The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-06-02
STRANGE CONFESSIONS.
to Crimes which They
Never Committed.

4. mat p man on the rack Win every
nerve quivering, with every nerve
n drawn to it's utmost tension, with the
* pain increasing in intensity and VIC
n lence, should confess himself the per.
>. The prospect of relief from actual pain
is temptation that blinds the sufferer
to the future. But II may seem strange,
and il indeed one of the most ineXplic-
able things in human history, That men
, have been induced by religious eXhorta-
tons and other means of persuasion to
sign their own death warrant by con-
Tossing crimes actually never commit
ted Such in England was the case of
John Perry, executed near Campden in
1861, with his mother and brother, for
numbering William Harrison, steward
for Lady CampdeD. The testimony
against them was chiefly the confession
OF John Perry himself, but to the aston
ishment OF all, Harrison. who had been
kidnapped and carried off, returned two
years after the execution.
In 1912 a man named Colvin, living at
Manchester, VT, disappeared, and sus-
| picions of foul play were entertained.
Public opinion attributed his murder to
Stephen and Jesse Boorn. Still, as
there was no definite ground on which |
TO arrest them, the excitement gradual |
~ died away. In 1919, however, Mr.. !
Boorn dreamed that he had been muir
dercd by two men, whom he fixed upon
as his nephews, Stephen and Jesse. The
ghost Of the murderer even specified the
place of the murder and the old cellar
hole, where the mangled body had been
thrust. There Il knife and buttons were
found, which were identified as belong
ing TO Colvin. On this the men were ar
rested. Stephen and Colvin had quar-
relied just before the disappearance of
the latter and Stephen had been seen
TO strike him with a club and knock
him down.
In short time Jesse confessed that
he and Stephen. with their father after
Stephen knocked him down, had carried {
him TO the old cellar and cut his throat a
with a jack-knife. and further stated Il
tina next year they made way with most
Of the bones of their victim. Stephen,
after time. admitted the truth of .Jes- =,
'e's confession. On this they were con-
'icted and sentenced to be hanged on
he 2Sth Of January 1920. They applied s
or Communication OF sentence, and as y
ONE believed their innocence, adyer- Il
isements were inserted in various pa X
'crs for Colvin. Not long afterward a 4
etter appeared in the New York Even "
1g Post, signed by Mr.. Chadwick. Ii
nd dated Shrewsbury, y. j., December -.
j, 1919, stating that slightly derangcd bi
IAN named Russell Colvin had been
lere five years before. This was gen NJ
rally looked upon as hoax, but James ~
helpley, OF New York, who knew Col
II, decided to follow up the clew, and I
'tually found COlyin at the house Of I
il!iam Polhemus, at Dover y. j., {
here he had been since April 1913. !
Mr.. Nhelpley took him TO New York. -
e common council gave him means 10
oceed to Vermont, and he arrived nj
inchester on the 22d day of Deccm-
T..
The Whole place was in y state Of
element. People gathcr,d in from wo
The surrounding country 10 see the c cnr
ld alive. y cannon was brought ont tim
d GOWN WAS salutcd with DISCHARGE 9
cannon and small arms, STEPHEN I'm
orn firing the first piece. There was 6av
ich discussion as to the motive for the day
ltession, some contributing it to the my
'ct OF Imprisonment. general sort arc
panic, terror, and others TO the in aflli
icious advice and cxhortations of = ton
-pyman -Wopdorf,Ir ro,. gene
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