The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-08-11

ing back hey farnG ColyIn lying dea
In the field.
stephen Wen: on to declare that Col
Wins body had then been put in tbs
potato cellar after a knife had beel
aiken from his pocket; that subsequent
ly C1lyin's body had been exhumed ane
thrown in the river, some OF the bones
being buried In a hole by a stump
Every trivial detail Of the supposed
murder was described.
Search was again made for the bod!
Of Colrin. but it was not found, and or
the twin confessions of the two brothers
they were brought to trial. just seven
years after GOWNS disappearance
The Boorns were found guilty and bott
sentenced. Jesse getting life imprison-
ment and Stephen being sentenced to
he hanged. Immediately both began pro-
testing their innocence. They declared
they had nothing 10 do with the murder
Of Colvin. and that their confessions
we're false. No man, however, doubted
the guilt of the prisoners, and 1t was
generally believed that the murder had
been detected by providential interpo-
sition.
Then came the startling finale OF
the case-a finale which shows with
what caution confessions of guilt should
Je accepted, even when strongly cor.
roborated by circumstantial evidence.
A few days after the sentence the mar
supposed to be murdered turned UP
alive. During all those years he had
been living in another part of the state
in a condition of harmless mental de.
rangement, The Boorns, of course, were
freed.
The OTHER peculiar case of false ON
fessions occurred in Illinois, and was
also a case in which brothers were IN
volved. There were three of them, by
the name Of Traitor. their Christian
m being William, Henry and Archi-
bald Archibald lived at Springfield.
He was a sober, industrious man, a ar
penter by trade. Henry was a man Of
like quiet habits and lived OF a farm 20
miles from Springfield. William, with
similar characteristics to his brothers.
lived on a farm 100 miles from the state
capital,
Living near William was a man
called Fisher. who did odd jobs, and
whose habits were so economical that
the story got abroad in the ~neighbor-
hood that he had accumulated a consid-
cradle amount Of money. At the time in
question William decided to visit his
brother Archibald in Springfield, and
Fisher Joined him on the trip, They
drove in a buggy and went by way of
Henry's farm. where they were joined
by Henry, who rode on horseback. In
this fashion they came to Springfield.
Here they found Archibald and took up
residence at his boarding house for the
period of their stay,
They had arrived at moor and after
dinner Fisher and the three Traitors left
the clearinghouse, announcing that
they were going to see the city. At sup.
per time the three Traitors returned,
but Fisher was missing, After supper
the brothers went out again, saying they
would look for Fisher.
One by one they again returned. each
saying he had been unable to find tbs
missing man, The next day they re-
newed the search. but not having found
Fisher late that afternoon. Henry and
William announced that they were 60
ing home, They did SO. although some
sOmment began to be made on Fishers
disappearance No general interest
was excited however, until the post
master at Williams town wrote to
Springfield saying that William had re-
turned and was boasting that Fisher was
dead and had wiIled him 81 500. Gen
eral interest was then aroused and a
search was made for the body of Fisher.
Nothing vas found, Then Henry and
William were arrested. They were both
put in the sweatbox, but nothing was
got from them until three days later.
Then Henry declared that his brothers.
Archibald and William, had murdered
Fisher.
According to Henry's confession his
brothers had told him of the murder the
day after it occurred and had taken him
with them while they made permanent
disposition of the body. which was hid.
den in the woods. Henry said that the
three of them went by a disused road
with the buggy to the edge of a dense
thicket where William and Archibald
tool%out the body and placed it in the
buggy and then went to a nearby mill.
pond, leaving Henry alone. When his
brothers returned they told Henry they
had put Fisher in a safe place.
"On this confession a visit was made
to the millpond and thicket. At the
thicket marks of the buggy wheels were
plainly seen and evidences found of ;
struggle. while at the pond il was found
that a buggy had been backed down tt
and partially into the water, The pont
was dragged and then drained. but moth
ing was found.
Archibald in the meantime had also
been arrested, AT the trial Henry re,
peated his confession on the stand. while
witnesses testified that since the disap-
pearaRce of Fisher Archibald and vii.
liam had spent an unusual numbfr OF
gold pieces. Then came the surprise.
Fisher was suddenly found at a house
sevan miles from Williams residence.
He could give no rational accouIt OF