Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 17.pdf/738

 THE BOORN MURDER CASE

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the bones under the floor. That the next "MURDER." spring the barn was burnt. That they took "Printers of newspapers throughout the the bones and pounded them up and put United States are desired to publish that them into a deep hole in the river. That Stephen Boorn, of Manchester, in Vermont, the skull bone burnt so that it crumbled to is sentenced to be executed for the murder pieces; that his father scratched up some of Russell Colvin, who has been absent pieces and put them into a hollow birch about seven years. Any person who can stump near the road." give information of said Colvin may save The evidence in behalf of the respondents the life of the innocent by making immediate was confined mainly to an effort to weaken communication. Colvin is about five feet the effect of the confessions by showing the five inches high, light complexion, light strong outside influence that was brought to colored hair, blue eyes, about forty years of bear on the brothers previous to, and at the age. time of their making, the confessions. The "Manchester, Vermont, Nov. 26, 1819." judge charged, in reference to the confes The same issue contained an editorial, ridi sions, that no weight should be attached to a culing the scheme and insisting that there confession incited by hope or fear, leaving it was no possible doubt that Colvin had been for the jury to determine whether the confes murdered. The notice was copied into the sions in the present instance were so influenced. New York Evening Post of the 2gth and After an hour's deliberation a verdict of happened to be read aloud in one of the New guilty of murder in the first degree was found York hotels. Fate decreed that two by against each brother. The result was emi standers should hear it read, one of whom nently satisfactory to the spectators. Upon named Whelpley, a former resident of Man being asked if they had anything to say why chester, related many anecdotes concerning sentence of death should not be pronounced against them, both brothers in the strong Colvin and his peculiarities. The other, Mr. est terms protested their innocence. They Tabor Chadwick, of Shrewsbury, N.J., pon were sentenced to be executed on the dering over the matter, concluded that Col vin was then in the employ of his brother-intwenty-eighth day of January, 1820. Petitions were at once made to the Ver law, William Polhemus, of Dover, N.J., as a mont legislature, then in session, for a com farm-hand. Mr. Chadwick, on his return mutation of the sentences to imprisonment home, wrote the following letter to the edi for life. The petition of Jesse was granted tor of the Evening Post, who printed it, by a vote of 104 to 31, but that of Stephen and another to the post-master at Manches was denied by a vote of 97 to 42. Jesse was ter. No notice was taken of the latter. "SHREWSBURY, MONMOUTH, N.J., quite elated at the news and Stephen cor December 6. respondingly depressed. The latter gave up all hope, but a new idea occurred to him. "To the Editor of the New York Evening He suggested to his counsel that an adver Post: tisement for Colvin be inserted in the papers. "Sir: — Having read in your paper of This was a desperate chance, for, even were November 2 9th last of the conviction and Colvin alive, the limited circulation of the sentence of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, of papers and the slowness of the mails would Manchester, Vt., charged with the murder militate greatly against any news being re of Russell Colvin, and from facts which ceived before the execution, then less than have fallen within my own knowledge, and two months away. Nevertheless the follow not knowing what facts may have been dis ing notice was published in the Rutland, closed on the trial, and wishing to serve Vermont, Herald: the cause of humanity, I would state as