Washington telegraph., 1854-06-21

operation on bis windpipe, which he cut
with razor instead of cutting the carotid
artery The act of the murder of Baker
was not seen by a single witness The last
person seen with him was Desha and the
first person to whom his ready money was
traced was Desha. He would never confess
the crime, however, and it was found ex-
ceedine difficult to fasten so horrid a crime
upon the son of the Governor of the Com
monwealth, committed for the mean motive
of enjoying his victims money. about $50
in amount
There was an earlier occurrence under
somewhat similar circumstances, as early as
1Sl9-20, in the county of Barren, for which
the supposed murderer, J John Hamilton, was
convicted and executed The standing of
Hamilton family was as inconsistent with
the crime of murder as Deshas His faith
er was wealthy and an exemplary member of
the Presbyterian Church. and the state and
circumstances, of his brothers and sisters
rather above the ordinary class of country
society. They were esteemed proud or
naughty by their neighbors and this was the
great misfortune to the supposed murderer
on bis day Of trial His family had rea-
sonable share of wealth. They were ex-
emplary withal, but not popular in their
bearing, and too proud to make their wealth
influential John Hamilton was the eldest
son. He was bold speculator, making
his annual adventures to New Orleans, con-
Quoted at that day chiefly on fat-boats the
master and hands returning by steam or over
land through the Indian country. On one
of these trips Hamilton fell in with DIR.
Sanderson, of Natchez, on his way to Ken
lucky, to purchase negroes for his planta-
tons then settling on the lower Mississippi
Hamilton was man of the world, Of pleas
ing address and captivating manners He
soon won Sandersonss confidence, and took
him to his fathers house which he made
his temporary home He had large
amount Of money with him, in United States
Bank notes. One morning the two set out
together at or before sunrise, Sanderson to
90 to distant part of the neigbborhood to
look at some negroes. In about an hour,
by the sun, Hamilton and stranger were
seen to pass a cabin by the roadside, ard
soon after the witness (thc milk-woman be-
longing to the cabin) heard what she sup
posed to be the report of gun. The horse
of Sanderson returned that day to the house
of the senior Hamilton without his saddle,
and John Hamilton went to the town of
Glasgow, some twelve miles distant, also the
same day where he paid off certain debts in
United States Bank notes The disappear
ance of Sanderson some weeks after led to
inquiry and search The circumstances of
the report Of the gun was mentioned by
the woman of the cabin, the vicinity was
searched by large party of neighbor. and,
the body Of a stranger, his saddle and rid
ing trowscrs, discovered in a natural well
or sink in the woods The body was much
decayed, and the head mutilated by the fatal
shot The riding habit was identified as
4 Sanderson's by member of Hamilton S
| family, and the saddle and horse were con-
/ fessedly the same that he started with on
the morning of his disappearance.
The circumstances against Hamilton were
strong but by no means conclusive. The
prejudice against his family in the immedi-
/ ate neighborhood, caused the evidence on
4 the trial to be pushed to the extreme against
him. He protested his innocence to the
/ last He could even account for some of
/ the circumstances, against him, but, he
could not establish an alibi, as against the
testimony of the principal witness. and he
was hanged after his family had spent thou
sands in his defence-and the murder re-
mains, in the estimation of the few who
deemed him incapable of the deed, an un-
explained mystery to this day.