march november brother fame american fur trader law clerk teacher briefly served marine letter discharged months numerous business ventures authority double entry published textbook subject went editions remained continuous publication years death convicted murder printer named owed money publication textbook killed adams previous year claimed self defense covered crime body body discovered suspect trial sensation new_york press family connections manner disposal somewhat arrogant demeanor courtroom found guilty sentenced hang committed suicide morning execution conspiracy theories circulated suicide holding fact escaped prison staged body look like publication alleged family member smuggled knife suicide cell stated living california wife caroline allegations proven based short story box partly murder adams alluded case short story early life born connecticut father farmer moved family changed businessman christopher children sarah née died childhood eldest sister margaret died tuberculosis john brother samuel went achieve fame fortune founding john father sent year father took boy constant trouble father lost fortune panic john mother died tuberculosis john children cared christopher sister price christopher remarried years later christopher children olivia money tight olivia insisted work receive schooling brothers attached surviving sister acted mother sorts sent relative house work john known locks hair belonging margaret life age started work assistant connecticut left job moved albany new_york year returned studied academy months found employment math teacher ladies seminary baltimore maryland year engineer canal near pennsylvania following year sister committed suicide taking newspaper account stated fight said took view doom labor mind gave way devastated loss john vowed leave country pass rest days foreign land despair enlisted orders mediterranean cruise constitution illness prevented serving ship worked clerk norfolk virginia colonel anderson spent months marine disillusioned military lifestyle humid port adventurous life envisioned ill ill medical discharge forged letter farmer massachusetts stating son falsely enlisted letter brother james asked mail colonel anderson anderson discharged days receiving letter citing illness reason fraudulent discharge spent year law clerk cousin time challenged duel shared mistress duel fought incident backstory street fighting traveled vermont debate coach left year symptoms tuberculosis traveled great lakes bought farm michigan lake symptoms surfaced soon left cincinnati ohio teacher correspondence courses america center bohemian circle counted friends attempted business ventures united_states land texas soap manufacturer new_york grocery georgia fur trader dry goods merchant florida organizer balls new_orleans double entry teaching louisville began italian book keeping double entry toured united_states giving series lectures topic begun writing textbook subject textbook italian science double entry book keeping simplified arranged received glowing reviews book published boston new_york philadelphia cincinnati schools dropped italian title second edition included lectures newer editions book went publication shortly publishing edition textbook went partnership publisher cincinnati ohio new firm went bankrupt publishing introduction scholarship text dubious book available subscription hoping better market book moved street manhattan new_york office doubled residence shipping murder september new_york printer named went collect debt textbooks adams printed disagreed final owed sources indicate according adams began self defense reached thought hammer fend weapon turned struck adams times weapon causing adams drop floor seeing adams dead cleaned blood morning september placed body large shipping packed salt addressed non existent address new_orleans hired car man named deliver ship named scheduled leave morning day adams family began searching city placing notices newspapers people missing neighbor told father law heard noises office sounded like fight followed crash floor saw bending floor later secured key landlord saw large packing missing floor september visited adams print shop status books whereabouts adams adams told time adams seen way visit reply implied allegation lane employee adams named examined adams transactions involving went mayor new_york_city evidence witnesses said adams seen entering apartment september delivered day mayor asked superintendent locate question determine location found told parcel delivered freighter port delayed sailing storm new_york police accompanied city mayor boarded ship asked cargo hold body started strong odor ship hands assumed poison kill rats opened revealing half naked male corpse wrapped shop bound rope packed salt body leg single gold ring identified body adams arrest trial arrested september city mayor adams gold engraved image capitol found possessions trial began january represented team attorneys led cousin paid stock new company patent arms manufacturing company new_jersey attorney presiding judge tried press trial dominated popular press time eclipsed coverage new_york murder press depicted professional public affairs women common law wife committed enlist exit marines nature crime fact unmarried pregnant woman added publicity relationship coverage appeared new_york papers sun incorrectly labeled picture purchased picture adams religious magazines story demonstrate problems lack morality home trial repeatedly found guilty cold murder new_york press october issue weekly quoted practicing law saying insanity hereditary family wrote lengthy editorials confidence assurance potential undermined want moral religious culture major exception reported murder accident lawyers continually petitioned judge kent press coverage kent refused saying court prevent jury influenced murder weapon halfway trial allegations adams murdered revolver came conclusion doctor examined body testified round hole adams skull suggested revolver act lured adams death witnesses reported sounds gunfire argument revolver ball fired power percussion cap propel ball force kill man making noise exploding black powder cylinder witnesses called testify idea including early named demonstrated court shooting revolver courtroom catching fired balls hand shot penetrate depth wound found adams skull objections bring adams skull courtroom jury direction number strikes reported covering face demonstration cylindrical wound thought ball fired revolver actually caused nails seal conceded wound caused nail admitted foreign object ball revolver found victim head admitted killed adams planned confess arrested attested acted self defense sat felt weak sick sitting minutes seeing blood think went looked poor adams loud minutes threw arms silent time taking hand thrill came killed said thought burn building destroy evidence number people lived building cause decided dispose body large packing wrapped bound rope floor threw adams clothing nearby outdoor stopped washington pearl street wash blood clothes hands verdict closing arguments january argued acted self defense adams means defend grab nearby weapon defense hiding body temporary insanity countered hour long killing pointed demeanor trial taking adams watch leaving plain view method body evidence claim actions innocent man acting self defense judge kent dismissed argument self defense based attempted cover instructed jury confessed murder determine charge murder kent remarked air demonstrated trial courtroom said behavior typical innocent man jury disturbed demeanor trial agreeing judge appeared describing disposal body january hours jury found guilty murder team requested appeal argued case asking new trial jury previous new trial denied lawyers appealed located new_york heard case july upheld earlier court decision sentencing date scheduled september lawyers recruited rogers surgeon performed adams autopsy investigate probable relative position actions adams struggle analyzing number shape position wounds blood rogers face face foot half adams erect position time fatal blows inflicted report submitted governor hope securing pardon overwhelmed requests asking pardon including lawyers visited personally albany judges attorneys close judge attorney general end pardon felt attempted cover crime demeanor trial actions man prisoner forgotten victim insult humble family defied court denounced jury presented executive injured man marriage death september exhausting final appeal sentenced death hanging new_york_city infamous prison tombs sentence carried november asked allowed marry morning hanging imprisoned lived prison cell receiving daily visits friends family smoking cuban sleeping actual bed instead mound straw wearing silk dressing inside seal skin daily walks prison yard cell contained latest novels bird cage fresh flowers brought day meals local hotels game reed birds attempts break prison dressing women clothing efforts doctor hired claimed hanging providing body remain suspended long believed neck thickness impossible friends doctor shakespeare hotel morning scheduled hanging planned bring body tombs morning november married prison small ceremony conducted episcopal minister witnessed ceremony hours scheduled execution fire broke tombs fire extinguished body found cell stabbed heart knife believed smuggled family member body taken buried churchyard aftermath trial headlines daily newspapers death theories forth killed prisoner escaped fire newspaper account said fled california wife book published new_york chief police man named claimed met man looked identical california account published researcher author books dismisses tale product folklore fact new_york_times article written said watched private detectives years death sign seen alive escape proven true historian wrote married scotland met europe son bore biography based largely family letters edwards wrote john marriage caroline way son abandoned felt fit wife industrialist divorce social stigma time took care child named financially large paid tuition described finest private schools correspondence namesake referred nephew quotes historians edwards said elder way letting world know boy son directly saying death left boy million standards widow brother contested caroline son sam produced valid marriage license showing caroline married scotland document rightful heir estate
John C. Colt