But the marriages that attracted the most attention during these years were of persons who really wished to be man and wife, from choice. Of course, their wish is not always granted, for reasons best known to the authorities. The first marriage of this character which excited the people of the city was that of John C. Colt, who was convicted of the murder of Samuel Adams. This marriage took place November 18th, 1842. During the time that Colt lay in the Tombs he was repeatedly visited by one Caroline Henshaw, who had been his common-law wife. As they had never been legally married, Colt expressed a wish that they should be made husband and wife before his execution. The authorities at first refused to give the necessary consent, but afterwards gave permission and agreed that it should take place on the day of his execution, which was fixed for November 18th, 1842. At 11:30 on the fatal day, the bride appeared at the condemned cell, neatly attired in a straw bonnet, green shawl, claret colored cloak trimmed with red cord, and a muff. Colt was remarkably cheerful for a man who was to die four hours afterwards, but it was his wedding day, and when should a man be cheerful if not that day? The ceremony, which took place in the condemned cell, was witnessed by Judge Merritt, the Sheriff of the County, Colt’s brother, John Howard Payne, the author of “Home, Sweet Home,” and several others. The bride and groom were allowed to be alone for one hour, after which he must prepare for death. Two hours after she left him to change orange blossoms for sombre weeds, the sheriff and his deputies went to his cell to escort him to the scaffold, which was all ready, when to their amazement, they found that Colt was dead. The gallows had been cheated of its victim. The honeymoon of an hour was past, and he was cold in death. Protestant chaplains more than once have been severely criticised for performing marriages in the Tombs Prison at the request of the authorities, but when marriages were performed by Catholic priests in the same place, there was no publicity given, nor were they in the least criticised.