The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-12-09

And Thereby Saved the Neck OF
a Suspected Murderer From
the Moose.

Judge Baldwin, with q career OF
more than forty years at the bar,
proved to be one of the most valuable
contributors.
Zone Of the most remarkable cases
that has ever come to my notice, said
Judge Baldwin, was that or the two
Bonrns, who were convicted years ago
in the Supreme Court of Vermont, in
b nDington County, of the murder OF
Russell Colvin. 1t appears that Col
vim, v no was brother-in-law OF the
prisoners, was a person of weak mind,
and was considered burdensOme to the
family of the prisoners, who were
Obliged to support MIN that at the
time of his disappearance, he was in
dIsLanL menu where TGe prisoners
were at work; that a violent quar-
rel had broken out between
liIUlu, ~nd thA+ emo nf them had struck
him a severe bow Oh the back of the
head with a club, which felled him to
the ground. Some suspicious arose at
the time that he was murdered, and
these suspicious were increased by the
finding of his hat in the same field a
few months afterwards. These suspi-
cions in process of time subsidized, but
later, one of the neighbors having
repeatedly dreamed of the murder
wi b great minuteness ofcircumstauce.
both in regard to the missing mans
death and the cOncealment of his re-
mains, the Boorns were vehemenIly
accused and generally believed guilty
of the murder. After close search,
the pocket-knife Of Colvn and a
button of MS clothes were found in an
old open cellar in the same field in
which he had last beeh seen, and in a
hollow stump not many rods from it
were discovered two nails and num-
Der of bones believed to be those of d
man.
"Just prior to their trial friends of
the BOOrns far about them said that
the evidence against them was too un-
mistakably plain for them to longer
hOld out and urged them TO make
clean breast of the entire mattAr,
hol ing that if they did so they would
undoubtedly get their sentence of
death-which was sure to be the re-
suit of their tIial-cOmmuted to ina
prisonment for life.
The men were tried and sentenced
to be hanged. Their friends renewed
their request that they make full
confession. One of them finally COM
Piled with the request, detailing long
Story OF Just how The murder had
been committed. The other confessed
but with great reluctance and logged
ness, and would not 90 int details.
'The one who had made the full
confession had the sentence OF death !
committed, while the sentence of the
penalty of the law was ordered car
ried out in the case of the other.
LAS the day of execution approach
ed. the doomed man made declara-
ton that he and his brother had lied
lied outrageously-and that fol- his
part he would not risk facing his
Maker with so awful a lie upon his
soul. The declaration was received
simply as an act of supreme cowardice
In the face of death, and caused all
but two or three of the most intimate
friends of the maker of it to turn
against him, so plain-to their minds
and to the mind OF the entire COM
that both men were
guilty beyond all possible doubt.
The last sunrise but one for the
doomed man was just flooding his
Vermont home when who should
appear at the door but Russell Colvin
the man for the murder of whom
BOOrn was upon the morrow to be
executed.
THE explanation of the whole
NATTER" added Judge Baldin, els
simple in its character.
1.-The two Boorns had jumped upon
Colvin in the field and heaten him.
He had escaped from them, leaving
his hat behind, and so overpowered
was he with fear that he continued
lis flight until he found himself in
New jersey. At the last moment he
lad learned that one of his prosecutors ,
vas about to be hanged as his MUIR
lerer, and although he had suffered
,reat brutality at his hands, Colvin
Immediately fastened back to save !
he unlucky fellows neck. As for
he confessions which the Boorns a
made, particularly the full and very g
xplicit one, they were made for one I
urpose-that of saving their necks. c
"While addressing the jury in v
riminal case few years ago." con- 8
nued the judge. 81 found myself
a loss for a suitable story with
'hich to illustrate the great and
lpreme need existing for calm iude-