The Monmouth inquirer., 1865-11-23
From the Trenton Monitor.
AN INNOCENT MAN HUNG;
BY HOWARD HOME.

During the war of the Revolution, d
refugee captain named Bonnell Moody
with his band attacked the Sussex conn-
ty Jail and effected general Jail delivery
Of all its inmates. Among the prisoners
liberated was one who had been condemn
to death for burglary and other crimes.
This prisoner was shortly after recaptur.
ed, marched hack and hung in front of
the Jail He died asserting bis innocence
and declaring his belief that time would
vindicate him from the charges for which
be suffered
The tormented wretch who actually
committed the deeds, and brought an ig-
nominious death upon guiltess person
finally upon his death bed acknowledged
his own criminaiity and exculpated the
the other from all blame.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM BEING HUNG.
About sixty two years ago man. evi
dently partially insane. though harmless,
made his appearance at the farm Of Tab
er Chadwick at Polhemus' Mill near the
present line between the counties Of Mon
mouth and Ocean No persuasions could
induce the stranger to give any account
Of himself or where he was from He vii.
lingly conse ated to work for Mr.. Chad
vic although he always insisted he own
ed the place himself and that Mr.. G. was
only a hired man TIE real owner hu-
mored him in this fancy and the stranger
remained with him seven years, at the ex-
piraton of which time Mr. Chadwick was
called to New York unon business While
there he accidentally picked up a newspa-
per that contained the account of the tri-
al and conviction of two b others named
Bovine for the murder Of q man named
Colvin, which trial had inst taken place
at the village of Manchester in the State
of Vermont From the description Of the
men alleged to have been murdered Mr..
Chadwick was at once convinced that it
was the same person who had so myster-
iously made his appearance at his place
seven years before and was still in his
employ, and he at once notified the
sheriff at Manchester of his belief The
sheriff Immediately hasiened 10 New Jer-
sey and found that the stranger sure
enough was Colvin, for the alleged mur
der Of whom the two men had been con-
victed. by what, as will be seen, seemed
conclusive evidence
Colvin, it appeared, was brother-in-
law of the two Bownes They had fire.
quently had disputse. and one day while
working in field they got into an alter
cation and the Bownes attacked Colvin
and beat him so severely over the head
brothers supposed they had killed him.
They let the body remain in the field un-
til after dark, when they went to look af-
ter it for the purpose of concealment,
but to their astonishment it had myster-
iou,ly disappeared. When Colvin's dis
appearance, became known in the neigh
horhood it was generally suspected the
Bownes had made way with him. as they
had frequently Leen heard to make violent
threats against him. Nothing however.
was done with them for want of evidence
until some seven years afterwards, when
some bones we're found partially burned,
then supposed to have belonged to a hu-
man being but which subsequently proved
be sheep bones. This and other cir
cumsiantial evidence caused the arrest
and trial of the brothers. The most i'm
portant and remarkable evidence brought
against them was confession made by
the younger Bovine. acknowledging they
had killed Colvin and giving all the par
ticulars Of the affair, but positively deny
ing that they had burned the body he
asserted that the body had mysteriously
disappeared from the place where they
had left it, The elder Bovine denied the
statements of his brother and asserted his
innocence and his belief that Colvin had
left of his own accord and would yet be
found While that part Of the confession
Of the younger Bovine relating to the dis
appearance of the body seemed improba-
BILE, yet his confession as to the actual
murder was so conclusive to the court and
jury that the Bownes were convicted, and
the elder sentenced to be hung and the
younger to Imprisonment for life. A few
days before the time fixed for the execu-
ion OF the elder Bovine, the Sheriff re-
ceived the letter of 'Taber Chadwick.
ard telling no one Of it's purport he at once
started for Polhemus Mills where be-
found Colvih.
The object Of bis visit came Pear being
frustrated. howsrer, = qolv. 4 Il drst pos