Orangeburg news and times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1875-1877, 1875-07-10

his uncle Stephen, and that the other
returned the blew, and that then he,
the boy. becoming frightened, ran
away. Again, q Mr.. Baldwin had
heard Stephen Boorn, in answer to
the inquiry MS to where Colvin was,
say, "IIe's gone to hell, I hope"
SIS he dead, Stcphen?' pursued
Mr.. Baldwin.
"I tell you again" replied the man,
"thnt Colvin 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
known proof that the Boorns were
guilty, and yet everybody believed it.
A button and jack k-knifc were found,
which Mrs. G. believed to have be-
longcl to Russell; dreams, thrice re-
peated, were had by old women md
kitchen girls and ten thousand
stories wcrci in circulation.
Five years after Colvin was missed,
Stephen Boorn, removed to Denmark,
N. T., while Jesse remained Mt home.
After the former had left some bones
were accidentally found in the decay
eel trunk of q tree in his house, and,
though all surgeons said to tho con
trary,i it was universally believed that
they were part Of a human skclton.
OF course, then they must be Colvin's
bones. Jesse was arrested, Stephen
was brought back from Denmark and
both were held for examination. AL
though all the testimony when sifted
was found to. be worthless, yet two
brothers were rcmandcd back to Jail,
and Jesse was worked upon to make
him turn States evidence. The inilcr
tormentcd him with suggestions, which
his wife followed up with womanly
adroitness. Neishbors helped. Beset
with, preaching and 'praycrs,. tracts,
and sermons, religious CONVERSATION cnvt1:s ton
and l:ious objections that there VAS Il.
no doubt in auy ones mind but that
stopEcTc coMRss ted tn N Es5a4
to make a clean breast ofit and thus
save lis body and soul, what wonder
that the man confessed, or was alicgcd
to have confessed, that Stephen Boorn
did murder Russell Colyin?
On Sept. 8. 1910, the grand jury
found, q bill of Indictment against
Stephen and Jesse Boorn for tho
murder Of Russell Cqlyin. Williams
Farnswortli testified that stephca, !, cor ( H..
fessed that he did it. and tina" Jesse
helped him; that they hid the body in
the bushes, then buried it, then duge: It Il
up: and burned it, and then scrupcl
the fey" remains and hid tthle!mi hen III il Il. i
stump. Upon this unsupported cvi-
dencc the jury returned a: verdict Of
g'iilty against both prisoners, aud they
were sentenced to DC hung OH Jan.
20, 1920. i!
And now the men came to their
senses. They asserted their Innocence.
They said that they had con fcsscd rs
their last Hope. Some compassion
began to be felt for them. They
might, alter all, be, innocent. "A pcti-
ton for their pardon was presented to
the Legislature. But. it availcJ nly
to obtain commutution Of Jessc's sent.
cncc 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,a Mr.. Jnmes
Polhamqlqs. During that month II way,
f'rcr, begging food, stopped ut the
door. Being handy, good-naturcd,
quiet and obedient, homeless, and
weak Of itcllect, too, lie was allowed
to stay. lie said his name was Russell
iColvin, and that he came from Man
chester, vt.
Not far from Dover lies the little
town of Shrewsbury, then a quiet
hamlet, now invaded by the cottages
md villas re ono I>r,r,l ,I,