Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-19

Not much of a story, you will say. Just the death
of pauper centenarian, who once could write good
hand who constantly repeated and seemed to love the
word Caroline" and whose feeble, idiotic mind re-
sented the mere suggestion of a colt.
Let see.
More than half a century ago, Saturday, Septem-
Der 25 1S41 schooner lay at her pier at Maiden lane
cleared for New Orleans, and, with the blue peter
flying at her foremast head, evidently about to sail
Already pair of fretfu little tugs fussing and
fumng under her stern preparatory to pulling her out
of her berth and towing her down the bay. The
sailors deck standing by to cast off line to
one of the tugs with which to drag its heavy hawser
on board when the second mate approached the cap
tain hurriedly and the two held short but earnest
colloquy All preparations for departure came to
standstill; willing hands lifted the forward hatch and
after short search heavy wooden box was raised
to the deck and quickly lowered over the side to the
wharf
A crowd of ongshoremen and others whose curios-
ity had been aroused by the strange doings board
the schooner clustered around this mysterious chest
and viewed it with wondering eyes. The captain and
other officers of the vessel ciambered down to the pier
tools procured the cover of the box was wrenched
off and there lay exposed to the Mortified of the
onlookers, the grewsome body of man, wrapped in
torn up awning and packed in salt!
The schooner had been advertised to sail the
preceding Saturday (September 1S, but she had been
delayed for week. and the odor from the box had
attracted the mates attention just she was ready
The truckman who delivered the box at the wharf
without difficulty. He remembered carting the box
and said that he had received it early the
morning of the previous Saturday from John c. Colt,
a professional bookbeeper and teacher Of penman-
ship, whose office was in a gray stone building at
Chambers street and Broadway This building was
afterward occupied by DelmonicO as restaurant,
and the fatal the second floor, overlooking
Chambers street. has doubtless been the scene of
many jolly revel since the brutal murder of Samuel
Adams the afternoon of Friday, September H.
1S41
Murder Will Out
The mystery was a mystery no longer The truck
man swore positively he had received the box from
Colt himself and cared it from his office TO the wharf
on the morning of the day that the schooner was to
have sailed for New Orleans The dock superintend-
ent testified to receiving the box that day and to
giving Colt in person receipt for the Both of
these witnesses said that Colt pale and haggard
and in highly nervous and agitated condition.
Adams, who had been missing for week at the
time the box opened a printer and was
well known to Colt for whom he printing
work on bookkeeping of which Colt the author.
Moreover, Adams frequent caller at Colts
Office whittier he went every few days carry proofs
for correction, and when last he his way
to visit Colt for the avowed purpose of collecting
some money which he claimed due him for print
ing and over which the two had had many stormy
interviews.
SO Colt was arrested and indicted for the murder
of Samuel Adams as the result of a quarrel
alleged Indebtedness of less than fifteen doars Colt
was more than able to pay this trifng sum, and his
friends were unanimous in maintaining that he
would have killed a man for trivial a cause.
However, his arrest justified to the salts
faction of every one, thanks the judcious appica
ton of the famous third degree" for this ingenious
method Of investigation resulted in full and de-
tailed confession Of the crime in which, however he
said he acted first in self-defence and later in such
frenzy of that he had distinct recollection