The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-08
THE FAMOUS BOoRN CASE.

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CAPE.
CoLvIS AND THE BooRNs-DIsAPPEARAN Oh
CoLvIN-TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF THI
BooRNs-RETURN OF THE SUPPOSED VIC.
TIM.
The following story, which the Boston Bull.
letin reviyes, is perfectly true. Wilkie Col.
Inns acknowledges his indebtedness to il Iol
the basis of his tale entitled "The Dead
Alive" Probably no person In the United
States has been convicted of murder since
the trial of Stephen Boorn, without the body
of the murdered person having been found
Most of the SeDtinel's readers have seen ref
ereDcss to this remarkable instance of the
weakness OF confessions, but will be pleased
70 have an opportunity to become sc-
quainted with the details OF the case: Ga
The morning OF the Goth of November, 1919,
l read in the Rutland, Vermont, Herald the
following notice:
''MURDERw
printers OF newspapers throughout sAe
United States are desired to publish that
Stephen Boorn, of Manchester, In Vermont,
is sentenced to be executed for the murder
of Russell Colvin, who has bsen 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. hight complexion, light
hair. blue eyes, and about forty years old.
Manchester, Vermont, November 26, 1919"
This communication was copied very
generally by newspapers, and created a
great deal of interest. Before describing
events that followed, let US 90 back to the
year of 1872, and TO the little town of Man.
chester, Vermont. Barney Boorn, an old
man, had two sons, stephen and Jessie, and
daughter Sarah, wife of Russell Colvin, a
half crazed, hslt-witted day laborer. They
were a bad lot, poor, ignorant, and in doubt
tul repute for honesty. Two miserable
novels served them for shelter, and few
acres of pine bsrrens constituted all their
possessions. They raised q few potatoes
and garden vegetables, and eked
out a scanty livelihood by days' work for
the neighboring farmers. In May. 1872. Col
vim was at home. In June he was missing
At first this occasioned no remark. He was
always a tramp. But this time he did not
come back. AS weeks grew into months,
inquiries began to be made among the neigh
bors about the missing man. There are no
tongues for gossip like tboseswhich wag in
Yankee village. One spoke to another. Ex-
element grew. Wonder, like contagious
disease affected everybody. 1t was
known that there had long existed
between the old man and boys.
GRUDGE AGAINST CoLvIN;
it was in proof that the last time the miss.
ing man was seen, he was at work with the
Boorns clearing stones from a field, and that
dispute was going on; and Lewis Colvin,
boy, son of Russell, had stated that his IA
Their bad struck his uncle Stephen, and that
the other had returned the blow, and that
he, the boy, becoming frightened, ran away.
Again, Mr.. Baldwin had heard Stephen
BOorn, in answer TO an inquiry as to where
Colvin was, say, "He's gone to he'll, / hope"
''Is he dead, Stephen" pursued Mr.. Baldwin.
81 tell you again." replied the man,
shat Colvin has gone where potatoes won't
Freeze" For several years the wonder grew,
Colvin's ghost haunted every house in Ben
nington county. There was no known proof
that the Boorns were guilty, and yet every
body believed it. 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 missing,
Stephen Boorn removed to Denmark, N. Y,
while Jesse remained at home, After the
former had left, some bones were accident
ally found in the decayed trunk of
tree near his house, ana, though all sur
geons said to the contrary, 1t was univer-
sally believed that they were part of a
human skeleton. OF course, then, they
must be Colvin's bones. Jesse was arrested. |
Stephen brought back from Denmark, and |
both were held for examination. Although |
all the testimony when sifted was found to |
be worthless, yet the two brothers were re- |
manded back to Jail, and Jesse was worked |
upon to make him turn states evidence. |
The Tailor torInented him with suggestions, |
which his wife followed up with wOmanly |
adroitness. Neighbor5 helped. Beset with |
preaching and prayers, tracts and sermons, |
religious conversations and pious directions |
told that there was no doubt in any ones |
mind but that Stephen committed the MUIR
der-urged to make a clean breast of it and I
thus save both body and soul, what wonder |
that
THE MAN CONFESSED,
or was alleged to have confessed, that |
Stephen Boorn did murder Russell Colvih?
On September 8. 1919, the grand jury found
q bill of indictment against Stephen and
Jesse Boorn for the murder of Russell Col
vim. VIM. Farnsworth testified that Stephen
confessed that he did it, and that Jesse
helped him; that they hid the body in the
bushes, then buried it. and then scraped the
few remains and hid them In stump.
Upon this unsupported evidence the jury
verdict of guilty against both
prisoners, and they were sentenced
20 be hung on January %, 1920. And
no wthe men came to their senses.
they asserted their innocence. They said
hey had confessed as their last hope. Some
began to be felt for them. They
might. alter all, be innocent. A petition
ature. But it availed only to obtain COM
of Jessie's sentence to imprison-
ment for life. No more. Stephen was to be
hanged. Let the reader now turn to an
other chapter of this strange history In /
April 1918, there lived in Dover, Monmouth