The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-01-29
Colts Trial.

This most extraordinary trial will be brought to
close to-day. 1t has already occupied nine days
A day and a hall was spent in procuring jury from
$40 persons six days were spent in hearing the evi
dence; - witnesses were examined for the prose-
cuton, and II for the defence. A day and half
has been consumed by three OF the counsel in sum
ming up, and Mr.. Whiting, who closes, will occupy
lhe whole OF five hours this morning till the re-
cess. After that Judge Kent will deliver his charge,
aud the cause will go 10 the jury about five or SIX
o'clock; about dusk this evening
Sach is the present state of the case. What the
verdict will be, il is impossible conjecture. The
readers of the Herald" have had the best and full
est account Of this testimony spread before them,
our columns, from day to day, and able 10
Judge for themselves. We have given correct out
ines OF Mr. Emmeu's and Mr.. Smiths speeches;
one Tor and the other against the prlsoner and shall
give the same of the speeches of Messrs. Selden
and Whiting, in the Herald tomorrow Sunday
with the fullest and most report Of the charge
OF Judge Kent. WHICH, from all the circumstances
the case will, doubtless, be one of the msst in
teres,ing ever delivered.
Altogether, this has been one of the most singular
trials that took place in this or any ether
country. II throws the Peter Robinson affair far
i nto the shade. There the wife of the murdered
Suydam not brought into Court. But here, tirst
We have the widowed wife of the murdered Adams
placed upon the stand then the dead mans coat
cut to pieces, held up before her to be identi
fed by her. Taen the wedding ring taken off
the dead mans finger is put into her hand,
and she is called 10 indeniiiyt, and does by try
ing il her own finger. Next we have the box-,he
murdered mans ceffin-and the awnlng-the dead
mans shroud-brought into Court-rceking with
pulrefaction and turned over, and measured, and
shaken, and deliberately displayed before the jury,
Whilst tue lid of the cofiia, soaked in boed, is burnt
up to light the fire in the watch house Next we
have the victim of seduction-ihe wifeess mother
of Colts breathing infant, placed the stand
TO tell how her seiucer looked, and slept. and ate,
after he had killed his fellow man As if this wa.
not enough, we have horrible array of doctors dis
putting about the halt dozen holes in the scull Of
the murdered mainland some swearidg that he was
KILLED by buiet-others by Ratchet And "a if this
csud not suffice, we nave the murdered body Of
Adams dragged fron the charnal house al noon day
the head cut oiiom the and the scul-isre
horribly maugled scull of Adams wrapped up in
newspaper, carried cooly under doctors ann into
court, land placed upon the of the Judgment seat
CHASTITY witness for his former friends and foes 10
gaze upon with horror and dismay. Last scene bu,
one, we have part of me clothes, and the contents
of the pockets of the dead man at the time
he was killed, dug out OF the privy into which
they had been thrown at tn time Of the murder
keys, half dollar, pencil-case and all, Jrou ght into
Court, and handed round for the inspection and ed
fication of the jury.
Lastly, to cap the climax OF this "strange, event
fu history" the prisoners counsel rises at the las,
hour, and reads full confession OF the whole affair,
written by Colt himself. And weIl.dressed ladies'
crowding into Cosri by dozens to see and hear the
whole affair.
II this be not the strangesi trial ever knowa, then
have We ye, to learn the fact aud yet the counsel
on both sides talk with wefsigned asionishment OF
abe excitement, in the city