The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-06-10
prisoners, and they were sentenced to
be hung on January 2S, 1920.

/
And now the men came to their senses.
They asserted their innocence. They
said that they had confessed as their
last hope Some compassion began to
to be felt for them. They might, after
all, be innocent. A petition for their
pardon was presented TO the Legislature.
But it availed only to obtain commuta.
tion OF Je9se's sentence to imprisonment
for life, No more. Stephen was to be
hanged.
Let the reader now turn to another
chapter of this strange history.
In April, 1913, there lived in Dover,
Monmouth county, N. j., Mr.. James
Polhamus, During that month way
farer, begging food, stopped ut his door.
Being handy, good natured, quiet and
obedient, homeless, and weak of intel
lect too, he was allowed to stay. He
said his name was Russell Colvin, and
that he came from Manchester, vt.
Not far from Dover lies the little
town Of Shrewsbury, then a quiet ham
let, now invaded by the cottages and
villas of Long Branch pleasnre-seekers.
Here lived Taber Chadwick, brotherin.
law to Mr.. Polhamus, and intimate with
the family. Accidentally reading the
New York Evening Post, he met, not
with the notice of the Rutland Herald,
but with an account of the trial Of the
Boorns. Convinced that the Russell
Colvin, alleged to have been Murdered,
was the very man then living with Mr..
Polhamus, he wrote to the Evening Post
a letter, which was published Decem.
ber 8, 1919.
Upon the arrival of this paper at
Manchester it excited but little atten-
ton. The letter was believed to be a
forgery or fraud. Had not the best
people in the town long believed the
Boorns to be guilty? Had not one,
perhaps both of them, made full con-
fession =? The bones of the murdered
man, d button Of his coat, his jack.
knife-had they not all been foundp
Had not an upright Judge made solemn
charge that the evidence was conclusive,
and an intelligent jury found them
guilty, and the legislature sanctioned
the findings? There was no doubt of
their guilt-none whatever and there
fore no benefit of a doubt had been
given by jury, chief justice or court of
appeal.
Mr.. Chadwck's letter was, neverthe-
less, taken to Stephens cell and read
aloud. The news was 80 overwhelming
that nature could scarcely survive the
shock. The poor fellow dropped in a
fainting fit to the floor, and had to be
recovered by dashes OF cold water.
Intelligence came next day from a
Mr.. Whelpley, formely resident of
Manchester, that he himself had been
to New Jersey and seen Russell Colvin.
The members of the jury which had
convicted the Boorns, however, hesitat-
ed to accept anything short of the mans
presence, and Judge Chase, who had
sentenced them, pointed to Stephen
Boorn's confession.
The third day came another letter.
81 have Russell Colvin with me" ="
wrote Mr.. Whelpley. 81 personally
know Russell Colvin," swore John
Rempton, "he now stands before me-.
cit is the same Russell Colvin who
married Ann BOorn, of Manchester, vt,
made affidavit Mrs. Jones of Brooklyn.
But it would not answer. Pride of
opinion is stubborn. Doubt of opinion
dies hard. Manchester intelligence,
not to say piety, was on trial, and it
behooved all good residents to hold out
nnnuintinn tp thn lolt
However, Colvin, or Colvin's double,
was on his way. AS he passed through
Poughbeepsie the streets were thronged
to see him. His story was printed in
every newspaper and told at every fire.
side. At Hudson cannon were fired in
Albany he was shown to the crowd from
platform; and all along the road to
Troy bands of music we're playing and
banners were Haunting and cheers were
given as Colvin passed by. Some men
become famous from having been muir
dured. Russell Colvin was famous be-
cause he was alive.
Toward evening of Friday, December
%, 1919, double sleigh was driven
furiously down the main street OF Man.
chester to the tavern door. 1t contained
Whelpley. Kempton, Chadwick and
the bewildered Russell Colvin. Imme-
diately a crowd of men, women and
children gathered around, and as the
sleigh unloaded its occupants and they
took their place on the piazza, exhibiting
the last man TO view, "That's Russell
Colvin, sure enoughl There's no doubt
about it y came from the lips of scores
of the gazers. He embraced his two
children, asked after the Boorns, and
started for the jail.
The prison doors were unbolted and
the news was told to Stephen Boorn.
"Colvin has come, Stephen" said
the Rev. Lemuel Haynes.
"Has hep" asked the prisoner.
"Where is he"
"Here | am, Stephen" said his
brother-in-law "What's them on your
legs?"
"Shackles !" replied Boorn.
"What for ?" =.
"Because they said / murdered you. "
"You never hurt me in your life, "
replied Colvin.
The sequel is soon told. Stephen
Boorn was released from prison, as was
Jesse also. Russell Colvin returned to
New Jersey. But the judge who sui,
fered an innocent man to be convicted
OF murder by the admission of extra.
judicial confessions members OF
the jury who deliberated but one hour
before agreeing upon verdict guilty
upon evidence that should not hang a
dog-the deacon and church members
who urged confession and preached re-
pentance-and the ninety seven mem
bers of the legislature, sitting as a
court of appeals, who refused re- hearing
of evidence what became OF them
The shah OF Persia has prohted
nothing by his visit to Europe, SO far as
Il u,,,1,,akiop ora ppncprnad