The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-06-23
THE BOORN AFFAIR.

LIE bUOhN AFFAIR.
o"e oil tue. Most Rxtrnordinary Coses NJ
creumstnntinl Evidence OH Record.
On the morning of the o26th of No
vember, 1919, read in the Rutland
W. Herdld the following notice
4 murder Printers of newspapers
throughout the United States are desired
20 puollsh that, Stephen Boorn, of Man
chester, N Vermont, is sentenced to be
executed Tor the murder of Russell Col
vim, who has been absent about seven
years. ANY person who. can give infer
InaCion or said Colvin may save the Efe
ot, The Innocent, by making imfne6iate
communication. .Colvin Is about five
3eet five inches high, light complexion.
rhght han, blue eyes, and about forty
26th, 1873" '7' T'T'''P'
rms communication was copied. yery
generally by newspapers, and created n
great deal of INTEREST. Before 7describ-
ing events that followed, let us 90 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 Colyin. a half
crnzed, half-witted day laborer. They
were bad lot, poor, ignorant, and in
doubtful repute for honesty. Two mis-
eraDle novels served them for shelter.
and few acres of pine barrens consti.
tuted all their possessions. They raised
lew potatoes iand garden vegetables.
and eked out n scanty livelihood nv
days work for the neighboring farmers
m AIay, 1872, .Colvin was at homie.
In June hewas missing. At first this
occasloned no remark. He was always
tramp, absent from, home sometimes
1or weeks together. But this time he
dld 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
Ike those which wag in a village. One
spoke to another. Excitement grew.
wonder, like contagious disease. af-
feoted everybody, II
it was known that there had long
existed between the old man and bows 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 field, and that a
dispute was going on, and Louis Colyin.
q boy, son of Russell, had stated that his
father had struck his uncle Stephen, and
that he, the boy, becoming frightened,
ran away. Again, Mr.. Baldwin had
heard stephen Boorn, in answer to the
inquiry as to where Colvin was, say:
lies gone to h-l, hope!"
lis he dead, Stephen 2" pursued Mr..
I tell you again, replied the man,
that Colvn has gone where potatoes
Fer ssvTs sefAaRs wehder grew.
Golvp gh% hhqltsd every house in
known proof that fheS Boorns were
guilty, and yet everybody believed it, A
button and jackkhife were found, which
Mrs. @. believed to have belonged to
Russell; dreams, thrice repeated. were
had by old women and kitchen girls
and ten thousand stories were in circula-
tion.
EiyS years after Colyin ,Was missed. .
Stephen Boorn removed to Denmark, N.
T., while Jesse remained at home.
After the former had left, some bones
were accidentally found in the decayed
trunk OF tree near his house, and
though all surgeons. said to the contrary,
1t was universally believed that they
were part of a. human skeleton. or
course then, they must be Colvin's
bones. Jesseiawas arrested. Stephen
was brought back from Denmark, and
both were held for examination. 7ha
A1though.all the testimony when sifted
was found to be Worthless vet the two
brothers were remanded back to iail,
and Jesse was worked upon to make him
turn State 81 esidenssIs Mhs jailor
tofmented him with suggestions, which
his wife followed up with 'wornanlv
adroitnesa, .Neighbors helped. Beset
with .directionsTtold that there was no
doubt In any ones mind bps that
Stephen committed the murder-uroed
to make a clean breast of it and thus
save both his body and soul, what won
der that the mGn confessed, or was nj.
iesed 20 have confessed, that Stephs,,
Boorn did murder Russsl Colyini
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