The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-10-31

: New Jersey and find out the truth
: though his expenses were after
{ ward paid by an order on the cit.
! treasury by De Witt Clinton
: mayor of New York. On arriv
e ing at the house of VIM. Polhemus
f in Dover, Monmouth county, witt
f whom the man supposed to be Col
vim lived, and making known hi
| errand, Tr. Polhemus said Their
; was such a man in his employ
that he had known very little o
, his past history, that he at frs
gave his name as Colvin and after
: wards changed it, that he was evi
IDENTIFY deranged, but was a good
faithful man, and imagined that h'
. owned the farm of his employer
He was at this time in the field a
work, and it was agreed that or
his return nothing should be said
. to him by Whelply, at first, to see
if Colvin would recognize him
Returning from the field and see
inh Whelpley, he looked at him
very sharply, but said nothing.
After some time Whelpley spoke to
him, calling him by name. He
said Whelpley must be mistaken,
Colvin was not his name; it had
been once, but he was another
man now, and denied all knoWl-
edge of Manchester and his form
er associates.
| At last WhelpIey said: 81 see
you have q scar on your forehead,
and how did you get that2'' Col
win replied: "Chopping on the
mountain" for such a man, nam.
ing one of his old neighbors in
Manchester, which circumstance
Whelpley knew to be true, and by
gradually drawing him out, made
him show some interest in his
former friends and acquaintance,
and he related so many incidents
and trivial matters that there could
be no doubt of his identity.
Whelpley then proposed that he
go to Manchester on visit, but he
utterly refused, and strategem was
employed to get hun as far as New
York. On arriving at that city he
was determined to go back, and
Whelpley feigned assent, but in
stead of going on board a ferry
boat to Gloss the river, he took the
boat to Troy, N. Y, which he af-
forwards claimed to Colvin was
done by mistake. ARRIVING at
Troy, it being SO near Manchester,
he was prevailed upon to proceed.
In the mean time a letter had been
sent to Manchester stating that
Colvin had been found and was
then on his way to that place. A
few people began to believe that it
might be true, but the greater part
were still incredulous, and many
bets were made as to his being the
genuine Colvin. On arriving at
Bennington the county court was
in session, Hon. Nathan Burton
presiding judge. Some one rush
ed in and said that Colvin had
come, and the court broke up in
the greatest confusion, and judges,
clerks, sheriffs, lawyers and spec
tators jumped over benches and
rushed through windows and
doars to see the man whom all had
believed dead, and for whose sup
posed murder some of them had
been instrumental in having two
men sentenced to be hung. He
was Immediately recognized by all
who formerly knew him. After a
short delay the party proceeded to
Manchester, a courier being sent
in advance to announce his arrival.
All along the route people gather
ed in crowds to see him, and when
the stage drove up to Captain
Blacks tavern, at Manchester, a
crowd had collected and the Wild
est excitement prevailed. Cannon
were brought out and Stephen
Boorn was taken from Jail to fire
the first, in token of his joyful es-
cape frem death. The most ex-
travagant expressions of joy were
INDUCED in by the people, who, at
last convinced of their error, were
only too glad to make PREPARATION.
On being brought together and
seeing the letters which were still
on the limbs of Boorn, Colvin
asked: "What is that for?"
Bnorn replied: Because they say
I murdered YOU" Colvin answer
ed: "You never hurt me. Jess
struck me with a briar once, but
1t did not hurt much" Colvin's
wife was presented to him, but he
remarked: THAT is all over WITH
and would take no further notice
of her. For two or three days
large crowds collected from the
neighboring towns to see the man
who was supposed to be murdered,
and all rejoiced at the unlocked
for termination of the affair.
There could now be no doubt of
the innocence of the Boorns, but
they could not be released from Gus
tody without due process of law.
Judge Skinner Immediately wrote
to the Judges of the Supreme Court,
then in session in Addison county,
that Colvin was alive and then in
Manchester. The Judges wrote the
States Attorney, that they did not
believe It could be Colvin, and d.
rected him to make the most search
ing examination, to guard against
deception. Colvin was accordingly
questioned most thoroughly, and
told SO many little incidents that
could not have been known to an i'm
poster however we'll posted, that
there could be no doubt In the MUD
of any rational person as to the
identity of the man. One question
is given as a sample. When asked
who built the tavern in which they
were then sitting, he replied i:
"Captain Munson, and it Is ali of
the best oak timber, too :" which on
inquiry, was found to be true. He
also recognized and called by name
very many of his former acquain-
tances. After remaining in man
chester q few days, he requested TO
be takeEI-to his home in New Jersy,
which was done, and be died there
q few years subsequent
A few days before the time ap-
pointed for the execution of Ste
| phen Boorn, the Judges of the Su-
preme Court stopped over night at
Manchester, on their way to Ben
nington. Mr.. Sargent, called upon
them, and after talking about the
case some time, Judge Brayton said
"Well, brother Sergeant, what are
you going to do about it? sup
pose you have some plan con-
cocted 2" Mr.. Sergeant said the
case was without. precedent, as far
as he knew, and he should petition
the court for q new trial, on the
ground of newly discovered evi
dence. There was some difference
of opinion among the judges on the
subject, but they finally decided it Il
be the right course to pursue. A
trial was granted, and 3 not pro-