The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-10-12

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About the first week of October The
ARGUS published short telegram from
Sacramento, Cal, saying that Mrs. George
Hamilton bad shot her husband dead. AS
both parties were formally residents of
Rock Island. the following account of the |
sad affair, from a well known Rock Island
or. will be of local interest
SACRAMENTO, Oct. IA terrible do
mestic tragedy occurred here at 3 o'clock |
this afternoon, and has created intense ex-
citmeut in the community Mrs. Nancy |
A. Hamilton shot and instantly killed her |
husband, a we'll known engineer on the /
express train running between Sacramen
to and Truckee The following are the
particulars of the affray: Hamilton came
to California. leaving wife at Rock Island |
ILL., The wife procured a divorce from him |
a1d remained East. Afterward he court |
ed ther a eain by letter. sent for her to |
come out and they were married, the GER
emory being performed in Sacramento |
Since their second marriage the couple |
have led an unhappy life, on account of
Mrs. t1amilton's jealous DISPOSE
ton. She has constantly accused her
husband Of pretering the company OF
other women to that OF herself. In
March last she followed him about till
she discovered he was keeping company
with a girl named Nettie Winklepleck.
who had formerly lived at their house.
Mrs. Hamilton extorted a confession from
the girl to the effect that the latter's
relations with Hamilton had been Of an
improper character and on Sunday night
went to the girls room, called her out aud
shot her twice The wounds did not prove
fatal The girl was spirited off east and
did not appear when the case was called
for trial in July. Mrs. Hamilton was
tried and acquitted. 90 the ground of
deranged mind Since then Mrs, Hanil-
ton has been more jealous and violent
tow ard her husband than ever. Several
tunes of late she has met him on the
street and in public places, drawn revolt
yer on him and threatened to shoot him.
Oaly few weeks ago she went 10 the depot
Just before her husband was 10 take out
| the lightning express train for Virginia
| CRY, insisted on his returning home, aud
on his refusing to do so struck him several
| times in the lace. She was taken in Gus
tody by III GERS, He then separated frep
her. aud although she has since followed
him up as before, and threatened him
with violence it be- did not come back to
ter. he has constantly refused to live with
her again. This morning Hamilton
| brought in the express train from the east
got months salary from the pay and
P NJ he left friend named G. q. Brown,
saying that he was going to bis wife's
house to give her money and pay her
bills, as he intended to support her as
| long as she remained in the state, but
was ANXIOUS TO get her east again, as he
feared she would kill him He then
wen; up 10 the grocery store at the
corner of Twelfth aud j. streets, near
| where bis wife lived to pay her bill
there. She sew him, and went to the
store and ecoaxed him to come to the
house, which he did. accompanied by q
friend named McLauehln. who remained
outside the house. At his wife's request
Hamilton sent out and got s3me beer and
while drinking il the two quarreled.
Hamilton then got up and went out
on the porch aud his wife followed him.
She made such a scene outside the house
that a large crowd was attracted and at
McLaughlin,s suggestion Hamilton went
inside the house again with bis wife.
! They sat there talking a while longer
when Hamilton started to go out again.
His wife then got up, put her arm around
bis neck and begged him to remain. He
refused. whereupon she drew a Smith &
Wesson revolver, placed the muzzle
against his left cheek, below the eye, and
shot him. fle fell to the floor
| in the hallway. She stopped over
him. cooked the pistol and
fred again, the second ball-enteriny his
head two inches behind the left ear, killing
| him instantly. She then went out on the
porch and walked up and down, CRYING
aDd wringine her hands, George A. Basler
and Walter X. Parkinson then drove up.
and saw what had happened. The former
said TO Mrs. Hamilton: Il suppose you
know what you have to do" She said:
Yes, | know I'll have to go. | killed
| him and will have to go this time. I
may have to hang for it, but | could not
| help it," She then went in the honse
with Basler and again said: Il have shot
| my husband, and took Basler into the
bedroom and showed him where the pistol
lag on the wsshstand. After she put on
her hat and cloak she leaned over the
corpse and said: George. [ loved you
dearly But rather than have you leave me |
[ would see you dead" Her little girl |
caught hold of her and said: "Oh, mamma,
you will die, too: you have taken poison"
To this the mother replied, That's moth |
ing, and gave directions for the child to
be taken care of by one of the neighbours. |
She was then taken to the county Jail. as
she requested not to be taken to the city |
prison and locked up. A search of the |
house was made after the little girl had |
spoken OF poison as it was learned that
Mrs Hamilton had taken something that
would kill her. On the kitchen table was
found an uncorked bottle of strychnine
aud beside il ley a teaspoon, bat au inves-
tigation by physician and the fact that
Mrs. Hamilton has not yet exhibited any
symptoms of poisoning leads to the belief
that she did not take any of the deadly
drug The supposition is that. if such
was her intention, she neglected TO carry
it out in consequence of the excitement
attending the shooting.
Probate. 1