The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-03-12
"ETERNAL HOSTILITY
LOUIS o. CowAN, Editor & Proprietor.
WISC,NlMAYlN0USS
Circumstantial Evidence.
A TRUE STORY.

TOtly-'uItc ycaIs upO t1ert HNeu ln tue
vicinity Of Manchester, VT, two men by
the name Of Bovine, aud another, brother in
law to the Bownes, by the name OF Colyin.
These three men lived with their families in
log cabins, upon new territory, 4 little out
Of the way OF neighbors, where they often
worked together in clearing the land, or
planting and tending their crops. As il was
then the universal custom in that now total
abstinence state to drink whiskey to excess,
Il followed as a matter Of course that there
was an occasional quarrel, and sometimes
a drunken row, such as would pass muster
even at this day in New York. Our in
formant stated, also, that the women were
not exempt entirely from spititual influenc-
es. Each Of the parties had children, we
believe; at any rate Colvin had several, and
some OF these, in his drunken moments, he
denied the right oi calling him father, and
this produced quarrels between him and his
wife. In these, as the Bownes alleged, he
shamefully belied and abused their sister,
and for which they had been often heard to
threaten him with vengeance-,he witness
said with death. In this state Of family
difficulties they were living. when one day,
while at work together, either planting or
hoeing crop, the brothers and brother in
law got into quarrel-so afterward said
the women, who alone witnessed it-during
which Colvin disappeared.
OF course everybody believed that the
Bownes had murdered and secreted the
missing Colvin. To all inquiries the same
tale was told, that be had gone oil, no one
knew why or where, and nowhere could he
be heard Of by personal inquiries or through
the press. Newspapers were not the insti-
tutions then that they are now. The Bownes
acknowledged that in the quarrel one Of
them struck Colvin pretty severe blow on
the head with his hoe, but that il did not
disable him, because he Immediately walked
oil, and went directly into the woods, hat
less and coa,less, and barefoot; and as he
was not again seen or heard Of, they began
to believe, in the course Of the seven years
that interviewed between that time and their
trial and condemnation for his murder, that
he had crept away into some hole in the
woods, and there died Of the wound in his
head, Of which they had no means of know
ing whether 1t was severe or not. They
only knew that blood flowed freely from 1t,
but that he walked away as strong as ever.
OF course no indictment could be found
against Colvin's supposed murderers, be-
cause the strongest proof Of his death, his
corpse, was undiscovered; and thus the
case rested for seven long years, everybody
his wife included, looking upon his children
as fatherless and upon her brothers as gull
" at least Of mans!aughter.
About that time the field where they were
at work at the time Of Colvin's disappear
ance came into tho possession Of q man who
had always believed the Bownes guilty Of
murder, and, as they said, determined to
prove them guilty; and he commenced a
thorough search OF the premises, and found
in a sort Of sink hole, partly filled with logs,
and oyergrown with bushes and briers, some
buttons, sworn TO by the widow as having
belonged to the coat that Colyin wore upon
the day he was murdered. A jackknife
which he usually carried in the pocket Of
the coat was also found and near the same
spot were discovered several bones which
had belonged to human being. or the
buttons and jackknife there could be no
doubt, not even In the mind Of the Bownes,
because they knew he did not wear his
coat away. or the bones being those Of the
murdered man there was a doubt, because
men Of good judgment testified they were
too old, and tina, IL Colvin's they would not
only be sound, but more Of them. Where
was the remainder Of the skeleton? This
question was often put, bu, never answered.
And so the two Bownes were indicted and
put upon their trial for murder. Then all
these contradictory statements made in sew
en- years were introduced, and contrasted
with their reservations OF that moment when
they were environed with danger, and aux.
ious to escape a charge Of which they were
not guilty, 80 far as Of intentional murder,
although fully believing that Colvin had
died from the effects Of that affiay. As
usual in all cases admitting Of doubt, there
was a party IN their favor, which was not
entirely silenced by verdict OF guilty of
murder in first degree against the elder
brother, who struck the blow with the hoe,
as was proved that he acknowledged, to-
gether with threats MADE against Colvin's
life; and verdict Of manslaugh,er, or ac-
cessory TO murder, against the other brother,
under which one was sentenced to be hung,
and the other TO the state prison for life
But these doubts were all removed when II
came out, after the conviction, and while
the one sentenced to be hung was awaiting
the time fixed for his execution, that he had
confessed to the murder. This confession,
duly prepared by some one who had access
to the prisoner, was published, and settled
the case against the doubters. In the
meantime the other brother, who had gone
to his life imprisonment, was looked upon
as hardened villain, because he persisted
in asserting their innocence. II was an as
sertion that availed Just as much, and no
more, than il did when they were borne
down by tornado Of prejudice, and con-
sicted without evidence Of guilt.
"But why did you make the confession ?"
we asked the convicted man.
'Because life was still dear, and | was
assured that that was the only way to save
IL. was told that il would only confess,
my punishment might be commuted, and
might Join my brother. Anything, thought,
rather than the gallows. knew ! had been
wicked man, and thought lie to save
my lite was not very great sin, as II would
give me more time for repentance. could
not read or write, and scarcely knew what
the paper contained that was told to put
my name 10. | soon found what II was
wanted for. 1t vas not to save my llie, but
to prove to my friends that my condemns-
ton Was just. | soon found that had moth
ing to hope--,hat must die On the gal
lows"
While one is toiling in prison, and the
other within three weeks OF death, let US
visit farm house in New Jersey, and look
IN upon quiet, pleasant scene, where the
head Of the family is reading to those gath
cred around to hear the news which, New