Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-04

Edward Coleman. a Philadelphia negro.
who murdered his wife and paid the pen
atty for the same on the 18th dag of .Janu-
airy, 1889. Co.crlan's wife was a pretty
nuiatto woman, known as the hot corn
glTi. She discarded Coleman, who was a
worthless fellow. and he, becoming ical-
Gus OF her, cut her throa: with n razor
while she was selling on Broadway the
commodity that gave her kcr name.
The second execution in the Tombs was
that OF Pa;riCl, kuSsci. who was convicted
of the brutal murder of an associate The
most noted death in the Tc nbS. however,
was that of John G. Colt. brother Of the
famous inventor Of the revolver. Colt was
professional bookkceper and occupied an
Office On Chambers street, directly Opposite
the great down town store afterward erect
ed by Alexander Z. Stewart The Colt
case Is one IF the L,ost famous in the his
tOry OF American crime.
John Z. Colt, who. In addition to being
an expert at his profession. also had con-
siderable literary ability, was at this time
writing textbook on bookkeeping which
samuel Adams was printing. There was
balance of money due by tie author to
the publisher. and on the afternoon Of
Friday, Sept. Il. 1871. Adams called to
some time before. At the time of the
visit Mr.. Wheeler. also n bookkeeper
and q hoy Were AT work in the room I'D
joining that of Colt Wheeler and the lad
heard loud talking. which continued for
some minutes, and which was followed by
, deep groan and the heavy fall of Il body.
Wheeler went out. and pulling aside the
cover of Colts keyholc looked through
He SAW tic figure of man lending over
another ard trying apparently to drag it
to "a lounge
Wheeler returned to his pupil. and in
explanation Of the noise said: Colt has
had drunken visitor and has all he can
do 10 manage him. What fools people are.'
Inc ran whom Wheeler supposed to be
drunk was Samuel Adams, and mt that
time Samuel Adams was rs dead as a cot
fin nail. Had Colt gone before the police
authorities and delivered himself up. say
ing that he had killed Adams in self de-
fensc. so high was his character mt tho
time that he might have been released, but
like the brilliant and scholarly Eugene
Aram. whose CRIME he Initiated he tried
like his prototype, To hide from mortal
ken the victim "f his anger.
At tha! time much of our trade with
southern ports WAS done by means of fast
sailing SchuuncTs. On ono of these schonn-
ers, bound for New Orleans. there was u
box consigned H. parties in New Orleans
who had 10 existence. The schooner was
delayed hy storms for moro than "a week,
and the weather at the time being very
warm the attention of the officers and crew
was attracted to u horrible stencil coming
rp from the hold. An Investigation be-
gan. ana The stencil was traced to IA box
which. On being opened. WAS found to
contain the horribly mu.iiated remains of
Samuel Adams.
TIE captain of the schooner, who ap-
pears To have been shrewd man, disin-
fected the contents of the BOX and had it
taken GA III New Orleans, from which
point the superintendent of police Of New
York WAS communicated with at once.
After some trouble the carter vino took
the box To the schooner was discovered
and, without hesitation, he said that the