Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-03-08

timated that he had statement to make.
On being taken before magistrate he
deposed to the effect (having been accepted
as states evidence) that Colvin had been
murdered by his brother in the field du-
ring fray, ,and that he had helped to bury
the body and the cloths in the places where
they had been fonnd. Shortly after this,
Thomas was sentenced to Imprisonment for
life (the states evidence only mitigating
the extreme punishment,) and Silas was
ordered to be hanged on the Monday fol-
lowing.
Silas Bourne ,on hearing Of his brothers
statement and reprive, fell into che most
violent paroxysm of passion, denounced
him as a perjured liar, and still declared
himself guiltlcss, but he was believed by
none. The law was therefore left to take
its course.
So matters went on until Sunday, the
day before the execution was to take place
ALI through that day people fro IN many
miles round focked into Manchester to
view the spectacle. On the Sunday after
noon the meeting house was thronged to
hear the event "improved y but on the
evening of that day the general quiet of
the village was disturbed by most IN
unlocked for event.
just before dusk rumor ran from house
to house that summoned the inhabitants
into the streets. The cry of civilian
Colvin has come home" ran from lip to lip.
AT first no one believed it but thought it
to be ho1x. Presently, however, "a great
crowd was seen to enter the street, and in
it alive and well, was the supposed mur-
dered man, William Colvin himself They
could not be mistaken by any fancied re-
semblance, for hundreds knew him init.
mately. There ne was beyond doubt
and now what were they TO think of Thos
Bournes confession? =? Evidently it mus
have been ruse to save his neck from the
moose he preferring, rather than to b,
hung, to endure imprisonment, in hopt
that time would render his innocence ap-
parent. But then, was he not, by adopt
ing such a course the murderer of hi
brother?
To add to the general perplcxity, nc
an hour before the return cf Covin, Sila
Bourne also confessed to the murder of hi
servant He said, that during quarre
in the field he struck him over the hea
, with spade, and felled him to the eartl
Supposing he had killed him, he dragge
the body under some brpshwood and wer
to dinner, intending to conceal it durin
the night; but when he returned it wa
gone, whittier he knew not. He said noti
ing to his brother, and kept his own cour
sci. That, he declared, was all he kne
Of the matter.
, After Colvin was struck down by Sils
6 Bourne ,and hidden as mentioned, he cam
to himself, and fearing when his employe
, returned, to be killed outright, he stealth
r lily left the place and wandered away
, western New York, where he lad worke
q ever since.
1t fortunately for the Bournes) happer
a cd that newspaper containing an accour
o of their trial and condemnation, reache
S the tavern of the village where Colvi
= worked, and the landlord at once recog
v nized Colvin who was in the hapit of fire
quenting it, as the supposed victim; an
4 on questioning him, and being shown th
paper, he admitted the fact, and at ono
agreed to accompany the landlord
s Manchester in order to save the brother
/ from the gallows. as has been seen, the
!. did not arrive much to soon for Sils
Bourne.
+ On further examination by some Bo!
4 ton surgeons, the bones beneath the tr(
i were pronounced to be those of a dog
S Pretty comparative anatomists the Vej
n mont doctors must have been in those day
: As I intim ated at the commencement
: Silas Bourne (who left Vermont soon al
d ter his liberation from prison) was la
;, summer arrested in N. Y, State for coul
l. terfeiting, and it was stated that he real
G did kill Colvin after all, and that the pei
@ son who returned was not the same ma
G Whether such report be true or nOt,l ha'
: no means of ascertaining, but hard
conceive it possible that the many persol
IS who witnessed the Sunday evening retul
6 could have been mistaken. Altogeth
= the ease is the most singula one that h
Il figured in the annals of American jurispr
d dsnce, and strikingly shows the fallibili
d Of human judgment.