The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-09-17
RELEASED
BY DEATH.
Man Disigured for Life Dies
After Years Of Unhap-
piness.
JILTED BY HIS LOVE
Colt Unsuccessfully Tried to
Kill Her and Him.
self.

After a somewhat remarkable career, the
Man with the Iron Mask is dead.
Thomas Oliver Colt was the name of the
man. Twice in his life he had come
prominently before the public.
Colt was related distantly to the cele-
brated family of gunmakers of that name.
His parents were well to do in Connecti-
cut, where he was born. At the age of
fifteen, while playing ball, he was struck
in the face with bat. His cheek bones
were fractured and his nose was broken.
Erysipelas followed and the nose was
lost, as was portion of his face. He
was recovering IN a ward of Bellevue
Hospital, New York City, where he had
been brought by his family from Con-
necticut, when he learned of his appear
ance.
Il would rather die than go through life
without a nose" said he. "And L will
die"
In the hospital the head of the surgical
division was Professor Thomas c. Sabine,
who heard the story and said he would
make the boy nose.
"Out of what?" inquired the other sur
geons
"Out of one of his fingers replied 0Ir.
Sabine, and the result was the first Sabine
operation, as it now is known.
Colts left hand was placed on his face,
and the third finger relieved of the nail
and placed at the bridge of his nose.
1t took two months to grow it there,
while it was held in position by plaster
cast, and then it was cut from the hand
at the second joint. Thirty-two operations
and two years in the hospital made new
face on Colt 1t was not beautiful one,
but it was face. People stared at him
and made remarks. Naturally sensitive,
he became more So and finally took to
hiding his face. He transacted most of
his business through another person.
Mentally he was right. In business he
was shrewd and made money in the pho
tographic supply business, having a
wholesale place in No. Is North Moore
street, New York.
In 1896 he fell in love with Miss Plats
of Orange. She was beautiful girl, and
he said she reciprocated his affection and
had written to him that she loved him be-
cause of his mind. In November. 1896, he
shot her in front of Taylors Hotel, this
city He then shot himself. Both lived and
he was tried for attempting murder before
Judge Hudspeth. He set up insanity as
his defense. There was testimony by ex-
perts on insanity and the jury found him
guilty. He was sentenced to fifteen years
in Trenton. After serving two years he
was pardoned. He returned to New York
and again went into business.
His aversion to having persons see him
grew as he grew older He continually
wrapped his face in a muffler when on the
street, so that he showed little more than
his eyes In cold weather he wore coat
with collar that hid his face. An extra
sized strap across it held it together SO
that he nearly was masked
In August he was admitted to the hospi-
tai Bellevue had saved his life thirty-five
years before, and he went there when
taken i'll with Bright's disease. In the
hospital, fearful that other patients would
see his face, he kept it muffled and be-
came known to them as the Man with
the Iron Mask He died yesterday.