New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-11-19
John G. Colt.


man occurred yesterday. All the Desperate eff
fcr;s of bis counsel and friends TO obtain new
yriaj reprieve, or mitigation of his sentence,
having utterly failed, and his last hope Of avoid
,ne an Immediate and shameful death being at a..
cad, he was married yesterday at noon to his mis-
trcsS, the mother Of his child. At 8 clock z. NJ
his brother and his wife took leave of him for ever,
and. at his earnest solicitations he was allowed to
pass his last hour alone. At e quarter before 4.
when the Sheriff went to his cell to prepare him
.or execution he was found dead having driven
2 knife 70 his heart
The life and death Of this hapless being must
sSord solemn warning to the Youth OF our City
apd Land Few Of them are entering upon life
with fairer prospects, with nobler opportunities,
,hsn were those Of John c. Colt. OF respected
snd Influential family possessing good talents and
Winning address, enjoying and prohting by lib
sral opportunities for mental culture, he might
fairly have locked forward TO life of usefulness,
honor and happiness, closing at ripe maturity in
,7eath-bed aoothed by the attentions of loving and
sorrowing hearts. This might have been, but fo'
The canker in the heart-the sehshness, and pride,
chayacter--a disposition to measure every thing
by the standard Of personal interest or gratitlca
ron On this rock has he been wrecked; ano
now, after a career neither exemplary mol happy,
see hin, at the earl. age of thirty, following II
ignoniny and blood to the grave one victim of his
SERGE. ungoverned passions, and leaving behind
him another far more to be pilied, to desolatt
~idowhood OF anguish and shame. His orpha,
child toc-an infant OF few months-to what
heritage of undeserved dishonor does 1t succeed!
while most respected and worthy circle of rela
rives are plunged in distress and doomed to endure
rhe haun,ings of painful, humbing remembrance.
And at this ruin is the work Of one perverse sprll
of ona who might have been blessing and al
honor TO them all.
Human justice has been robbed of It's eppropri-
ate sacrifice yet to the Divine requirement the sat
;ssacton is complete. The blood of the victim NO
longer cries from tho ground for retributon. Lei
The grave, then, cover his errors, save they may
he rendered beacons to the pathway of Life.
We will hope tina. this tragedy, viewed in all
its proportions, has done much to hasten the Abo-
a,ion of the Punishment of Death. We have re.
fused to take any part in the Efforts made to obtain
mitigation of Colts punishment, for we felt thai
Il there ever was case in which the public safet,
required bloody expiration of crime, this was sucl
ono We do no; believe that Colt premeditated
the death of Adams, we believe he was killed in
a phtsnzy of passion, with no intent OF robbery OF
coacealmen, But we believe Colt was endeavor-
ing to send away the books, which Adams had
printed for him, clandestiney, and in violation Of
bis engagement, that they shoud remain under the
control of Adams until paid for. But Colt was
proud and necessitous, and he thought only of raj
sing money for his imminent wants. Adams
went 10 his room to reproach him with his bad
faith, when oltrepeled his mputations and struck
him, and then Adams clenching him TO avoid fur.
The. beating, Colt seized the hachat which lay a.
skull any one Of which must have occa
sioned death. The circumstances render the case
one OF murder, and the subsequent conduct O
Colt-his night of herrid efert-his packing ano
shipping off the corpse-his taking away the watch
Of Adams TO mis- lodgings-hs rigid concealmen
OF the whole tragedy, even from his brother anc
his mstress--his reckless bearing. on the trial, OF
receiving his sentence, and generally since his
rest--al stamp the deed with tie character of .
slonious taking of life, and bespeak mind Gallon.
80 the consequences of such crime. If this case
were 70 be treated as one Of something else thar
murder we do not see how murder could evel
after be provedeNcept the bare ofhuman wit
nesses observing its preparation. I" We quarreled
and ] killeahm,' would be the murderer uniform
plea and how should we resist it! l, seems jus
rule TO consider the act of killing human beins
murder where the homicide himself, in his at
telnpts TO avoid detection, clearly puts tina, con
struction upon it.
But what has been the influence of the Punish
rnent OF Death in this case! What moral effects
have been produced by its existence Have VT
NOT seen the community divided-not equally, In
deed, but still divided-with regard to the Justice
OF the sentence! And will not all admit tina, or
tSose vine believe punishment unjust its inAic
ton on acriminal viii exert an influence mos, ,s,
nicionS-an Influence adverse to reverence for an,
attachment to the laws , Will no, reilec,ins me-,
seei thst the excitement and the corcussion &c -.
last hve days IS TO whcsber Colt would mr. .o,,,
nol, should OF should NOT; be hung bas h.e, -,
judicial TO that hl'a' regard for the laws and ,hei
administration which all ought 10 feel? If III
punishment of murder had been solitary consn,
nent fol life, without chance of pardon would mr.
tho acauiescence of the community have bcenhear,
asd universal, and the moral sauence far mo-
saiatary than now And here at last we see Il
sai!ows cheated of It's prey, and the culprit hu
RED out OF existence by his own deadly hand, in
H. Il 81. .,