Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-23
REMARKABLE MURDER CASE,
Circwmstam initial Evidence and False Ac.
c0sattOn-Thc Use Of Advertisi0g.
From the New York Excnin0 P0af.

Circwmata initial Evidence and False Ac
casation-Thc Use Of Advertising.
| From the New York Evening Post,
Mr.. Leonard Sargeant, of Manches
ter, VT, formerly active in politics, ant
once Lieutenant Governor OF that state
has published pamphlet containing {
narrative of, and the evidence in a ia
nous murder case which occurred early
in the present century. Mr.. Sargean,
was one of the council for the defence,
and his account of the Incidents, which
covered period of eight years, is very
interesting. The pamphlet is printed
for the purpose Of giving to lawyers
the points in case which has often
hoen quoted; but additional import,
ance is attached to it from the prom,
inent part taken by the newspapers,
even: at that early day, in public al
fairs.
In 1912 there lived in Manchester q
man named Barney Boorn, who had
two sons, Stephen and Jesse, and q
son in-law named Russell Colvin, all
living with him. Colvin was an ecoen-
trio man, supposed to be insane at
times, and frequently absenting him
self for days without notice and with
out giving any account of his adven'
lures. At last he was missing so long
that people began to make inquiries,
and suspicious of foul play were
aroused. Months and years passed,
and yet there was no explanation of
Colvin's absence. Some Of the neigh.
bors remembered that the Boom
brothers, very shortly after his disap.
peaIance, had declared that Colvin was
dead, and they had 'put him where
potatoes would not freeze" They had
not been on good terms with him, and
this added to the prejudice against
them.
Singularly enough, other. circum-
stances began to accumulate against
the brothers. Some children found a
dilapidated hat, which was recognized
rs the one Colvin wore a. the time of
his disappearance. Search was then
made for tho bones of the supposed
murdered man. Soon afterwards q dog
uncovered some bones beneath an old
stump, which at first were pronounced
to lie human bones, but subse-
:auently were found not to be. An
uncle of tho boys had dream in which
Colvin came to his bedside and told
him that he had been murdered.
A barn in the neigllborhood Was
mysteriously burned, and it was
at once conjecturod that the
murdered man had been buried un-
der it, and that the fire was intended
to destroy all traces of the crime. All
these circumstances added to the e.
element against the Boorns. Stephen
was then out of the state, but Jesse
was arrested. He confessed that his
brother Stephen had told him a short
time previously that he and Colvin had
quarrelled, and that he had killed Col.
vim by a blow on the head. The PEG.
ple of the neighborhood and for miles
around spent the next few days in
another search for Colvin's bones, but
none wele found.
Stephen Boom was brought home.
He denied the statement of Jesse, and
asserted his innocence. The brothers
were imprisoned to await the meeting
of the Grand Jury. The principal Wit
ness before that body was = forger,
who had been confined in jail with the
Boorns- He reported in detail con-
fession of the murder by Jesse Boorn,
and both the boys we're indicted. This
was In September, 1919, more than
seven years after the disappearance of |
Colvin. In November the trial took
place. Meanwhile Stephen was induc-
ed by the remarks upon the hopeless
ness of their case to confess the crime,
in the expectation of mercy from the
court. This confession was the chief |
evidence against them Notwithstand-
ing that it was drawn out by hope of
more favorable verdict, and
that no body had been found as proof
of the murder, or even that Colvin was
dead, the brothers were convicted and
to be hanged on the 28th of
January, 1920. The character of the
evidence upon which they were con.
victed will attract the attention of law
yers at this time as showing what re-
markable changes have taken place in
jurisprudence. So decisive
did the testimony against them appear
TO be that the mother of tile convicts
was expelled from the Baptist church,
and the father was held AZ prisoner
for time, upon the suspioiod that
they must have been accessory TO the
A few of the citizens who were dis
posed to be merciful, signed a paper
for the communication Of the sentence
against the Boorns. The Legislature
voted to change the sentence of Jesse
to imprisonment for life, but refused
to interfere with that of Stephen. It
occurred to Stephen, in an interview
with his counsel, that it would be q
good plan to advertise for Colvin in the
Up to that point his
counsel had believed him guilty, but
he assured them that his confession
was untrue and that he was innocent.
The following notice was therefore
printed in the Rutland Herald:
MuRDER.-Printers OF newspapers through
out the United States are desired to publish
that Stephen BoorD. OF Manchester, in YER
mont, is sentenced to be executed for the muir
der OF Russell Colvin, who has been absent
about seven years Any person who can g ~;
OF the innocent by making immediate commu-
Colvin Is about FIVE teet five inches
high, Ii hit complexion, light colored hair,
blue eyes, about forty years OF age.
Manchester, VT. Nov. 26, 1919.
Newspapers travelled slowly then. and
friends had but little hope
ttat this would save him, even If his
story was true. Three days afterwards,
says Mr.. Sargeant's phamphlet, the
New York Evening Post copied it, and !
" the next day it happened that the |
notice was read aloud in one of the |
hotels in New York. Another man |
near, named Whepley, said
he had formerly lived in Manchester,
and was we'll acquainted with Colvin,
and related many anecdotes and Pecu-
concerning him. Mr.. Tabor |
of Shrewsbury, n. j., was
also standing near and listened to
tho conversation which ma6o a