The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-05-24
THE RooRN AFFAIR.


sired to publish that Stephen Boorn, of
Manchester, in Vermont, is sentenced
to be executed 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 innocent, by making immediate
communication. Colvin is about five feet
five inches high, light complexion, light
hair, blue eyes, aud about forty years
old. Manchester, VT, November 26,
1892 ...
This communication was copied very
generally by newspapers, and created a
ing events that followed, let us go to the
year 1872 and to the little town Of Man.
chester, Vermont.
Barny Boorn, an old man, had two
sons, Stephen and Jessie, and daugh-
ter, Sarah, wife of Russell Colvin, a
half.crazed, halfwitted day laborer.
They were bad lot, poor, ignorant, and
in doubtful repute for honesty. Two
miserable novels served them for shell
ter, and few acres of pine barrens con-
stituted all their possessions. They
raised few potatoes and garden vege-
tables, and eked out scanty Livelihood
by days work for the neighboring farm
ers.
In May, 1872, Colvin was at home. In
June he was missing. At first this oc-
casioned 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 Yankee village. One
spoke to another. Excitement grew
Wonder, like contagious disease, az
| fected everybody.
| listed between the old man and the boys
q 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 Colvin,
q boy, son OF Russell, had stated that his
father had struck his uncle Stephen, and
that the other returned the blow, and
that he then, becoming frightened, ran
away. Again, a Mr.. Baldwin had heard
Stephen Boorn, in answer TO the inquiry
as to where Colvin was, say, Giles gone
to hell, hope"
as he dead, stephen3" pursued MI.
Baldwin.
81 tell you again." replied the man,
"that Colyin has gone where potatoes
won't freeze"
For seven years the wonder grew.
Colvin's ghost haunted every house in
Bennington county. There was no
proof that the Boorns were guilty, and
yet everybody believed 1t. A button,
and jack-knife were found, which Mrs.
G. believed to have belonged to Russell;
dreams, thrice repeated, were had by
old women and kitchen girls-and ten
thousand stories were in circulation.
Five years after Colvin was missed,
Stephen Boorn removed to Denmark, N.
Y, while Jesse remained at home. After
the former had left, some bones were &C.
cidently found in the decayed trunk of a
tree near his house, and, though all sur
geOns said to the contrary, 1t was uni
yersally believed that they were part of
a human skeleton. or course, then, they
must be Colvin's bones. Jesse was ar
rested, Stephen was brought back from
Denmark, and both were held for exami-
nation. Although all the testimony
vet the two brothers were remanded
back to Jail, and Jesse was worked upon
| to MAKE him turn States evidence. The
Jailer tormented him with suggestions,
which his wife followed up with wo.
manly adroitness. Neighb0rs helped.
Beset with preaching and prayers, tracts
and sermons, religious conversations
and pious dlrections-told that there
was no doubt in any ones MIND but that
| Stephen committed the murder-urged
TO make q clean breast of it and thus
save his body and soul, what wonder the
man confessed, or was alleged to have con-
| iessed, that Stephen Boorn did murder
Russell ColvinY
On September 8, 1919, the grand jury
found bill of idlctment against Jesse
and Stephen Boorn for the murder oil
Colyin. Wi illiam Farnsw orth testified that
Stephen confessed that he did it, and
that Jesse helped him; that they hid the
body In the bushes, then buried it, then
dug it up and burned it, and then
scraped the few remains and hid them
in stump. Upon this unsupported evi
dence the jury returned verdict Of
i guilty against both prisoners, and they
were sentenced to be hung on January
%, 1920.
And now the men came to their senses
They asserted their innocence. They
said that they had confessed as theil
last hope. Some compassion began tt
be felt for them. They might, after all
be innocent. A petition for their pardon
was presented to the Legislature. Blu
lit walled ouly to obtain Communication o
Jesse's sentence to Imprisonment fol
life. No more. Stephen was TO be hanged
Let the reader now turn to another
chapter of this strange history.
In April, 1878, there lived in Dover
Monmouth county, N. j., a Mr.. Jame'
Polhamus. During the month way
farer, begging food, stopped at his door
Being handy, good-natured, quiet ant
obedient, homeless, and weak OF intel
lect too, he was allowed to stay. IL
said his name was Russell Colyin, ant
that he came from Manchester, Vt.
Not far from Dover lies the little tow
of Shrewsbury, then quiet hamlet, nov
invaded by the cottages and villas o
Long Branch pleasure-seekers. Her
lived Taber Chadwick, brotner-in-law t,
Mr.. Polhamus, and intimate with tn
family. Accidently reading the New
York Evening Post, he met, not with tn
notice of the Rutland Herald, but witt
, an account of the trial of the Boorns
Convinced that the Russell Colvin, al
lleged to have been murdered, was tn
very man then living with Mr.. Polha
mus, he wrote to the Evening Post let
tier, which was published December 8
1918.
The third day came another letter
~ have Russell Colyin with me-" wrot
Mr.. Whelpley. 'T personally know Rus
. sell CoIyin," swore John Rempton, Ssh
I now stands before me-" est is the sam
Russell Colyin who married Ann Boorn