Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-11-24
IoHS c. COLT.
corre.youdsaes eftAs .. 8 Gazette
Srw YoRK, Friday, ?. NJ.

N, Anthem spent the whole morning with
col, whose mind is calm and composed.
An hopes of reprieve has fled. Al IL
o'clock Caroline Ilenshaw was married
10 the prisoner by the Rev. DIR. Anthon'
SUICIDE OF COLT.
Ten minutes before the time appointed
for the execution, Coli committed SUICIDE
by s,abbing hmseIfto the heart. oinu'-
taneous with the discovery 81 ms DEAN
the cupola of the prison burnt into haneS'
and - now burning. The greatest con-
s,ernation and alarm prevail persons ''y-
inoto escape &c. Those who were 70
witness the execution escaped through
the windows. ! have not moihen' 70
An extra Of the Herald gives the fol-
lowing further particulars:
"At o'clock he requested his keeper,
NJ Greene, TO let him be left alone IN.
"A ,be last moment. His cell was closed
and he was left alone until 30 minutes to
2 when some friends OF the Sheriff ap.
pretending that he might attempt 10 COM
mil suicide, one ofihe Deputy Sheriis,
HlIlyer, went to his cell door, and re-
quested to wish him good bye" Coli
was then walking up and down his cell,
but turned round on the door opening.
smiled on Eillver, shook him by the hand
and kissed him, MS he did several oil those
who had Just previously bid him farewell
in this life. He said TO Hillyer-"God
bless you, and may you prosper 10 this
life, which is soon to close on me.
From this time 10 three o'clock, the
excitement around the prison increased
tremendously !; ead the feelings OF those
in the PRISON were also worked up 10 a
pitch of great intensity. Several emit
neni surgeons came iRto The prison 1T
lie before three, and the universal topic
Of discussion, all round, among the little
knots Of spectators, was, whether he had
been furnished with the means, aud wheth-
er he would commit suicide or not. Ma
nv prophecied that "by 4 O'Clock there
would be dead man without hanging"
SUICIDE OF JOHN c. COLT.
FRIDAY, Five minutes past 4, p. NJ.
We have written tho whole Of The above
at ! to 3 ?. VI. this afternoon. At that
time Colt was alive. No one entered his
cell till precisely five minutes I'll four
O'Clock, at which time Sheriff Hart, and
Wtst,rvcli, dressed in uniform, with Dir.
Anthem, proceeded 10 the cell ami on the
k eper opening the door, De. Anthon wno
was first, drew hack, threw np his hands
eni eyes to Heaven, and uttered a iaint
ejaculation, turned pale as death, and re-
tired. "As | thought" said the keeper.
Gas thought" said we. And going IN
to the cell there lay Colt on his back {,
stretched out at full length on the bed.
quite dead, hut not cold. A clasp knife,
like small dirk knife, with broken han
die, was sticking in his heart.
He had stabbed himself about the fifth
rib on the left side. We felt his temples
aud they were warm. His vest was open;
the blood had flowed freely, and his hands,
which were placed across his belly, were
very bloody he had evidently worked
AMI turned tho knife round and round in
his heart after he had stabbed himself,
until he had made quite large cash.
His body was laid out quite straight
en- the bed as ir laid out for funeral by
others. Ills mouth wss open, and his
ewes partly open. Dir. Hosack and o
Tiers went into his cell aud pronounced
hun dead.
The Coroner WAS ready at hand, took
charge Of the body, and locked the cell.
Mos, strangeao say, just at this mo-
men,, the large cgpola OF tn, T0mbs was
discovered TO be on FIRE and burned fu-
tlously so that, il he had not killed him
self, 10 consequence Of the execution be.
ing postponed TO the last moment, 1t is
very probable, that in the confusion art
sing from the ire, and the mob breaking
ia to the Tombs, Colt could either have
made his escape, or he would not have
been hung.
The Philadelphia Chronicle Of Sstur.
day morning ssys-
From gentleman who left New York
S o'clock yesterday Afternoon, we learn
that all the particulars stated above, are
correct. He stated TO us that he never
witnessed so great All excltement as was
manifested outside the prison. The GU
polls, il is supposed, was SGT on fire for
the purpose OF burning the buIlding, and
thus the crowd couid rescue Colt. While
on The other hand II is asserted that the
cupola was set on fire to attract attention
and thus preSeat rescue, which was
threatened by the thousands that sur
rounded the prison walls.
From the time it was first known that
Colt had committed suicide, up to FIVE
o'ciaels, the whole population of New
York were in the greatest excltement.-
All sorts of speculatons were afoat, and
aad every kind Of suspicion raised. To
as, the whole proceedings are character
ised with the strangest novelty, daring,
and singularity. We know not what to
think Of the awful consequences.
Since the above was 10 iype we have
received the New York papers of Satur-
day morning. which fully confirm all the
above statements in relation to Colt.
The fire in the dome of the prison was
accidentally communicated from stove,
placed there Tor the use of the watchmen
employed to look out for fires. 1t was
exllnguished without damage to the main
building.