Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-08-16


awe and quivering solicitude upon the bones OF
ColviHi Timid females, and men who think
and act like timid females, undoubtedly, from
the effects of disturbed Imaginations, saw the
ghost Of Colvin fitting the decliyities OF
the mountains or walking with solemn step
around the fields. All, all was CONSERVATION.
Every mouth was ready 10 exclaim, Murder!
murderl
Previous to the excitement, Stephen Boorn,
with his family, moved to Denmark, County OF
Lewis in the State of New York, about 200
miles from the place of his nativity, where they
Were comfortably settled; while Jesse remained
In Manchester, where he was arrested and f-e-
quently brought before court of inquiry. He
at first boldly asserted his innocence: but after
several days confinement and every art made
use of to induce him to criminate himself and
his brother, and being told that confession
would probably be the means of obtaining his
liberty, as strange and unaccountable as it may
appear, he did confess that his brother Stephen
had told him that he (Stephen) had given Col
win q blow, and laid him aside where no one
could find him. Upon this, the authority issued
a warrant to apprehend Stephen. Capt. Tru-
man Hill, grand juryman for the town of Man.
chester, Squire Raymon and Mr.. R. Anderson,
set out for Denmark, and arrived there in three
days. They called on Mr.. E. S. Sylvester, inn
keeper, who in the night, together with a Mr..
Orange Clark and Mr.. Hooper, belonging to the
house of the supposed criminal. Mr.. Clark
went in first, and began some conversation
about temporal concerns; the others surrounded
the house and he was easily taken. The sur
prise and distress of Mrs. Boorn on this occa-
sion are not easily described; they excited the
compassion of those who had come to take away
her husband, and they made her some presents.
The prisoner was put in irons and brought to
Manchester. He peremptorilv asserted his inno-
cence, and declared that he knew nothing about
the murder of his brother-in-law. The prison.
ers were kept apart for a time, and assigned to
seperate cells. Nothing material transpired.
and they were afterward confined in one room.
Stephen denied the evidence brought against
him by Jesse, and treated him with severity
Both the prisoners were repeatedly admonished
to pay the strictest regard TO truth. Many days
were taken up in public examinations of the re-
puted criminals. Circumstantial evidence was
brought forward which was much against them,
and they were bound over to await their trial at
| the sitting of the Supreme Court. TO be held at
Manchester on the third Tuesday of September,
1919.
Jesse Boorn, after an interview with his broth
| er denied that Stephen ever told him that he
killed Colvin, and that what he reported about
| him was false For some time they both contin-
ued to assert their innocence; but being told
that they would undoubtedly be convicted up
on the testimony already against them, and
| hopes of pardon boing hold out if they would
confess the crime at last Stephen wrote state
ment of what he said were facts, in which he
acknowledged he killed Colvin, deposited him
in the place where the knife and button were
found; that he took the bones from that place
and put them under his fathers barn, which
was soon after burned and the body principally
| consumed.
A person in Jail with them, for perjury, testi-
| fled TO full confession of the murder, made to
him by Stephen and Jesse, and it was so art
fully framed, so corroborated by other facts that
it had great weight with the Court and Jury.
| though it was wholly false. But he had his end
answered-he got bail by this means and went
| off,
| During the interval, the prisoners were fire.
quently visited by the Rev. Mr.. Haynes, in his
official capacity; but they did hot discover any
symptoms of compunction, persisting in declar-
ing their innocence, with appeals to Heaven
Stephen, particularly. at times appeared absorb
ed in passion and impatience. One day Mr..
Haynes introduced the example of Christ under
sufferings, as pattern worthy of imitation; he
exclaimed 81 am as innocent as Jesus Christi"
for which extravagant expression he was reprov-
ed; he replied, 81 don't mean that am guilt
less as he was; know l am a great sinner; but
l am as innocent of killing Colvin as he was"
The court sat in September, and judicious and
impressive charge was given to the grand jury
by his honor Judge Doolittle, and a bill of in
dictment was presented against Stephen and
Jesse Boorn; but as it was not full court the
| trial could not commence.
The Court was accordingly adjourned to the
26th of October, 1919. 1t was with much diff
Guilty that Jury was obtained. But few could
be found who had not expressed their opinion
against the prisoners. The Hon. Judge Skin
ner and Mr.. L. Sergeant were counsel for the
prisoners. MIR. G. Sheldon was employed in
behalf of the State. The counsel on both sides
displayed much zeal and ability. The trial
commenced on Tuesday, the 9th day Of Octo-
Der, and continued until the Saturday night fol-
lowing.
An indictment was presented, containing a
charge against Stephen and Jesse Boorn for the
murder of Russell Colvin, to which they pleaded
"Not guilty" The occasion excited uncommon
interest. Six hundred people attended each
day during the trial.
Before the introduction of any testimony, Mr..
Skinner made motion that as the prisoners
had pleaded severally "Not guilty" they might
be allowed separate trials
The Court ruled that Stephen and Jesse Boorn
should be jointly tried for the murder of Russell
Colvin.
About fifty witnesses were successfully eX-
3inlneu, Dnt as tney were only cOrrOb0ratlye OF
each other, all tending to prove the leading facts,
and too volumiRous for this brief sketch, none
but the principal testimony will here be intro
duced.
Thomas johnson, being sworn. said-I was a
neighbor to the Boorns and Colvin; in the early
part OF the month of May, seven years ago last
Spring, saw one morning Stephen Boorn, Jesse
Boorn, Russell Colvin, picking up stones; they
appeared to be in a quarrel; l had full view of
them, although they could not see me; have
never seen Russell since; Stephen said he was
not in the field picking stones al the time Col
vim went off, but that he went off at that time;
Jesse while in prison told me that he was as
ssting in shoeing horse when Colvin went off;
Stephen said the woodchuck they had for din
ner the day before Colvin went off was killed
by him when mending fence for Mr.. Ham,
mond; having purchased the land where this
quarrel took place, the children found and
brought home an old. moldy, rotten hat; knew
it to be the hat of Russell Colvin; in the cellar
hole stood a thrifty apple-tree. about three feet
high which was taken away the season after l
noticed it.
Lewis Colvin (son of Russell Colvin) said
that at the time Colvin went off he was picking
stones with him and Stephen and Jesse Boorn;
that quarrel arose between Stephen and Col
win; that Colvin struck Stephen first; that Ste
phen knocked Colvin down with a club, and
that he (the witness) ran away, and saw no
Blood that Stephen told him not to tell that he
struck Colvin; and that he has never seen Colyin
| since.
Truman Hill stated that he had the keys of
the prison in which the Boorns were imprison-
ed; that he exhorted Jesse to tell the truth, and