The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-22
MURDER THAT WOULD OUT.
Proofs Against Murderers Furnished by the
Very Means that they Employed Tor Con-
cealment.--Parallels of the WilIiamss
burgh Tragedy.

mains at Williamsburgh, N. Y, calls tx
mind some notable cases that seem tc
confirm the popular belief that whatever
disposition may be made by murderer
of the corpse of his victim, sooner Of
later it will "cry out from the ground
against him. In England what was
known as "The Waterloo Bridge Mys
tery," about fifteen years ago, created
great excitement there, remains of O
human body being found crammed into
q carpetbag, as did recently the discov.
cry of the murder of Harriet Lane by
her paramour, Wainwright, by the find.
ing in cab q package containing part OF
her remains. In America, the killing OF
poor Alice Bowlsby of Paterson, N. j.,
by Rosenweig, discovered by the find
ing of the body crushed into trunk for
transmission to Chicago, is still fresh in
the recollection of the public. From a
number of cases showing the difficulty
of keeping murder out of sight, the fol-
lowing three cases, which have become
historical, are interesting examples:
The case of Prof. Webster, who was
hanged for the murder Of DIR. Parkman,
was one in which grilt was brought
home to the perpetretor through the
Identification of q body after it had been
separated limb from limb. submitted to
chemical processes, and to the inordi-
nate heat of O furnace, and mingled with
tho unnumberei bones of anatomical
subjects. 1t was shown that Prof. Web
ster had urgent pecuniary motives for
getting DR.. Parkman out OF the way.
The prisoner lived at the Medical Col
lege, Boston. He made an appointment
to meet DR.. Parkman at two o'clock on
Friday, Nov. %. 1849, to discuss money
matters. DR.. Parkman was seen enter
ing the college at quarter to two
o'clock, and was never again seen alive.
The prisoner said that the doctor did
not keep his appointment, and was not
in the college at all that day.
For whole week no traces of the
missing man were found. On the Fri
day week and the day following were
found in furnace connected with Web
ster's laboratory in the college, fused
together indiscriminately with the Stag,
the cinders and the refuse of the fuel, a
large number of bones and certain blocks
of mineral teeth. Some gold that had
been melted was also found. Other
bones were discovered in vault under
the college, and in tea chest, embedded
in quantity Of tea, the entire trunk Of
human body and more bones were
found. The parts thus collected from
different places made. the entire body of
q person of DIR. Parkman's age, about
sixty years, and the form of the body,
when reconstructed, had just the pecu-
liarities of DR.. Parkman.
It was further shown that the remains
had been separated by person pos.
sessed of anatomical skill, though not
for anatomical purposes. Finally three
witnesses, dentists, testified that the
mineral teeth were those made for DR..
Parkman three years before. A mold
of the doctors jaw was made ut the
time, and it was produced, and shown to
be SO peculiar that no accidental con-
formity of the teeth to the jaw could
possibly account for the adaptation.
This clinched the evidence against the
prisoner.
The murder of Samuel Adams, a
printer in New York, by John O. Colt, o
teacher of bookkeeping, and brother of
the late Col. Samuel Colt, of revolver
fame, is another example. As in the
case of Prof. Webster, the motive was
to get rid of an importunate creditor.
The scene OF the murder was the build
ing on Broadway and Chambers street,
now occupied by Delmonico, the res
taurateur.
John G. Colt occupied room in this
building for his business. One Sep
tember morning in 1841, Adams, who
was printing for him work on book
keeping, called for $50 or $50 due him,
and was not seen again alive. Inquiries
were made by his family, and it was as
certained that he was last seen going
into Colts appartmt nts, in Chambers
street. Or the day Of Adams disap-
pearance, suspicious noises were heard
in Colts room. The body finally came
boxed, directed to a gentleman in st.
Louis, by way of New Orleans, and was
traced lack to New York to Colt, and
he was arrested.
Colts story was that Adams and he
had dispute as to the correctness Of
the bill presented, and that the latter
called him liar, which he resented by
slapping him in the face. A scuffle en-
sued Adams seized him by the throat
and Colt, in self defense, caught up
hatchet lying near by and struck him on
the forehead, killing him. He went out
of his room and locked the door, hurry
ing to the City Hotel, where his brother,
Samuel Colt, was staying, intending. to
tell him his secret and take his advice.
Samuel Colt, who was in the barroom
with some friends, told his brother to
90 up to his room and that he would
Join him in few minutes. The prison
er waited, and his brother not coming,
lie went back to the room in Chambers
street. The body lay there covered with
blood. He took large box, crammed
the body into it, wrapped ina piece of can
vas, tying thelegs up close tothe trunk,
and then scattered salt and sawdust over
all. He washed off the marks OF blood
on tho wall and floor, and smeared them
with ink to hide their traces. He stayed
in the room until late at night, and then
returned to his lodgings. Next morn
ng he nailed up the box, sent for car
man, and had it put on board the steam
er Kalamazoo, lyinga the foot of Maiden
lane. Colt was convicted Of willful
murder, and was sentenced to be hanged.
On the day fixed for the hanging he
stabbed himself in the heart.
A remarkable murder trial in Boston,
in many respects like that OF Professor
Webster, but resulting in the acquittal OF
the prisoner. was that OF Leavitt Alley,
who was accused of killing Abijah Ellis
Some workmen near the Cambridge gas
works discovered two barrels containing
the mutilated body floating in the Charles
river. They were packed with horse ma
nure ard shavings, and in one OF the
barrels y piece of brown paper was
found with the name of NJ. Schouler,
billiard table maker. It was known that
Leavitt Alley, teamster, was III the
habit of removing these shavings to his
stable. Following the clew to the stable
it was found that dry manure heap had
been disturbed and blood was found on
some boards near by.
1t was proved that on the previous
morning Alley started from his stable
with four barrels, aud tcamstcr, in
jumping from q agon, lad ascertalned
that two of them were heavy. Two OF
the barrels. we're not satisfactorily ac-