The Portland daily press., 1880-12-31
A Crime Of Forty Years Ago.
The Story Of the Murder Of Samuel
Adams by John G. Colt.

The Story Of the Murder OF Samuel
Adams by John G. Colt.
With the death of Ex-Sheriff Monmouth
Bloomer Hart is revived the story of a fe earful
crime that startled theentire country, nearly 40
years ago, and in the expiation Of which Mr.
Hart was to have taken an important part
The details of the murder of Samuel Adams by
John c. Colt in 1S41, on the corner of Chamb-
ers street and Broadway, and the excitement
caused thereby, which continued during the
trial and eliminated with Colts suicide on
the day appointed for his execution, are fresh
in many minds. Colt, who was a brother Of
Col. Samuel Colt, of revolver fame, was a
man of varied talents and promiscuous under
takings. In 1871 he was engaged in preparing
treatise on bookkeeping, and had an office
in the building above referred to, over the
apartments subsequently occupied by Delmon-
leo. Adams was collector of rents, and had
so persistently annoyed Colt who was in ar
rears, that the latter was unable to restrain
his temper whenever Adams made his ap-
pearance. On the fatal day Colt was boxing
up some books when Adams came on his Oft
repeated errand. The collector refused to
leave until the tenants arreazages were paid.
Words waxed warm, and Colts blood boiled,
until in the frenzy of the moment, he struck
Adams with hatchet he had been using.
The blow was fatal one, and Adams dropped
to the floor dead man. The consummate cool
ness with which Colt boxed up the remains Of
his victim and shipped them to convenient
vessel was only equalled by his remarkable
presence of mind when his terrible crime was
<-l~A l. l.. H.
efforts, legal and otherwise, were made to
save Colt from the gallows. Much public
sympathy was enlisted in his behalf. The
murderer was of fine personal appearance. He
had an extended acquaintace in the best So
ciety of New York, and he was reported to
have been engaged to very prepossessing
young lady Of excellent family connections.
He lacked no money or legal advice in the de-
Tense of his case, but after repeated efforts to
secure new trial, he was convicted and
sentenced to be hanged on the 18th of Novem-
Der, 1042, Even after sentence had been pro-
nounced the friends of the condemned man
did not abandon their hope of saving him from
the gallows. The most startling scheme was
one with which two young doctors, who took
At ting then mot notorious that
%ese o tba The tombs had been, or
wo. W nave been, bribed to cut down the body
while it was yet warm, that life was to have
been restored by the use of galvanic battery,
and another body substituted for that of the
resuscitated murderer. Even the discovery of
this scheme, which the doctors averred was
only to have benefited science, could not dis
suade some people from the idea that Colt had
escaped from the tombs. That he escaped the
gallows is to we'll known. He was up early on
the day appointed for his death, and conversed
freely with his brother and the late DR.. An
thon. He spoke calmly of his approaching
fate, and bade his visitors an affectionate
farewell.
Sheriff Hart had made careful preparations
for the execution. The gallows in the jail
yard had been carefully tested and all was in
readiness before the appointed hour. A few
moments before 10 A. NJ, the officers went to
Colts cell, and found their preparations had
been in vain. The man whose escape from
the gallows had been SO strenuously fought for
had accomplished it with his own hand. He
was found dead on the floor of his cell, the
blade of knife buried deep in his heart.
How Colt obtained possession of the knife is
spread like wildfire and the excitement was in
tense and universal. In the special sessions
room, at that time occupied by the fremen, a
stove was upset and slight fire added greatly
to the excitement Of the hour. This circum-
stance gave rise to story that while the tu-
multi was at its height another body was in
some way exchanged for that of Colt, and that
the attempted scheme of resuscitation had
been really accomplished The fallacy of the
story was completely established by subse-
quent events. The young lady to whom he
was engaged was constantly shadowed by pri-
vate detectives for some timc after the suicide,
and these officers convinced themselves and all
others that Colt was indeed dead
Soon after the exciting scenes enacted un-
der his administration Sheriff Harris term of
Office expired. In 1874 he retired to private
life. Atone time the ex-sheriff possessed con-
siderable property, but it did not continue to
be sufficient for his wants, and he received an
appointment in the department of public
works. He continued in this position until
about three years ago, when a shock of paraly-
sis incapactated him for business.