Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-08-17


times, and always have seen him attending to
pigs and poultry about the farm. A number
of years after he came there--say some fifteen
years or less can't recollect--two men were
| tried, think il was in Bennington, Vermont,
for the murder of this same man. One was
found guilty Of murder in the first degree and
sentenced to be hanged; the other was sem
tenccd to imprisonment for life.
A lawyer, connected with the trial, deemed
the case a most singular one, and inserted a
notice in the paper inquiung if any ono knew
said Russell Coivin, giving withal descrip-
ton Of the man This caught the eye Of a
brother of Mr. Polhamus, at whose house the
man Colvn was living. He forthwith wrote
to said lawyer, detailing tho above facts
Polhamus and the lawyer were soon on their
way to New Jersey TO see the murdered man.
They found him there, and Colvin knew the
lawyer and called him by name at first sight.
After some persuasion his reluctance to go to
Vermont was overcome, and all three started
north. When they arrived at Bennington,
the court house was soon filed with an ex-
cited community, all anxious to see the dead
man Officers were soon collected, the pris-
oners were brought in. and they, as well as
all the community, recognized Colvin at once.
The prisoners were discharged, Of course.
. Colvins wife and two sons came TO see him,
and used every endeavor TO induce him to go
home and remain with them. All entreaty
proved useless and vain, return 70 New Jer-
sey he would and did, and lived many years
after at the house of Mr.. Polhamus.
A pamphlet was published Of the trial and
all the facts therein stated, which ! was read
ing one evening at the house Of Mr.. POLKA
mus and in the presence of Mr.. Colvin He
muttered all the time ! was reading until
had to lay it aside as he was getting angry
at the sight of it. Mrs. Polhamus said the
sight of the book always enraged him.
To the best Of my recollection, the history
ran thus Colvin and his two brothers-in-
law we're working in the field together, max
ing stone fence. A little son Of Colvin was
near. They got into quarrel, the boy was
scared and ran home. In few hours, on re-
turning. his father was missing he charged
, them with killing his father and they threat
encd his life if he said that again. Years
passed before anything was done in the case,
and 1 think the son started the inquiry him
self as to how his father was disposed Of
The two brothers we're taken up and tried on
the charge Of murder.
They confessed to striking him on the head
with club hat had knot in it, which pen
etrated the back of his head and killed him
that they then threw him into a thicket and
/, concealed him. SO far. it is thought, they
told the truth aud it is supposed that he
came to himself soon after sufficiently to walk
and wandered off as before stated. But the
counsel Of the two brothers told them the
story was not consistent; that he would have
been found had he been left in the thickct
and if they told true and consistent story
of the whole transaction, it was most likely
they could be cleared, or executive clemcncy
would be exercised.
They then confessed that they took him
from there and buried him. and when noise
was made about it, for fear Of detection they
took him up, pounded his bones fine, and
threw him into creek. This last part of
their confession was, Of course, false, to make
the case consistent, as they were urged to tell
where they had buried him, that search might
be made. There is no question bnt they
, struck, and thought they had killed him.
But it is equally true that the same man trav-
elled to New Jersey, and lived many years af-
ter, and died in Monmouth county"
WISE RrBuKE.-The following anec-
$ dote is related of the late excellent JOSEPH
John Gurney Of Earlham by one Of his fani
ly circle:
zone night l remember it well, received
severe lesson on the sin of evil speakiug.-
Severe thought it then, and my heart rose
in childish anger against him who gave it
but did not live long enough in this world
TO know how much mischiefa child's thought
less talk my do, and how often it happens
that takers run off the straight line of truth.
S. did not stand very high in my esteem,
and was about to speak further of her fail
ings of temper. In a few moments my eye
caught look of such calm and steady dis
pleasure that stopped short. There was no
mistaking the meaning Of that dark, speaking
eye. 1t brought the color to my face, and
confusion and shame to my heart. was
silent for few moments, when Joseph John
Quincy asked, very gravey
'Dost thou know any good thing to tell
us Of her ?
- 4 did not answer, and the question was
more seriously asked:
"'Think, is there nothing good thou canst
say'r
"'Would it not have been better, then, to
relato those good things, than to have told us
that which would lower her in our esteem.
Since there is good to relate would it not be
kinder to be silent on the evil for charity
rejoiceth not in iniquity'"
A GRAIN OF GoLD.-Edwart Everett is
the most elegant rhetorican in America 49,
Here is little allegory taken from one of his
agricultural speeches. Is it not gem :
" Drop grain of California gold in the
ground and there it will lie unchanged to
the end of time. The cods on which ia falls
are not more cold and liieess. Drop grain
of our blessed gold into the ground-and 10!
mystery. In few days it softens lit swels
1t shoots upward-it is living thing. 1t
is yellow itself, but it sends up an emerald
green through the soil--it expands to vigor-
GUS stalk-royols in the sunshine--itselfmor
glorious than Solomon, in its broad, lutter-
ing leafy roses, whose sound, as the west wind
whispers through them, falls pleasantly on
the husbandman's ear as the rustic of his
sweethoart's garment; still towers aloft, spins
its verdant skens of vegetable floss, displays
its dancing tasses, surcharged with iertilizing
dust, and at last ripens into two or three
magnificent batons like this (an ear of Indian
corn,) each of which is studded with hun
dreds of grains of gold, every one possessing
the same wonderful properties as the parent
grain, every one instinct with the same pro-
ductive power"
GRowING OLp.-It seems but a summer
I.., ,.,o 10 C.,,-.r1 NTH oouar honas To