The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-09
A MURDER CASE REVIVED.
The Discussion in New York Relative to
Colt the Murderer of Adams---The Story
of the Murder.

The Discussion in New York Relative to
Colt the Murderer of Adams---The Story
of the Murder.
The discussion relative to the hanging
of John g. Colt in New York many
years ago has been revived with renewed
interest, and everybody who knew any
thing about the case is reporting it for
the papers. A we'll known physician
writes to the Sun as follows
knew Colt personally. He was not
successful in business. He was very
handsome man, very poor, very proud,
very ambitious. He owed money to
Adams, who frequently called upon him
for payment, and who, like the DIR.
Parkman murdered by DR.. Webster-was
importnnate at time when payment
was an impossibility. In the heat OF
Colts excitement, he struck Adams on
the head with an ak, fracturing the skull
and causing immediate death.
AT that time Colt occupied room in
the building at the corner of Broadway
and Chambers street, now Delmonico's.
His neighbor in the next room was q
gentleman who taught the art Of pen
manship in twelve lessons. The missing
Adams was the towns topic of converse,
ton for several days. At last the writing
master remembered that he had heard in
Colts apartment the sound of a thud,
as of a body falling heavily upon the
floor, and that he had seen Colt carving
an empty box into his Office and after
ward down the stairway to the sidewalk,
whence it was carted away. The writing
master began to suspect that the box
contained the body of Adams. He
notified The detectives-the police de-
partment of New York then included
only four or five experts-and the de-
tectives advertised for the carman who
had carted away the box. He respond
cd with the information that the box
had been taken to the dock for shipment
to New Orleans in the packet Montezu-
ma. The vessel was to have sailed with
the morrow's tide. She was detained,
her whole cargo discharged, and in O
box in the hold was found body identi-
fed as that of Adams.
Colt was tried, found guilty, and SEN
fenced to be hanged. Two or three days
previous to the day appointed for his
execution the sheriff informed the pub
lie that he had received 81 1000 bill in
closed in an anonymous note, requesting
him to aid Colt to escape. A vast
amount of indignation was expended
upon this attempt to bribe O public
officer.
On the morning of Colts intended
execution the woman who had been his
mistress for three years was admitted to
his cell, accompanied by clergyman.
The marriage ceremony was performed
in the cell of the condemned man. Colt
then requested that he might be left
alone for two hours in order to prepare
for death. The request was granted.
Attached to the tombs was q lofty
wooden structure, about one hundred
feet high, supporting fire alarm bell.
At the top of the tower was a fire obser-
vatory, for the accommodation of the
"look out" This official had invited
several friends to visit the tower in order
to see the execution. The visitors, as
was said, accidentally upset the burning
stove, and set fire to the lofty structure
Be this as it may, the tower burned with
fierce rapidity. In the prison there was
scene of wild excitement, The scream
ing of women and boys, the rush of
frightened children, the clanking of the
two score fire engines, the shouting of
the firemen, the cries of terror from
prisoners who feared that they might be
burned alive within their cells, the
crash of falling timbers from the tower,
the yells of the rabble from the Five
Points-all this was not soon forgotten
by those who saw it.
During the excitement of the fire q
hearse containing coffin was driven
into the prison yard. The sheriff and
attending officials waited upon the con-
demned man to bring him forth to the
gallows. In the cell was found nothing
but a dead body, with a dirk knife
through the heart. An inquest was
held over the remains, and verdict of
suicide returned. The hearse was
driven away. Colt was never seen or
heard of more.
There were not few of the know
ing ones" who would look WISE when-
ever the affair was mentioned, and ask
what pauper body had been brought
into the Tombs and carried away as that
of Colt. For my part believe what 1
read when 1 know that it is true.
think that Colt killed himself.