The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-05-06

frightened, ran away. Again, Mr..
Baldwin had heard Stephen Boorn, in
answer to the inquiry as to where COL
vim was, say, "He's gone to hadesl''
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. A button and
jackknife were found, which Mrs. O.
believed to have belonged to Russell.
Dreams thrice repeated were had by
old women and kitchen girls, and 10, 900
stories were in circulation.
Five years after Colvir was missed
Stephen Boorn removed to Denmark,
while Jesse remained at home. After
the former had gone some bones were &C.
cidental1y found in the decayed trunk
Of a tree near his house, and it was uni
versally believed that they were part Of
a human skeleton. Of course, then, they
must be Colvin's bones. Jesse was ar
rested, Stephen was brought back, and
both were held for examination. AL
though all the testimony when sifted
was found to be worthless, yet the two
brothers were remanded back to jail
and Jesse was worked upon to make
him turn states evidence The jailer
tormented him with suggestions which
his wife followed up with woman1y
adroitness. Neighbors helped. Beset
with preaching and prayers, tracts and
sermons, religious conversation and
pious directions-told that there was no
doubt in any ones mind that Stephen
committed the murder--urged to make
clean breast Of it, and thus save both
his body and 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 indict-
ment against Stephen and Jesse Boorn
for the murder of Russell Co1vin. Will
liam Farnsworth testified that Stephen
confessed that he did it and that Jesse
helped him; that they hid the body in
the bushes, then buried it, then dug it
up and burned it, and then scraped the
few remains and hid them in a stump.
Upon this unsupported evidence the
jury returned averdict of guilty against
both prisoners and they were sentenced
to be hanged on Jan. %.
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 be felt for them. They might, after
all, be innocent. A petition for their
pardon was presented to the legislature,
but it availed only to obtain commuta-
tion of Jesse's sentence to imprisonment
for life. Stephen was to be hanged.
Let the reader now turn to another
chapter Of this history.
In the year Colvin disappeared there
lived in Dover, n. J., Mr.. James Pol
hamus. During that month wayfarer,
begging food, stopped at his door. Be-
ing handy, good natured, homeless and
weak of intellect, he was allowed to
stay. He said his name was Russell
Colvin and that he came from Man
chester.
Not far from Dover lies the town Of
Shrewsbury, then quiet hamlet, now
invaded by the cottages and villas Of
Long Branch pleasure seekers. Here
lived Taber Chadwick, brother-in- law
to Mr.. Polhamus. Accidentally reading
a New York paper, he met, not with the
notice of the Rutland Herald, but with
an account of the trial of the Boorns.
Convinced that the Russell Colvin al
legged to have been murdered was the
VERY man then living with POlhamuS