New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-07
THE BOORN MURDER CASE.

home again, s the facts concerning which affair were
set forth in THF TRIBUNE Of Saturday, Was last
WedI esdsy, at Cleveland, sentenced to 1--WE years
inprisonnent for counterieiting His age Is now rs
years
Tie interest attaching to the original case having
been revived by the reported confession OF Boom that
the man who respEeared was person hired to per-
sonaie the victim has called forth communications
from various quarters. Among are the following;
To u. Editor Of TIE N J. T"ssEe 80,
marvellous story of old Jesse Boom re.conies
sion of poor Calyin's murder, as narrated IN HE
TRIBuSE of August involve principles OF such prac
teal interest in moral aud intellectual philosophy,
together with facts of such Importance In the history
Of criminal jurisprudence, that II is exceedingly desira-
BILE the truth should be known, and the present value
of Boorns re-confesson examined. The alleged muir
derer who in the year 1919 twice denied and twice
circumsanliay confessed. now, after more than 4O
years Of apparently honest living, and when verging
upon state of senile and parsytic dotsge again re-
peais Biz confession Of the murder of Russel Colvn
This story as told by the Cleveland papers and
published in The TRIBUNE would tend 10 produce the
impression that Jesse Boorns confessions true,
that his erratic brothernlaw murdered, and that
Colvin Teputed return to Vermont just in time to
fave the condemned murderers from the execution OF
the law penalty, was shrew deception.
In view of these considerations, 1 desire TO put on
public record few facts that have direct and I'm
portant bearing upon the case in question They relate
TO the most important points affecting the identity OF
Russel Colyin and establishing the yeracity OF the
persons concerned in producing him propr'a persona
and alive the prison doors Of his alleged murdeTels
Major james Wheipley the gentleman who sought
out ard conveyed Co!vin from his distant hiding place
in the pines of Eew-Jersey, was we'll known To me
durr the latter years Of his life For several years
he was the gate-keeper Of the Marine Hospital grounds
a Staten Island, where he died OF yellow fever, con-
trso.d in the discharge of his duties in the Summer OF
1856. From an intimate acquaintance with him az a
gentleman and subordinate, am warranted In
stating that Major helpey WAS a man whose state
could safely be relied upon under all circumstances
His nice sense Of honor and OF justice was proyerbla
and would have rendered him incapable of the plotting
and duplcy that would have been required in substi
tn ing man TO simulate Russe Covln in the presence
Of the people Of Manchester where the supposed muir
dsrers, their victim, and Dir, W helpiey nan Deen
The facts relating to Colviu and the Boorns the init
mate history of their families, their quarrels, the
strange absence of the shattered broher-inlaw, the
hsucnatons the confessions the trial, and the final
discovery Of Colvn in New jersey, were repeatedly
narrated to the writer by Major Whe'pey, during his
lifetime. And no intelligent person who knew Mr. W..
and listened 10 his account of the facts in this caee
could ever doubt the entire authenticity of the narra
tive az related by him. and as published in the year
1890.
Those facts are very well stated in the newspaper
article republished in The TRIBUNE on Saturday; aud
as q lvin returned with Major Whelpey 10 his new
home in ew-Jersey, where he INDUCED in the agree
able hallucinaon that he was monarch and owner OF
ASCERTAIN the later history of the whose ghost has
appeared 10 SO many of the Boorn family. No doubt
OF uncertainty shouid be allowed to continue respecting
a case Of such interest and importance.
The fact That Major Whelpley was gentleman OF
the sir,est aclty and ineg ity, that he was init
mutey acquainted with all the persons implicated,
and thai he could rot himself be mistaken concerning
the identity of Colvin, be deceived regarding the
facts he Witnessed and related leaves for
doubt that the BoOrns innocent at least OF mar
murder for which they condemned aud that
Jesse BOcrns thIicerepeated confessions are s unre
| able as the operations Of his dsordered mind.
Respectfully yours ELISHA HARRIS.
! No. 2ss Fou,tI Grtnus, AUG. G, 1850.
The following is from The Cleeeland Plaindealer:
BosToN, July 81, 1860.
| Editors Plain Dealer: find copied ia The NEW
YORK TRIBUNE from your paper article in reference
to the arrest Of Jesse Boorn Tor Bourn on charge OF
counterfepg, and statement i'll reference to his for
ner conviction of murder in Vermont in which there
| are many inaccuracies resided in Vermont at the
1 time and afterward published newspaper IN Man
chester where the whole thing, trial and all, occurred,
and am perfectly familiar with all the circumstances
Stephen and Jesse Boorn charged with the mur-
| der Of their brother-in-aw, Russell Covin. Colyn
lad been partially insane and had been missing Tor
several years. A person dreamed that he had been
murdered by the Boorns and Of the place where they
| buried him. A lot OF bones were found at
| the place Indicated and strong was the
popular belief in the guilt of Stephen and
Jesse that they were apprehended, and under prom
ise of acquittal confessed their guilt This confession
was afterward retraced but did not save them from
being found guilty Of murder by Jury participating
largely in the wild prejudoes of the time The Booras
both sesenced TO be hung, but the sentence OF
Stephen was eommuted to that of the State Prison for
| life. He was actually sent 10 the State Prison at
NiLdfor Before the time arrived for the execution
of Jesae COlvin was heard from in New jersey, was
sent for and returned TO Manchester aud the Boorns
were both released from durance. The statement IN
your paper thai The person who returned was not Col
| vim is preposrr He perfectly well known
and Recognized by thousandstalked 81 freely OF old
times with iuudreds-tha there could be possible
| mistake ia his Identity. Besides, the BOorns were
yery poor and of course had no lrrcpds who would
assist them to purchase substitute for Colgn had the
| thing been practicable.
TIE following letter is from the Ph2odepk,o Balle
| tin
MEssRs FDIToRs:-An article in your issue of the
Cd init from The CIepeaud PLAIN DegLer emitted,
False Pereonaton at Critical Moment attracted
nv attention 1t puTports to be confession OF motor
ons coultereiter by the OF Bocrn that ne killed
nan by the name of Cooley forty ago, In YER
| mont, and escaped by producing a man from New
Jersey 80 much milling Cooley to ndnce the be-
lief he was the very man. and cleared him from the
| gallows, ard let him and his brother 60 free.
Perhaps can cast light on this most singular
transaction. More than forty years since deranged
nan came TO my fathers house, near Tuckerton, New
| jersey hungry ragged and dirty. He was cared for
during the night lie sad that he had been murdered
in Vermont, and would return there again. 1t
| was Winter and extremely cold. He walked across
the bay on the ce and lounged about the neghboIhood
for weeks; said his name was Russell Colvin and his
people lived in Vermont. lie travelled up shore few
| miles above Toms River TO the house of a Mr. Pol
| hamus. The family ped him ~ to give him home
with them during the balance Of his life. have been
ere several timer, and always have seen him attend
| ing to pigs and poultry about the farm. number of
years after lie came there-say some fifteen years or
less can't recOllecttwo men tried IL think 1t
| was in Burlington Vermon for the murder OF this
| came nan. One was found guilty of murder III the
first degree and sentenced TO oe hanged the other was