New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-04

u
Boorns present reported arrest and confession its To-
readers of The TRIBUNE.
REMARKABLE CASE.
THE SUPPOSED MURDERERs PROVED INNOCENT.
The following case Of conviction for murder while the par
ties In fact innocent aud murder had been comted
l. one OF the the history Of the world
IL happened, will be learned upon perusa of IT, In Yer
Ia9 aud lie singular denouemen excited extraordinary
stteution at the time.
We invite for 1t car eful perusal
Mr.. Barna Boorn, and his aged partner, were re-
spectacle inhabitants of Manchester in the State of
daughters beside the unhappy Stephen and Jesse, who
figure In the story We are about to narrate
Sally, ope of the daughters became the wife If Rus
sci CovD, by whom she became the mother Of several
children, s of which dispersed among tbeir rel
stives, owing TO the mental arrangement Of their
father, which rendered hin Incapable of attending to
bis family concerns, and of providing for them NO
cessary support
Mr. Colvn was in the habit of frequently abssutiug
hint elf without giving any previous nfor nation and
rambling in various parts of the country. At time
be was absent az long as nine or ten months, after
which lie was found in the State Of Rhode leland.
About eleven years after his marriage TO Mis-, Boorn
he was again missing; which, at the tme Caused little
,r slsrm IS it was expected he would return
(, rner OCCASIONS. But after lapse o. several years.
nothing having been heard OF MIN, surmises
latsd that ne Lid been murdered and suspicion rested
on his brother n-la Slept and Jesse Boom, 80 his
nurderers This suspicion created By a reference
10 the FREQ uedt aercaioLs that had taken place
tween Co viz and the Boorrs evious 10 the disap-
ne. of the fnrmer5 AID II some uDgnarded
Ire ssion of the latter wards Dtnatug hat Col
win deac; ana by their occasionally showing some
sigrs of eouuI melton.
A Mr.. BoorD, uncle 10 Stephen and Jesse, geatle.
nan OF respeetatiity and mpsachable character,
Dreamed that Russell Colvin come ~ his bedsids aud
told him thai he had been murdered and ne must fol-
low him. and he would rad him 10 tho spot where he
was turied. This was repeated t5ree times. The de-
pcsit was a place talked Of previous TO the dream
whi b was where house had formerly stood and
il u hole about four feet square, which vas
made for the purpose OF burylng potatoes and then
filled up. Thus pit was opened, and nothing discov-
sred but large knife, penkIe, and hilton. Mrs.
Colyin anterior 10 their being presented TO her, de
sciibed them accurately, and on seeing them, said
they belonged 10 her husband, excepting the small
knife.
a lad walking from Mr.. Berba Boorn's at small
distance, with hIs dog hollow stump standing
to path eIgsg.d the notice Of ihe spaniel, which
TO The place, AID back again, several times, lifting up
bis feet on the boy, with whining noes, az though to
draw the attention Of his little master to the place;
which had the effect. cluster Of bones were drawn
frCm the roots Of the stump, by the dogs pa sc.
Further examination was made, and in the cavity Of
the stump were found two toe-Das to appearance
belong ny to human foot; Others dis covered IN
crumbied state, which, to appe arance, had passed
through the fire. II concluded by many tn
SOME frsgmelts Of the body Of Russell Covin were
found. The cluster If bones We're Brought before ths
Court of Inquiry. They were examined by Q number
Of by siciaus bo ,boogpt them to be human one Of
The profession, however, thought other ~ise. NJ.
Sails ury about four years previous, had his leg ampu
taed, which buried at tue distance Of four or I've
mlts. The limb dug up, and by CON pairing, II
was univer sally determined that the bones not
uuan. However il Was clear that the nails were
human ard -o appeared to all beholders The bones
ere in degres pulverized, but some pieces were in
toerate state of preservation. Suspicious were ex
cied hst the body burnt, aud some part not con-
csst into de stump, aud other bones put among
item for DECEPTION. Some time after the departure OF
ColvD, barn beorging to M. Barna Boorn was cou-
p.d by lire, accidentally ~as conJsctued that the
boCy taken up and concealed under the barn, and
osily consumed. Abou that time, a log heap was
burn, by the Boorns. the place where the body
as supposed 10 10 deposited; it thought by some
that II WIS consumed there
The subject cu,ed the attention of almost every
mind in the neighborhood. II seemed if the age Of
ghosts and bobgobtns had revived, AID that every
houte haunted by the ghost OF Colyin AT length
The murdered Colyin actually appeared In DEAN, to
connection Of Boorns and declared that he had been
mu dered by them and pointed OFT the place where he
was buried. Upon this miraculous revelation, Nil the
uu sn psssi0ns were called into operation. Every
body rushed forth to behold the bones of Covn. The
yaileys poured forth groups Of wondering men and
women, not few; the mountaineers descended from
the rugged si6ee Of the mountain TO gaze, with rem.
bling awe and qniverpg eocilude, upon the bones OF
Covin Timid females aud men who think aod acs
like timd females undoubtedly from the effects Of dis
turbed imsgnations saw the ghost OF Colyin fitting
across the decves Of the mountains or walking with
sole mn Ftep around the fields Ali, all was conssrna
ton. Every mouth was ready to exclaim, Murder
murder!
Previous TO the general excitement, Stephen Booru,
with his family moved TO Denmark County Of Lewis,
in the State Of Eew-York, about two hundred mies
from the place Of his nativity, where they
forably settled; while jesse remained in Manchester,
wLere he was arrested aud freq ienty brough before
court Of inquiry. He at frst boldly asserted his In
nooence but, after several days confinement, and
every arr made use Of to induce him 10 crminate him
te end bis brother. and being told that confession
would Proba y be the means Of obtaining his Liberty,
as strange and unaccountable II may appear, he did
confess tha, his brother Stephen had told him that he
lSephen) had given Colvn blow, and LAID him aside
' here could find him. Up,n this, the Authority
Issued warrant to apprehend 'Steph-n. CAPT Tru-
man Hill, grand jurymsn for the town Of Manchester,
Squire Raymond, and Mr.. r. Anderson, set Gu. Tor
Denmark, and arrived there In three days. Ihey
called ON M Eleazsr s. Sylvester, iunkeeper, who In
the night together with Mr. Orange Clark sno NJ.