Arizona republican., 1914-06-30
TRIAL OF THE BOORN MURDER CASE


 One of the most remarkable trials for murder that was ever conducted in this country was that of the B0orn murder case in Vermont. in the early part of the last century. Readers of the popular novel by Wilkie Collins, entitled The Death Alive" will find therein the complete story of the case, for the novelist founded his well-knoWn tale on the remarkable incidents con- nected with this trial and it's outcome.
 In September, 1919, the grand jury of Bennington county, Vermont indict- ed Stephen and Jesse Boorn for the murder of their brother-in law, Russell Colvin, which it was alleged had been committed on May 10, 1872. The Boorn household consisted of a husband, wife, two sons, daughter and a son law and the latters two children. The home was near Battenkill River, in Manchester. The parents stood well in the community, but the sons were of a rather irregular character.
 Colvin, the law, was a rather eccentric fellow, who would frequently leave home mysteriously and would give no account of where he had been upon his return. In May, 1912, while his wife was on a visit to some neigh bors, he started off on one of these mysterious tours and failed to return His continued absence gave rise to in quiries. Suspicion of foul play, based on circumstances trivial in themselves, speedily gained ground. Near the time of his disappearance one of the Boorn brothers stated that Colvin was dead, and the other that they had put him where potatoes would not freeze"
 The hat Colvin wore at the time of his disappearance was found near the Boorn place, as well as other articles he had possessed Amos Boorn, an uncle of the brothers, stated that he had dreamed that Colvin came to his bedside and told him that he had been murdered in a cellar hall about four feet suare, over which a house had since stood. Then the barn on the Boorn place burned down, giving rise to suspicion that the body might have been concealed beneath, and some bones were dug out by a dog from be- meath hollow stump, which, upon ex- animation, were pronounced human. Suspicion became certainty and as | Stephen BoOrn had recently moved to I New York state, Jesse was arrested on complaint of the town grand juror, and was examined on April 2. 1919, seven years after the disappearance of the | brother in law This examination I lasted three days. At this preliminary l trial every bit of evidence was dis played, and four physicians swore that 1 the bones that were held as evidence | were those of a human being. How | ever, one of them later examined a | skeleton at his home. acknowledged | that he had erred and retracted his l statement, and finally his professiona | brothers agreed with him that the | bones that had been found were no, human.
 At this public sentiment against tn, accused abated and in all likelihood
 Jesse Boorn would have been released !
 told the story of fight between Col
 win and his brother Stephen, in Whicl
 the latter had struck the brother in
 law with a club and he believed he hat
 killed him. but could not state wha
 had become of the body
 Stephen was at once arrested il
 Denmark, Lawrence county. N. Y. ant l n to where both brothers were prompt,
 bound over to await the action of tn
 grand jury. Upon his arrest Stephel steadfastly maintained his innocence
 even when confronted by his brother
 but after both of them had been in
 dicted many persons of influence pre-
 vailed upon them that they should con fess as the case against them Wa
 hopeless.
 l The trial commenced on October 2
 and closed the following Saturda , night The chief judge was Dudle
 Chase. an uncle of Salmon Chase, wh
 later became chief justice of the Unit ed States. Owing to want of spac in the regular court room the trial wa
 held in the Congregational church I
 the meantime Stephen made a comics sion, in which he told how he ha
 murdered his brother in law, how h
 had buried the body, then dug it ul disposed of some parts of it. and fin } ally buried it under the barn.
 $ The evidence in behalf of the re <l spondent was confined mainly to a ! | effort to weaken the effect of the con fession by showing the strong outsid influence that was brought to bear 0 ! the brothers previous to and at tt ! time of making confessions. The jude charged that no weight should be al ] tached to the confession, leaving it ] the jury to determine asto whether ] was so influenced.
 { After the jury had deliberated a { hour they brought in a verdict ] guilty of murder in the first degrt ! against Stephen and it was directe ! that he be hanged, and of the secor degree in the case of Jesse, and he wf at once sentenced to imprisonment f. { life and began serving his sentence. {l The day for the execution of Stephe approached, and as a last resort {l prove his innocence he had his attol ! ney insert in a Rutland, Vt, paper, : request for information as to Il