85: Samuel Adams is Dead (Part 1)

On a sunny fall day in 1841, New York City officials boarded a ship in search of a crate. Crew members found it buried deep in the cargo hold. The odor coming from within it was unbearable.

Inside, they discovered the decomposing body of half-naked man, covered in salt. Authorities identified the body as Samuel Adams (No, not that Samuel Adams.)

Who could have done such a thing? There was no need to ponder that question. Authorities had already arrested their prime suspect, John Caldwell Colt. John was an author and expert on bookkeeping. He was also the older brother of Samuel Colt, the inventor of the Colt Revolver.

In this episode, Normie C hits us with all the context we’ll need to understand this gruesome murder and the bizarre trial that followed.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Dunphy, Thomas. Remarkable Trials of All Countries. Diossy & Company, 1870.

Edwards, William. The Story of Colt’s Revolver. Stackpole Co, 1953.

Phelps, M. Devil’’s Right Hand: The Tragic Story of the Colt Family Curse. Lyons Press, 2013.

Schechter, Harold. Killer Colt: Murder, Disgrace, and the Making of an American Legend. 1st ed. Open Road Integrated Media, Inc, 2010.

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