Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-10-29
4 REMARKABLE MURDER CASE.

A REMARKABLE MURDER CASE.
Circum stantiaI Evidence and False Ac-
cusation-The Use of Advertising.
From the New York Evening Post,
Mr.. Leonard Sergeant, of Manches'
ter, VT, formerly active iu politics, and
once Lieutenant Governor OF that state,
has published pamphlet containing
narrative of, and the evidence in IA
nous murder case which occurred early
in the present century Mr.. Sergeant
was one of the counsel 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 a case which has often
been quoted; but additional import,
ance is attached to it, from the prom,
ment part taken by the newspapers,
even at that early day, in public af'
fairs.
In 1912 there lived in Manchester a
man named Barney Boorn,s who had
two sons, Stephen and Jesse, and
son in-law named Russell Colvin, all
living with MIN. Colvin was an eccen-
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 Boorn
brothers, very shortly after his disap-
pea1ance, 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. Is. 80 49,,
SinguIarly enough, other circum
stances began to accumulate against
the brothers. Some children found a
dilapidated hat, which was recognized
as the one Colvin wore at the tune of
his disappearance. Search was then
made for the bones of the supposed
murdered man. Soon afterwards a dog
uncovered some bones beneath an old
stump, which at first were pronounced
to be human bones, but subse-
auently were found not to be. An
uncle of the boys had dream in which
Colvin came to his bedside and told
him that he had been murdered.
A barn in the neighborhood was
mysteriously burned, and it was
at once conjectured that the
murdered man had been buried I'M
der it, and that the fire was intended
to destroy all traces of the crime. All
these circumstances added to the ex-
citement against the Boorns. Stephen
was then out of the state, but Jesse
was arrested. He confessed that his
brother Stephen had told him short
time previously that he and Colvin had
quarrelled, and that he had killed Col
vim by blow on the head. The peo-
ple of the neighborhood and for miles
around spent the next few days in
another search for Colvin's bones, but
none we're found.
Stephen Boorn 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 a con-
fession of the murder by Jesse Boorn,
and both the boys were indicted. This
was IN September, 1919, more than
seven years after the disappearance of
Colvin. In November the trial took
place. Meanwhile Stephen was Undue
ed by the remarks upon the hopeless
ness of their case to confess the crime
in the expectation of mercy from til,
court. This confession was the chiee
evidence against them. Notwithstand-
ing that it was drawn out by hope of
obtaining 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
sentenced to be hanged on the 2Sth 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
criminal jurisprudence. So decisive
did The testimony against them appear
to be that the mother of the convicts
was expelled from the Baptist church,
and the father was held as prisoner
for time, upon the suspiciod that
they must have been accessory to the
murder.
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. 1t
occurred to Stephen, in an interview
with his counsel, that it would be a
good plan to advertise for Colvin in the