The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-02
WASN'T DEAD AFTER ALL
The Singular Confession Of Two Brothers
to Save Their Eecks-

to Save Their Fecks-
One OF the most remarkable cases that
has ever come 10 my notice, said Judge
Baldwin, was that of the two Boorns, who
were convicted wears ago in the supreme
court of Vermont, in Bennington county,
of the murder of Russell Colvin- 1t ap-
pears that Colvin, who was brother-ln-
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 neld
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
suspicions arose at the time that he was
murdered, and these suspicious were In
creased by the finding of his hat in the
same field few months afterward. These
suspicious in process of time subsidized, but
later, one of the neighbors, having repeat
edly dreamed of the murder with great
miuuteness of circumstance, both IN regard
to the missing mans death and the con-
cealment Of his remains, the Boorns were
yehemently accused and generally believed
guilty of the murder. After a close search
the pocket knife of Colvin and button of
his clothes were found in an old open cellar
in the same field in which be had last been
seen. and in hollow stump not many rods
from it were discovered two nails and
number of bones, believed to be those OF a
man.
Just prior to their trial friends Of the
Boorns far about them said that the evil
.On q
plain for them to longer hold out, and
urged them to make a clean breast Of the
entire matter, holding that if they did so
they would undoubtedly get their sentence
of death, which was sure to be the result of
their trial, committed to imprisonment for
life.
The men were tried and sentenced to be
hanged. Their friends renewed their re-
quest that they make full confession.
One of them finally complied with the re-
quest, 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 de-
tails.
The one who had made the full confess
sion had the sentence of death committed,
while the sentence of the penalty Of the
law was ordered carried cut in the case of
the other.
As the day of execution approached the
doomed man made a declaration that he
! and his brother had lied--lied outrageous
! ly-and that 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 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 minds Of the en-
| tire communicates It 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 matter is
simple in It's character.
The two Boorns had jumped upon Col
win in the field and beaten him. lie had
escaped from them, leaving his hat behind,
| and so overpowered was he with fear that
he continued his flight until he found him
self in New Jersey. At tue last moment
| he had learned tha5 one OF his prosecutors
was about to be hanged as his murderer,
| and although he had suffered great brutal
| ity at his hands, COlvin Immediately
! FASTENED back to save the unlucky fellow
| neck As for the confessions which the
Boorrs INDEPENDENTLY the full and
very explicit one-they were made simply
for one purpose, that of trying to save
| their necks.-Omaha Bee.