The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-06-11

| On the morning of the 26th of No
uember, 1919, read in the Rutland
CVt.) Herald the following no:ice:
MURDER !"
printers of newspapers throughout
| the United States are desired TO pub
Iish that Stephen Boorn, of Manches-
| ter, in Vermont, is sentenced to be ex-
ecuted for the murder of Russell Colvin,
who has been absent about seven years.
| Any person who can give information of
! said Colvin may save the life of the in
nOcent, by making immediate commU-
nication. Colvin is about five feet five
inches high, light complexion, light
| hair, blue eyes, and about forty years
old. Manchester, VT, November, 26,
1919"
| This communication was copied very
| generally by newspapers. and created
| great deal of interest. Before describ-
ing events that followed, let US go back
to the year 1912 and to the little town
OF Manchester, Vermont.
Barney BOOrn, an old man, had
| two sons, Stephen and Jesse, and a
/ daughter, Sarah, wife of Russell Col
win, a half. crazed, half witted day Ia
| borer. They were a bad lot, poor,
! ignorant, and in doubtful repute for
! honesty. Two miserable novels served
them for shelter, and a few acres of
pine barrens constituted all their pos
| session. They raised a few potatoes
and garden vegetables, and eked out a
scanty livelihood by days work for the
neighbOring farmers.
In May, 1912, Colvin was at home.
In June he was missing. At first this
| Occasioned no remark. He was always
a tramp, absent from home sometimes
for weeks together. But this time he
did not come back. AS weeks grew into
months inquiries began to be made
among the neighbors about the missing
man. There are no tongues for gossip
like those which wag in a Yankee VII
lage. One spoke to another. Excite
ment grew Wonder, like a contagious
disease, affected everybody.
It was known that there had long ex-
listed between the old man and boys a
grudge against COlvin it was in proof
that the last time the missing man was
seen he was at work with the BOorns
clearing stones from a field, and that a
dispute was going on; and Lewis Col
win, boy, son of Russell, had stated
that his father had struck his uncle
Stephen, and that the other returned
the blow, and that then, he the boy, be-
coming frightened, ran away. Again, a
Mr.. Baldwin had heard Stephen BoOrn,
in answer to the inquiry as to where
Colvin was, say, "He's gone to he'll,
hope"
Baldwin.
81 tell you again." replied the man,
"that Oolvin has gone where potatoes
won't freeze.
For seven years the wonder grew.
CoIvin's ghost haunted every house in
Bennington county. There was nc
known proof that the Boorns were guilty,
and yet everybody believed it. A
button and Jack knife were found, which
Mrs. @. believed to have belonged tC
Russell dreams, thrice repeated, were
had by old women and kitchen girls
: and ten thousand stories were in circu.
lation.
), Five years after CoIvin was missed
Stephen BOorn removed to Denmark, n
Y, while Jesse remained at home. AT
ter the former had left, some bones
were accidently found in the decaye
trunk of a tree near his house, and
though all surgeons said to the contra
, ~, it was universally believed that they
were part of a human skeleton. Oi
course, then, they must be Colvin'l
bones. Jesse was arrested, StepheI
was brought back from Denmark, and
| DOJ0 were uSlu lOE 6AduQlu&IlOus al
though all the testimony when sifteC
was found to be worthless, yet the two
brothers were remanded back to Jail
and Jesse was worked upon to make hin
r turn states evidence. The jailer tor
] mented him with suggestions, which hi
2 wife followed up with womanly adroit
8 ness. Neighbors helped. Beset will
3 preaching and prayers, tracts and ser
I mons, religious conversation end piOu
- directiOns-told that there was no doub
in any ones mind but that Stephen com
mitted the mUrder-urged to make
, clean breast of it and thus save both hi
b body and soul, what wonder that the mai
confessed, or was alleged to have con
fessed, that Stephen BoOrn did murde
q Russell Colvin?
= On September 8, 1919, the grand iur,
L found a bill of indictment agaiDs
. Stephen and Jesse Boorn for the muI
J, der of Russell ColviD. William Farms
+ worth testified that Stephen confesse
It that he did it, and tbst Jesse helpe
him; that they hid the body in tn
bushes. then buried it, then dug /. u
and burned IT, and then seraped the fe
n remains and hid them In a stump. UpO
q this unsupported evidence the IuT