The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-16
A Hairbreadth Escape.

James Appleton Morgan, in paper on
"Personal Identity read before the
Medico-Legal Society of New York city
lately, recalled the circumstances of a
murder trial which was notable in its
day, but has doubtless passed out of the
recollection of all save the oldest readers
of the New York EUening Post. Mr.
Morgan's paper is published in full in
the Sanitarian for January, and we re-
print the passages referred to because of
the interesting part played by this journal
in the events which Immediately followed
the trial:
In 1919 there lived in Manchester,
Vermont, man named Barney Boorn,
who had two sons, Stephen and Jesse,
and a son-in-law named Russell Colvin,
all living with him. Colvin was an &C.
centric man, supposed to be insane at
times, and frequently absented himself
for days, without notice and without
giving any account of his adventures.
At last he was missing so long that sus-
pioions of foul play were aroused.
Months and years passed, and yet there
was no explanation of Colvin's absence
Some of the neighbors remembered that
the Boorn brothers, very shortly after his
disappearance, had declared that Colvin
was dead, and that they had "put him
where potatoes would not freeze" They
had not been on good terms with him,
and this added to the prejudice against
him.
Singularly enough, other circumstances
began to accumulate against the brothers.
Some children found dilapidated hat,
which was recognized as the one Colvin
Soon afterward a dog uncovered some
bones beneath an old stump, which at
first were pronounced to be human bones,
but subsequently we're found not to be.
An uncle of the boys had dream, ia
which Colvin came to his bedside and
told him he had been murdered. A barn
in the neighborhood was mysteriously
burned, aud it was at once conjectured
that the murdered man had been buried
under il, and the fire intended to destroy
all traces of the crime. All these cir
cumstances added to the excitement
against the Boorns. Stephen was then
out of the State, but Jesse was arrested.
He confessed that his brother Stephen
had tod him, a short time previously,
that he and Colvin had quarreled. and
that he bad killed Colvin by a blow on
the head. The people of the neighbor-
hood and for miles around spent the next
few days in another search for Colvin' 8
bones. out none were found.
Stephen Boorn was brought home.
He denied the statement of Jesse, and
asserted his innocence. The brothers
were imprisoned to await the meeting of
the Grand Jury. The principal witness
before that body was a forger who had
been confined in Jail with the Boorns.
He reported in detail confession of the
murder by Jesse Boorn, and both the
boys were indicted. This was in Septem-
Der, 1919. more than seven years after the
disappearance of Colvin. In November
the trial took place. Meanwhile Stephen
was induced by the remarks upon the
hopelessness Of their case to confess the
crime. in the expectation of mercy from
the court. This confession was the chief
evidence against them. Notwithstand-
ing that il was drawn out by a hope If
Obtaining a more favorable verdict, and
that no body bad been found Ms proof of
the murder, or even that CoIvis Was
dead, the brothers were convicted and
sentenced to be hanged on the 2Sih Of
January, 1920. So decisive did the
testimony against them appear to be that
the mother Of the convicts was expelled
from the Baptist Church, and the father
held . prisoner for . time, upon the sus-
picion that they must have been acces-
sorry to the murder.
A few Of the citiseDs Who were dis
nod 70 ha marcifuI si9nnd n commuta-