Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-09-02
THE BELLAIRE MURDER.
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF ClYNe
HAMIl TON.
The Engagement With the Flirting CoIored
Girls-A Harmless Amusement and
its Tragic ConcIusion-Iheo-
ries and Suspicious.


The murder OF Clyne A. Hamilton
Tuesday night was the subject OF com
ment and speculation all day yesterday
in Bellaire, and as is often the case IN
difficulty OF this kind, there is "a wo.
man at the bottom Of it," although they
NAV be innocent and have no knowl-
edge OF who did the deed. 1t is gen.
orally believed that the girls know who
was IN have been in the alley. This is
only surmised, however. The facts so
far as developed are about as follows:
In the early twilight OF the evening on
which the murder was committed, three
colored girls, viz: Nina X. White, a
resident OF that city, and rather nice
looking yellow girl, Amelia Mitchell, an
octoroon, from Columbus, and Callie
Nelson, a genuine black girl from
Frankfort, o., were on the streets.
These girls are given to what is generally
called flirting, and Tuesday evening was
zone Of their nights out" and they
seemed to he having "picnic," as the
boys say. This they kept up until most
all of the business houses were closed.
Now, when young Hamilton, who is
about eighteen years OF age, closed his
brothers drug store he and a shoe mer-
chant named +. III. Watkins, who keeps
next door, started out, as Watkins says,
TO have some fun with the colOred girls.
They walked about for some time; across
the Square and up to the corner oil
Guernsey and Thirty.sixth streets.
Here they met the girls and turned up
towards Belmont street, the girls close
behind them. When they got to the
alley between Belmont and Guernsey
streets they turned from Thirty-sixt h
street into it, but had not time to sit
down until some unknown person
threw a large stone, which struck young
Hamilton on the right temple, driving
the bone into the brain. The stranger
exclaimed as he threw, God damn you,
git"
This scared the girls and young Wat
kins, so they at once struck out
for safety. The girls did not
run far before they stopped
and laughed about the matter, but Wat
kins ran clear home. Waiting there Oh
Hamilton awhile and he not coming
Watkins went back and found him in
the alley Just where he lett Lin in an
insensiblc condition. He al once in
formed Dr.. Woodbridge OF the occur
renee, and that gentleman, with some
others, went up To the place, and, seeing
the dying condition Of the young man.
carried him down To his office, Here
his brother and the doctor examined the
wound, and determined that there was
only one Glance to save his life, and
that was Ia relieve the brain ol the
pressure OF the bone that had been
driven against it. Accordingly, DR..
Woodbridge trephincd the skull, and
took out two fragments OF bone. After
this operation he seemed TO rally a little,
but he was never conscious up to the
time OF his death, which was about half
past o'clock yesterday morning.
The Young mans father arrived in
town early Yesterday forenoon, and the
remains OF Il once promising young man
were taken to Georgetown, Pa, for in
terment.
There are 4 great many theories OF
how the murder came about, and who
likely committed it. No one supposed
it was intentional, but the most plausi-
had two engagements; one with the
young men named, and one with some
other parties, previous to their under
standing with tn unfortunate boys who
figure So prominently. This theory
seems To be pretty well backed up.
Watkins SAYS that Hamilton told him
before they started out that they would
be watched and might have trouble, and
he put his revolver in his pocket. Now,
the girls and boys were TO have met in
the stand on the Square, but two men
sitting near there seemed to have inter
fered with that arrangement, so that
they walked away mp 10 Thirty-slxth
street. a. stated II is supposed
now that ii the giliS had any
other arrangements that they were
to meet in the alley where tie murder
was committed, and that whoever they !
were to meet were already there ard |
didn't want 10 be molested by any other /
fellows.
There were several young men wEo !
watched these girls during the evening, |
as they paraded up and down Thirty !
third street. They saw them stop att !
mouth OF the alley back of the Belmont !,
House; two fellows were sitting there, !
near where the girls were seen standing, /
and whether these chaps had also made
an arrangement with the girls, or who
they were, is yet to find out. II they
did make an arrangement. then the al
fair may he ferreted out. But the girls |
deny having any arrangement with the |
two BOYS named, but there seems to be
no good cause to doubt that they did |
have an understanding, and this being |
true, il is not unlikely that an under
standing might have been made with |
whoever was in the alley back of the
Belmont House.
The girls are locked up in separate
cells in the lookup, and will he held to
give testimony before the Coroner this |
morning. The young men who
noticed the movements OF the girls |
during the evening" are also held to ties.
tify. That the girls can throw some
light on the mystery everybody believes,
and the examination this morning will
be a very thorough one.
The City Council Tuesday evening
did not DO much business, because OF
the extreme heat
The Board OF Examiners yesterday
interviewed all of the new teachers in
their public schools.
The nail factory was shut down this
afternoon, the heat being too oppressive.