Devil's Right Hand: The Tragic Story Of The Colt Family Curse

by M. William Phelps

The epic story of a great American dynasty, beset by scandal, tragedy, and a dark curse
 
From the author of The Devil's Rooming House comes the horrific legacy of death and destruction in the gunmaking Colt family during the nineteenth century, a legacy largely remembered for a lurid murder case that inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Oblong Box”—but one that encompassed so much more. . . .
M. William Phelps reveals an unfathomable pattern surrounding repeating arms inventor Samuel Colt—from the death of all the Colt children, including Sam’s sea captain son’s mysterious demise aboard his yacht, to the eccentric and pious life of Sam Colt’s widow. But the tip of this iceberg was the 1841-42 murder case of John C. Colt, one of New York’s most sensational scandals. Printer Samuel Adams went to collect a debt from bookkeeper and author John Colt and was never seen alive again. Shocking revelations followed: Did John shoot Adams with one of his brother’s Colt firearms before hacking him up and packing him in an oblong box? Did Sam Colt invent the revolving pistol, or steal the idea?
Part historical true-crime, part family biography and cultural history, The Devil’s Right Hand is a stirring narrative about a darkly cursed American dynasty.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History

315 pages, Hardcover

First published December 6, 2011

About the author

Crime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 30 books and winner of the 2013 Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award and the 2008 New England Book Festival Award. A highly sought-after pundit, Phelps has made over 100 media-related television appearances: Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America, TLC, BIO, History, Oxygen, OWN, on top of over 100 additional media appearances: USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ave Maria Radio, Catholic Channel, EWTN Radio, ABC News Radio, and many more.

Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.

Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.

Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.

Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

True Crime and Connecticut history, what a combo for a read. I really enjoyed this look see into the lives of brothers John and Sam Colt. I had never heard of the scandalous murder attributed to John, the younger brother of Sam who is the inventor of the repeating firearm and founder of Colt's Manufacturing Company. John, a New York accountant whose claim to fame is double entry bookkeeping is accused of murdering Samuel Adams in a very ghastly way over money he feels is owed him. Edgar Allen Poe is said to have based his book The Oblong Box on John's crime. Just enough history to whet my appetite to find out more about this fascinating family.

[DeWayne Neel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the dust cover of the book says, "the tragic story of the Colt family curse", one expects the failures and unhappiness of relationships. You will not be disappointed, there is humor and pain in decisions made by John Colt and his younger brother, Samuel. Poverty, failure, never giving up, murder, a bastard child, and untold wealth all existed with this family in the mid-1880s.
The "killing machine", the 5 or 6-shot pistol is still a treasured weapon of sportsmen today. Samuel's invention occurred among many other great inventions and it was surprising he had a relationship with there greats.

[Jennifer Aborn Traynor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. Being from Connecticut, the tragic lives of this well known family were very interesting to me. This book is well written. In fact, of the MANY books I’ve read from Phelps, this was one of his most well written. Now I want to go into Hartford & see some of the areas he discussed.

[Jill Crosby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was "OK." It gave me a glimpse into one of history's famous murders---the Colt-Adams Case--and would have been better if that had been the book's sole focus. But Phelps goes on after JC Colt's fate is sealed, and rushes willy-nilly through the life and bitter twists of fate endured by gunmaker Samuel Colt. In two breathless chapters reminiscent of a 5th grader's "book report on a famous person," we find Colt marrying, producing 5 kids that all die (one of them in very mysterious circumstances aboard a boat) and then succumbing himself in what seems like a span of a year or two, when actual elapsed time was 20 years. I wouldn't have minded less prose devoted to demonstrations Colt devised for marketing his underwater munitions, and more time spent on Colt's family life, his illegitimate child overseas, his rise to prominence as one of Hartford, CT's, leading citizens. Based on the book's title, I felt that the actual contents lacked focus and cohesion. A more diligent editing may have saved this book!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

M. William Phelps is the host of an awesome show on ID called "Dark Minds" and has written a slew of true crime books for many years. I stumbled upon him a dozen years ago at GW where i saw a paperback book that he had authored. I love this writer. He is under rated and this book was EXQUISITE. He out did himself with how well it was written and how thoroughly he researched the Colt family. I could care less about the subject of gun manufacturing and how Sam Colt came to design a gun that revolutionized the world but with Phelps writing this book became a book that was thrilling and interesting to read.

Plus, everyone loves a scandal and boy did this family have all kinds of sandals to pick from! JC Colt was a low down spoiled man who almost toppled Sam Colt's entire empire before the Colt name became famous and from his trial for murder came a story that spanned an entire family and all the horrific things so many Colt's endured. Great book.

[Matthew Mckinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story about the "OJ trial" of the 1800s, when the brother of the inventor of the Colt revolver murdered a business acquaintance and attempted to get away with it by mailing the body to New Orleans on a steamship. Second half of the story tells of the rise of Colt family fortune and its effect on Hartford, Ct. and its environs. Solid and well-researched true story, written in a comfortable and engaging style.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of his best books: too many fillers and very wordy.

[Jordan Morace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really insightful! The book is primarily about John and Sam Colt, with 2/3 of the book being about them, and the other 1/3 is about the rest of the Colt's!