Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 17.pdf/735

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THE GREEN BAG

THE BOORN MURDER CASE BY RUSSELL W. TAFT been murdered and buried in a cellar hole about four feet square, over which a house had once stood, and used at the time of IN September, 1819, the grand jury of Colvin's disappearance as a place for bury Bennington County, Vermont, indicted ing -potatoes; a barn on the Boorn place Stephen and Jesse Boom for the murder of burned, giving rise to the suspicion that the Russell Colvin, alleged to have been com body might have been concealed beneath it; mitted on the tenth day of May, 1812. The and some bones were dug out by a dog from Boorn household, consisting of Barney beneath a hollow stump, which, upon exam Boom and his wife, their two sons, Stephen ination, were pronounced human. This was the last straw. Suspicion be and Jesse, their daughter, Sally, wife of Col came a certainty, and, as Stephen Boorn had vin, and her two children, lived near the recently removed to New York State, Jesse Battenkill River in Manchester, Vermont. was arrested on complaint of Truman Hill, Barney Boorn and his wife seem to have town Grand Juror, and examined before stood well in the community, but the reputa Joel Pratt, justice of the peace, on Tuesday, tion borne by their sons was that of reck less and turbulent spirits. Colvin, their April 27, 1819. The examination lasted son-in-law, was weak in intellect, at times three days. A large knife, a pen-knife, and mentally unbalanced, and would periodi a button, the button and large knife being cally absent himself from home, giving no shown to have been Colvin's, were found in the old cellar hole and produced, and the account of himself on his return. In the month of May, 1812, while his wife bones found in the stump were pronounced was on a brief visit in a neighboring town, by four physicians to be those of a human Colvin suddenly disappeared. The Booms foot, together with some toe nails and per reported him to have gone on one of his haps a thumb nail. However, one of the periodical trips. He did not return, and as physicians, on later examining a skeleton at time went on public curiosity gave rise to his home, concluded that he had erred, and inquiry; suspicions of foul play, based on next day retracted his statement. His circumstances, trivial in themselves, but brethren were dissatisfied and caused a leg pregnant with meaning to a credulous rural that had been amputated and buried to be •community, agape for mysteries, speedily exhumed and brought into court, when, gained ground. Near the time of the dis upon comparison, it was apparent that the appearance one of the Boorn brothers had bones were not human. At this, public sentiment against the ac stated that Colvin was dead, the other that they "had put him where potatoes would cused abated, and in all likelihood Jesse not freeze"; the hat Colvin wore at the would have been released had he not, urged time of his disappearance was found, in a thereto by his jailers, on Saturday night con mouldy and dilapidated condition, near the fessed that, during a quarrel that arose Boorn place; Amos Boorn, an uncle of the while they were hoeing in the "Glazier" lot, brothers, thrice dreamed that Colvin came his brother Stephen struck Colvin with a to his bedside and. told him that he had club or stone: that Colvin's skull was frac NOTE. — Upon this remarkable case Wilkie tured and that he, Jesse, believed Colvin to Collins founded his well-known tale " The Dead be dead, but could not tell what became of Alive." the body. Stephen was at once arrested at "So Justice, while she winks at crimes, Stumbles on innocence sometimes." — Hudibras