The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-29
THE "DEAD" CAME TO LIFE

And Saved the Neck of Suspected MUIR
derer From the Moose.
Some intensely interesting criminal law
cases have been related to a representative
of the Omaha Bee during the past week.
Judge Baldwin, with 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 came to my notice." said Judge
Baldwin, "was that of the two Boorns,
who were convicted years ago in the Su-
preme Court of Vermont, in Bennington
County, of the murder Of Russell Colvin. 1t
appears that Colvin, who was brother-in-
law of the prisoners, was person of weak
mind, and was considered burdensome to
the family of the prisoners, who were
obliged to support him; that at the time of
his disappearance he was in distant field
where the prisoners were at work; that
violent quarrel had broken out between
them, and that one Of them had struck him
u severe blow on 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 III
creased by the finding Of his hat in the same
field few months afterward. These Sus-
picions in process OF time subsided, but later,
one of the neighbors having repeatedly
dreamed of the murder with great mlnute-
ness of circumstances both in regard to the
missing mans death and the concealment OF
his remains, the BoOrns We're vehemently
accused and generally believed guilty of the
murder. After close Se0rcd, the pocket
knife of Colvin and button of his clothes
were found in an old open cellar in the
same field in which he had last been seen,
and in a hollow stump not many rods from
it, were discovered two nails and number
of bones believed to be those of a man.
1.-The men were tried and sentenced to be
hung. Their friends renewed their request
that they make full confession. One OF
them finally complied with the request, de-
failing a long story as TO just how the muir
der had been committed. The other con-
fessed, but with great reluctance and logged
ness, and would not go into details.
1.-The one who had made the full con-
feSsiOn had the sentence OF death committed,
while the sentence OF the penalty OF the law
was ordered carried out in the case of the
other.
las the day of execution approached the
doomed man made declaration that he and
his brother had lied-lied outrageeusly-
thai for his part he would not risk facing
his Maker with so awful lie upon his soul
The declaration was received simply as an
act of supreme cowardlce in the lace OF
death, and caused all but twoo three of the
most intimate friends of the maker OF 1t TO
turn against him, SO plain-t0 their minds
and to the mind OF the entire community
was IL that both men were guilty beyond all
1.-The last sunrise but one for the doomed
man was just flooding his Vermont home
when who should appear ut the door but
Russell ColviD, the man for the murder OF
whom Boom was upon the morrow to be
executed.
The explanation of the whole matter"
added Judge Baldwin, rs simple in its
character.
1.-The two Boorns had jumped upon Col
win in the field and beaten him. He had
escal ed from them, leaving his hat behind,
and so overpGwered was he with fear that
he continued his flight until he found him
self in New Jersey. At the last moment he
had learned that one of his prosecutors was
about to be hanged as his murderer, and al
though he had. suffered great brutality at
his hands Colvin Immediately fastened back
TO save the unlucky fellows neck. As Tor
the confessions which the Boorns made
particularly the full and very explicit one
they were made simply for one purpose-that
of trying to save their neckS."