at liberty, when from
some cause which it is difficult to perceive, OH
Saturday, about o O'clock, he. in trembling
voice, made a disclosure of the fact and man
ner of the murder. He stated that one day,
when Stephen and Colvin we're hoeing in
field called the Glazier lot, quarrel arose be-
tween them. Colvin attempted to run away;
but Stephen, telling him by blow on the back
part of the head with club or stone, left him
apparently dead. He said he knew not where
the body was buried; but he mentioned several
places where he thought it might be found
Search was accordingly made, but to no pur
pose
A deputation of three respectable citizens
was now sent to New York, furnished with
warrant for the apprehension of Stephen. They
proceeded with such expedition as to reach the
place in three days. Accompanied by Mr..
Sylvester, the inn-keeper together with two
other citizens, they repaired to the house of
Mr.. Stephen Boorn, in the night, and arrested
him without any difficulty. He denied the
participation in, or knowledge of the murder,
III lIiG fiOst pOSlLNC IeIHiS. Ills WIZ was Well
nigh distracted with grief. The unwelcome,
but honest visitors, touched by her distress,
pacified her as well as they could and made
her some presents.
Stephen was put in irons, brought to Man
chester, and at first confined in cell apart from
his brother. Soon afterwards, however, the
two were confined IN the same room. Stephen
betrayed great Indignation at what he asserted
to be the false charges of Jesse, and maintain
ed severe department towards his brother
The prisoners were objected TO examination
of many days. Jesse, after an interview with
Stephen, recanted his previous declaration re-
Specting the guilt of his brother, asserting that
the statement which he had been induced to
make was false. But another witness now APP
peared. Lewis Colvin, son of the man who
was supposed to have been murdered, testified
that lac saw his uncle Stephen knock down his
father, was frightened and ran home. The
prisoners were fully committed to take their
tria! at Manchester at the next term of the Su-
preme Court
Meanwhile they persisted in declaring their
innocence to the visiting clergyman and to 9TH
ers, appealing TO Heaven for the truth of what
they uttered. II am as innocent as Jesus
Christ" said Stephen to the minister. Being
reproved for tho extravaganza Of the express
sion, he said, 81 do not mean to say that am
as guitless as he was. know am great sin
ner; but am as innocent OF killing Colvin as
he was."
The prisoners were indicted in September
but owing to the absence of some of the Judges
their trial was deferred. 1t finally commenced
on Tuesday, October 27, 1919, and continued
until the next Saturday night On being ar
raigned and listening to the indictment, the
prisoners pleaded MOI Guilty. The public
manifested great interest in the trial; and six
hundred people are said to have attended each
day At the close of the evidence and the ar
guments of counsel, the case was given to the
Jury, who, after an hours absence returned in
to Court. Being individually inquired of, they
unanimously decided both the prisoners to be
guilty of murder After the reading of the
verdict, and the succession of u short recess,
his Honor Judge Chase, evidently with great
emotion, pronounced, as the decision of the
court, the sentence: "That the prisoners be re-
manded to prison, and that on the 2Sth day of
January next, between the hours of 10 and 2
O'Clock, they be hanged by the neck until
each of them be dead, and may the Lord have
mercy on their souls.''
Great was the confusion and anguish of the
prisoners on hearing their sentence. Amid
signs, and i'll broken words, they most solemn
ly and earnestly protested tlleis innocence. As
they were being carried back to PRISON, Ste
phen, too much overcome to be able to walk,
was snpportedby the attendants.
The people, who are never wanting in senti-
ments Of pity, unless they have extraordinary
motives to be cruel, petitioned the Legislature
then in session at Montpelier, for commuta-
ton of the punishment Of death for imprison-
ment for life. Only few names, however,
could be procured to the petition of Stephen
The Assembly granted Jesse's request--yeas
l0l, nays 81; and refused Stephen s-yeas AZ,
nays 81. Gov. Galusha brought the decision
to the prisoners, who respectively received it as
might have been expected and on the goth of
October, Jesse, after taking final farewell of
his brother, his family and his friends, at Man
chester, was carried to the State Prison at
Windsor, expecting there to spend the remain
der of his life.
Stephen, it may well be supposed, was now
in the most pitiable condition. Sometimes he
was calm, at others impatient, and having been
allowed candle in his cell, he, at the request
of the clergyman to whom we have alluded,
spent considerable part of his time in reading
the Bible. To this gentleman he still continu-
ed to assert his innocence, butsaid, "Mr. -,
| see no way but must die. But am an in
nocent man. This you will know after am
dead. o, what will become of my poor wife
and chldren?" Having requested the minister
to pray with him, he stood in his heavy chains
during the service.
A Mr.. Taber Chadwick, of Shrewsbury, N.
Jersey, saw an account of the trial of the
Boorns at Manchester He was brother-in-
law of MIR. William Polhamus, of Dover, New
Jersey, where Colvn had lived since 1918. He
immediately wrote to Manchester the impor-
tant news that CoEpin Was alive! This startling
but joyful intelligence, it may well be supposed,
produced a great sensation. When the letter
was read to the unhappy prisoner, he could
Scnrcely sustain the shock: and to annea "a nee