Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-06-20
A Bit of Evidence.

the following note Murder Printers
of newspapers throughout the United
States are desired to publish that Ste
phen BOorn OF Manchester in Vermont
is sentenced to be executed for the
murder of Russell CLOWN. who has
been absent about seven years. ANY
person who can give information of
said Colvin may save the life of the
innocent by making immediate com
munication. Colvin is about ) feet 5
inches high, light complexion, light
hair, blue eyes and about 40 years
old"
This communication was copied gen
generally by newspapers and created
a great deal of interest. Before de-
scrlbing events that followed, let us go
back some years and to the little town
of Manchester.
Barney Boorn, an old man, had two
sons, Stephen and Jesse, and daugh-
ter Sarah, wife of Russell Colvin, u
half witted laborer They were bad
lot-poor, ignorant and in bad repute
for honesty. Two novels served them
for shelter, and few acres of pine
barrens constituted all their possess
ions. They raised few potatoes and
garden vegetables and eked out
81 anty livelihood.
In May, Colvin was at home. In
June he was missing. At first this
occasioned no remark. He was al
ways a tramp. But this time he did
not come back As weeks grew into
months inquiries began to he made
among the neighbors about the miss
ing man. There are no tongues for
gossip like those that wag in Yankee
village. One spoke to another Ex-
citement grew. Wonder, like con-
taglous disease, affected everybody.
Ii was known that there had long
existed between the old man and boys
gruGge against Colvin 1t was in
proof that the last time the missing
man was seen he was at work with the
Boorns clearing stones from field
and that a dispute was going on, and
Lewis Colvin, boy, son OF Russell,
bad stated that his father had struck
his uncle Stephen, and that the other
returned the blow, and that then he,
the boy becoming frightened, ran
away. Again, Mr.. Baldwin had
heard Stephen Boorn, in answer to he
inquiry as to where Colvin was, say,
Hes gone to hades -
For seven years the wonder grew
Colvin's ghost haunted every house in
Bennington County. There was no
proof that the Boorns were guilty. and
yet everybody believed it. \ button
and iackknife were found, which Mrs.
c. believed to have belonged to Rus
SELL Dreams thrice repeated were
had by old women and kitchen girls,
and 10000 stories were in circulation.
Five years after Colvin was missed
Stephen Boorn removed To Denmark.
while Jesse remained at home. After
the former had gone some bones were
accidentally found in the decayed
trunk of tree near his house, and it
was universally believed that they
were part of human skeleton. OF
course, then, they must he Colvin's
bones Jesse was arrested, Stephen
was brought back, and both were held
for examination. Although all the
testimony when siited was found to he
worthless, yet the two brothers were
remanded back to Jail and Jesse was
worked upon to make him turn states
evidence. The jailor tormented him
with suggestions which his wife fol.
lowed up with womanly adroitness.
Neighbors helped. Beset with preach
ing and prayers, tracts and sermons,
religious conversation and pious direc-
tions-told that there was no doubt in
any ones mind that Stephen commit,
ted the murder-urged to make Il
clean breast OF il, and thus save both
his body aud soul what wonder that
the man confessed, or was alleged to
have confessed, that Stephen Boorn
did murder Russell Colvin?
The grand jury found bill OF
indictment against Stephen and Jesse
Boorn for the murder of Russell Col
vim. William Farnsworth testified
that Stephen confessed that he did it
and that Jesse helped him; that they
hid the body in the bushes, then buried
il, then dug it up and burned it. and
then scraped the few remains and hid
them in II stump. Upon this unsup-
ported evidence the jury returned a
verdict of guilty against both prison.
ers, and they were sentenced TO be
hanged on Jan. 2S.
And now the men came to their
senses. They asserted their innocence.
They said that they had confessed as
their last hope. Some compassion
began to he felt for them. They might,
after all, be innocent. A petition for
their pardon was presented to the leg
islature, but it availed only to obtain
Communication OF .Iesse's sentence To i'm.
prisonment for life. Stephen was to
he hanged.
J Let the reader now turn to another