The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-03-02

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 per-
| son 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, and about forty years
old.-Manchester, VT Nov. 26, 1919"
| This communication was copied very gen.
orally by newspapers and created a great
deal Of interest. Before describing events
| that followed, let US 60 back to the 1872,
and to the little town Of Manchester, Yer
mont.
| Barney Boorn, an old man, had two sons,
Stephen and Jesse, and a daughter Sarah,
wife Of Russell Colvin, o half-crazed, half
'itted day laborer. They were a bad lot,
poor, ignorant, and in doubtful repute for
honesty Two miserable novels served
them for shelter, and few acres of pine
barrens constituted all their possessions.
They raised q few potatoes and garden veg
etabies, and eked out q scanty livelihood by
days work for the neighboring farmers
In May 1872. Colvin was at home In
June be was missing. At first this occas-
81 oned nc remark. He was always tramp,
absent from home sometimes for weeks to-
gether. But this time he did not come
back. AS weeks grew into months in
euiries began to be made among1he neigh
bors about the missing man. There are no
tongues for gossip like these which wag in
. Yankee village. One spoke to another.
Excitement. grew. Wonder, like contag
ious disease, affected everybody.
it was known that there had long exist
Ell between the old man and boys grudge
against Colvin; it was in proof tina, the last
time the missing man was seen he was at
worH with the boorns cleaning stones trom
a held, and that dispute was going on; aud
Lewis Colvin boy, son OF Russell, had
stated that his father had struck MS uncle
Stephen, that the other returned the blow,
and that then he, the boy, becoming frigh
tened, ran away. Again; Mr.. Baldwin had
heard Stephen Boorn, in answer ~ the in
quiry as TO where Colvin WAS, say Ike
gone to HELL, l hope"
..is he dead, Stephen pursued Mr..
Baldwin.
Il tell you again" replied the man
THAT Coivin has gone where potatoes won't
freeze"
For seven years the wonder grew Col
wins ghost haunted every house in Ben
ning;on county. There was no known proof
that The B0orns were gnilty, and yet every
body believed it, button and jackkaite
were found, which Mrs. C. believed to have
belonged to RUSSELL dreams, thrice-repeat-
ed, were had by old women and kitchen
girls; and ten thousand stories were in cir
culation.
Five years after Colvin was missed Step
hnr
while jesse remained at home After the
former had LETT some bones were accidental
ly found in the decayed trunk OF a tree near
his house, and, through all surgeons said to
the contrary, II was universally believed that
they were par. Of o human skeleton. OF
course hen, they must be Colvin's bones.
Jesse was arrested, Stephen was brought
back from Denmark, and both were held for
examination. Although all the testimony
when sifted was found to. be worthless, vet
the two brothers were remanded back to
jail, and Jesse was worked upon to make
him turn States evidence. The jailer tro-
mented him with suggestions, which bis
wife followed up with womanly aoroitness.
Neighbors helped. Beset with tracts and
sermons, preaching and prayers, religious
COW, lion and pious directions-told that
there was not doubt In any ones mind but
that stephen committed the murder-urged
10 make clean breast OF it and thus save
both his body and soul, wha, wonder that
the man confessed or was alleged to have
confessed, that Stephen Boom did murder
Russell Colvins
On Sept. Sd, 1919, the Grand jury found
q bill OF indictment agains, Stephen and
Jesse Boorn for the murder o: Russell Col
VIZ. William Farnsworth testified tha,
stephen confessed that ne did il. and that
Jesse helped him; that they hid the BODY 10
the bushes, then buried it, then dug il UP
and burned IL, and then scraped the few re-
mains and hid them in a stump Upon this
unsupported evidence the jury returned .
verdict OF guilty agains, both prisoners,
aud 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 a. their las. hope
Some compassion began to be felt for them
They might, after ali, be innocent. A petit
tion for their pardon was presented to the
Legislature. But is awaited sniy TO
obtain communication Of Jesse's sentence TO
imprisonment. for life No more. Stephen
was to be hanged.
! Let the readers now turn to aD,sher chap
ter OF this strange history.
In April, 1919, there lived il Dover, Mon
mouth county.S. j.. Mr.. Janes Polhzmus-
During that month : waysArer. begging
food, stopped at MS door. Being handy,
| good na,ured, quiet and es<dient, homeless
and weak of intellect, too, 1e was allowed to
stay lie said his name sAs Russell Cclyin
and tia: he came from Manchester. Vt.
! Not far from Dose: hes the town o.
Shrewsbury. then sdet hamlet. nov in
wade by the cottages and villas Of Long
Branch pleasure seekers Here lived Taber
Chadwick. orother-in-law TO Mr. Polhamus.
and ultimate with the family. Accidental
~ reading the New York Evening Posi-, he
mel, nos win the notice of the Rutland
! Herald. but with an accoun, Of the trail Of
the Boerns. Convinced thai the Russell
CSlvin alleged to have been murdered VAS
the very man then living With Mr. Po!hanus
he wra<e TO the Evening Post letter, which
was Fablished December 8. 1919
| Upon the arrival Of thu paper .; Man
chesser il excited bu. litte attention. The