Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-06-09
STRANGE CONF5s5lCns.
R.cn who Have Owned tp 70 Crimes
They scvcr foasui-.tcu.

E.en who Have Owned Vp - Crimes
They scver comm-Hcd.
That nan On The rack. with every
nerve quivering wiki every nerve
drawn to iis uimus. tension. with the
pain increasing IN intensity ana vio-
lence, should confess himself the per-
petrator Of crime is natural enough.
The prospect Of relief from ac.nal pain
is temptation that blinds the sufferer
to the future But it may seem strange.
and is indeed one of the most inexplica-
bic things i'm human history. that men
have been induced by religious exhorta-
tions and other means Of persuasion to
sign their own death warrants by con-
Tossing crimes actually never commit
ted. Such in England was tie case OF
John Perry. executed near Campden ID
1861. with his mother and brother, for
numbering William Harrison, steward
for Lady Campden The testimony
against them WAS chiefly the confession
of John Perry himself. but, to the as
touishmcnt Of all. Harrison. who had
been kidnapped and carried Of return
ed two years after the execution.
In 1912 man named Russell Colvin,
living AT Manchester. Vt. disappeared,
and suspicious Of foul play were enter
tanned Public opinion attributed his
murder to Stephen and Jesse Boorn.
Still. as there was no definite ground
on which 10 arrest them. the excitement
gradually drew away In 1919. how
ever. n Mr. Boorn dream I'd that ne had
been murdered ny TWO men. whom he
fixed upon as his nephews. stephen and
Jesse The ghost OF the murdered man
even specified the place Of ibo murder
and the old cellar hole where the man
gled body had been thrust Here knife
and buttons We're found. which were
identified as belonging to Colyin On
this the men vere arrested Stephen
and Colyin had quarreled 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 70 the old cellar and en-, his throat
with a jackkuile lie further stated
that the next year they made away with
most Of the bon.s Of their victim
Stephen. after a time. admitted the
truth Of Jesse : confession On this they
were convicted and sentenced to be
hanged on the 26th Of January. 1920
They applied for communication OF the
sentence. and. AS some believed their
innocence. advertisements were inserted
in various papers for C0lyin. Not long
afterwafd letter appeared in the New
York Evening Pos- signed by Mrs
Chadwick and dated shrewsbury, y.
T.. Dec. g. 1919 stating taat a slightly
deranged man named Russell Colyin
had been there five years t--oie This
was generally looked upon as "a hoax, but
James Whelpley of New York, who
knew Coly.n. resolved TO follow up the
clew and actually founi Calvin at the
house Of William Poihemus at Dover
y. j.. where lie bad been since April
1913
Mr. Whelpley took him to New York.
the common council gave him means tc
prooceed 90 Vermont. and be arrived at
Manchester on the 22d day Of December.
The whole place was in a state Of
wild excitement. People gathered in
from all the surrounding country to see
the dead alive. A cannon was brought
out and Colyin was saluted with a dis
, charge Of cannon and small arms,
Stephen Boorn firing the first piece
3 There was much discussion as to the
motive for the confession, some attribut-
ing it to the effect Of imprisonment a
general sort of panic and terror. and
Others to the injudicious advice and ex'
hortations Of clergyman. Wonderful
Events