About
American clerk who was convicted of the 1842 murder of printer Samuel Adams and whose trial became the center of a New York media firestorm.
Before Fame
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps but forged a letter to get himself discharged.
Trivia
He was sentenced to hang but committed suicide on the day of his scheduled execution.
Family Life
His brother is famed industrialist and Colt firearm founder Samuel Colt.
Associated With
He was friends with famous sculptor Hiram Powers.
