Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-08-11
A REMARKABLE CASE.

The following case of conviction for murder Will,
the parties were in fact innocent, and no murder had
been committed, is one Of the most remarkable in the
history of the world.
1t happened, as will be learned upon rerusal of it,
in Vermont in 1919; and its singular denouement ex.
cited extraordinary attention ut the time
We invite for it n careful Ierusal.
Mr. Darna Doorn, and lis aged partner, were
respectable inhabitants Of Manchester in the
State of Vermont. They were the parents of
a son and two daughters, beside the unhappy
Stephen and Jesse, who figure in the story we
are about to narrate.
Sally one of the daughters, became the wife
OF Russell Colvin, by whom she became the
mother of several children, all of which were
dispersed among their relatives, owing to the
mental arrangement of their father which rem
dcred him incapable of attending to his family
concerns, and of providing for them necessary
support
MIR Colvin was in the habit of frequently alb
scntlng himself without giving any previous in
formation, and rambling in various parts of the
country. At one time he was assent as long as
nine or ten months, after which he was found
IN the State of Rhode Island
About eleven years after his marriage to
Miss Boorn, he was again missing; which, at
,,,,,J ~ ti ''.'e VI ho a'c''' "s II was On
H. ar -. "Iu'u ieSurn as on FORMER occasions
;1, L"o, ~ VI se'eiu' years. "ot'i'hS nav
nS oIo'' nearu Oh hinl' surmises were circulated
that he had been murdered and suspicion
rested on his brother-in-law, Stephen and Jesse
Boorn, as his murderers. This suspicion was
created by reference to the frequent aterca-
tiohs thht had taken place between Colvin and
the Boorns previous to the disappearance of the
former; and to some unguarded expression of
the latter, afterwards intimating that Covn
was dead; and by their occasionally showing
some signs OF compunction.
MIR Boorn, uncle to Stephen and Jesse, n
gentleman of reSpectability and unimpeachable
character dreamed that Russell Covin come to
hs bedside and told him that he had been
murdered, and he must follow him, and he
would lead him to the spot where he was buried.
This was repeated three times. The deposit
was placed talked of previous to the dream,
which was where house hal formerly stood
and under 1t was hole about four feet square,
winch was made for the purpose of buryng po-
tatoes, and then filled up. THIS pit was opened
and nothing discovered but urge knife, pen
knlle and button. Mrs C0vn, anterior to
thelr beng presented to her, described them
accurately, and on seeing them, said they be-
longed to her husband, excepting the small
knife.
lad walking from Mr. Barna Boorn's, at
small distance, with his dog. hollow stump
standing near the path engaged the notice of
the spaniel, which ran to 'he place and back
aS''n. srVer", iim"s' ii''ng up hi% f@"t, on the
10y, MI'h ~uiil'is no'es'as .nouSu 20 "raW tne
LuI ,t g, .'S '',''e ,'asur 20 'nc Pluce wich
r ,''u ','e eNioo'' "a cluster vi "o"es were uru"h
,to"i 'ne loo's Vi .''c stump .! "'e uoS paws
= rur'ner examination was made' ana IN the cav
II! VI 'ie STUMP were lou'iu TWO Soe-hailS' 10
uPPe'la'ice oe'o'iSihs 10 human ioot oihers
"eie ulsoo'eieu III d" cruiipeu sE''e' which, TO
"PP'a'"'o'' n1u P1sSeu t"rousn .he hre. IL
""o NV" ''ii0'uNVG ~! "I'H 'ua' SUM- ""g
leI'S o' ''e no,'! q huSseii GOWN were round
i"c eiuSter VI ooNeS were o'ought oeiore the
cour. OF inquiry lhey were examined by
hullloer h ol PHYSICIANS VINO th0uSht 'hem 10 3e
nuuidh one Oh ,1e prViGsSioh' however 'houSht
o'nei"lse' nr Sahsoury' ABOUT lour years
p'ui'JuS, hau h!s pS s"nputa'eu; whIcn was
nv pui'eu II, 'ie Instance o' Iour OF hNe miles,
nc il'llo "1s uuS up anu, D! comparing II
was uhNersa''y ueter'liheu 'hat the ooneS were
NOT human, however II was clear that the
mans were human' ana so appeared to all be-
holders The bones were IN degree pulver-
neu' Dut some pieces were IN tolerabe state
oi preservation. Suspicious were excited that
the body was burnt, and some part not con-
Sumed cast INTO the stump, and other bones put
among them for deception. Some time after
the departure OF Col'in, barn belonging to
Mr. barna boorn was consumed by fire, acci-
dentally; 1t was conJectured that the body was
taken up and concealed under the barn, and
mostly consumed. About that time, log heap
was burnt 10y the Boorns, near the place where
the body was supposed to be deposited it was
thought by some that it was consumed there.
The subject occupied the attention of almost
every mind in the neiShborhood. 1t seemed as
II the age OF ghosts and hobgoblms had revived,
and that every house was haunted by the ghost
of Colvin. AT length the murdered Colvin ac-
tually appeared, in dream, to a connection of
the Boorns, and declared that he had been
murdered by them, and pointed out the p lace
where he was buried. Upon this miraculous
revelation, all the human passions were called
into operation. Everybody rushed forth to be-
hold the bones of Colyin. The valleys poured
forth groups of wondering men and women,
not few; the mountaineers descended from
the rugged sides of the mountain to gaze, with
trembling awe and quiyering solicitude, upon
the bones of Colvin Timid females, and men
who think and act like timid females, mndonht-
edly, from the effects OF disturbed imaglnatlons,
saw the ghost OF Covin hitting across the de-
chvltles OF the mountains OF walking with SOL
cmn step around the fields All, all was CON
sternation. Every mouth was ready to exclaim,
Murder murder!