The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-11
a Narrow Escape from Hanging.

"One OF the most remarkable cases that has
ever come 70 my notice." says Judge Baldwin.
| to the Omaha Bee, was that Of the two Boorns,
who were convicted years ago in the supreme
court Of Vermont, IN Bennington county, of the
murder of Russell Colvin- Il appears that
Colvin. who was a brother-in-law Of the prison
ers, was person OF weak mind. and was con-
sidered Durdensome to the family of the prison
ers, who were obliged to support him; that at
the time Of bis disappearance he was in distant
| field. where the prisoners were at work: that a
violent quarrel had broken out between them,
and that one Of them had struck him a severe
| blow on the back Of the head with club,
which felled him to the ground. Some suspi-
cions arose at the time that he was murdered,
and these suspicious were increased by the find
ing of his hat in the same field a few months
| Rfterward.
These suspicious in process Of time sub
| sided, but later one Of the neighbors having
repeatedly dreamed of the murder with great
mlnuten6SS or circumstances, both In regard TO
| the missing man death and the concealment
| OF his remains, the Boorns were Vehe nently
accused and generally believed to be guilty of
| the murder. After a close search the pocket
knife of Colvin and a button of his clothes were
| found in an old open cellar in the same field in
which be had last been seen. and in a hollow
stump not many rods from it we're discovered
| nails and a number of bones believed to be
those Of a man.
"Just prior to their trials friends Of the
| Boorns said that the evidence against them was
| too Enthusiastically plain for them to longer hold
| out, and urged them to make a clean breast Of
| the entire matter, holding that il they did SO
| they would undoubtedly get their sentence of
death, which was sure to be the result of their
| trial, commuted to Imprisonment for life.
The men were tried add sentenced to be
hanged. Their friends renewed their request
| that they make a full confession. One OF them
| finally compiled with the request, detailing a
| long story as to just how the murder had been
committed. The other confessed, but with
| great reluctance and doggedness, and would not
go into 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
carried out in the case of the other.
LAS the day OF the execution approached the
doomed man made the declaration that he and
| his brother had lied; lied outrageously and that
for his part he would not risk facing his Maker
with so awful lie upon ms soul Tne declara-
| ton was received simply as an act of supreme
cowarlice 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 minds of the entire
community, was it that both men were guilty
beyond all IoSSlble doubt.
The last sunrise but one for the doomed man
was 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 matter, " added
Judge Baldwin, lis simple
The two BoOrns had jumped upon Colvin in
the field and beaten him. He had escaped from
| them, leaving his hat behind, and so overpow-
cred was he with fear that he continued his
| flight Until he found himself in New Jersey At
the last moment he had learned that one of his
prosecutors was about to be hanged as his muir
derer, and although he had suffered great brlI-
| tality at his hands, ColIn Immediately has
| tened back to save the uulucky fellow s neck
AS for the confessions which the Boorns made
| particularly the full and very explicit one they
were made simply to save their necks."