Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-07

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fCorsexpondsnce Of The Rlchmond DIapAtch.l
JANUARY s, 1885.
A citizen Of Milton, N. g.. was In
town to-day, from whom hare some
explanation Of "a Mystery Of the
River and citizen Of Dsnvillc was
in Milton the latter part Of last
last week. and helps on to the soIu-
ton. and from these confirmation
comes strong that the leg Of . man found
in Dan river the latter part Of November
was the leg of Mr.. Tom Martin Hamlet,
OF Person county, n. O., who had LETT
DanvilIc one day in February last with
a horse and buggy, and had not been
heard Of since. When / mentioned to
my informant that truthful men from
the part Of Halifax county bordering on
Person county had informed me that
Mr.. Hamlet had been heard from, and
was in Texas, the answer was, ut Is
not so.'' and the story was told. Mt.
Hamlet left here in February last for
home in buggy, and was not heard Of
afterwards. The buggy was found q
few days afterwards in the river about
two miles below Danville, with some OF
the harness fastened to it, and was
identified a. the buggy Of Mr.. X. L..
Walker, Of Milton, from whom Mr..
Hamlet had borrowed or hired it. No
thing was ever seen or heard OF the
horse afterwards. Mr.. Hamlet was
then in business for Mcssrs. w. NJ. q
C. Watkins, of Milton, as collector.
The theory is that he went into the
river along what had been an old ferry
road. thinking he could ford il, and
being then intoxicated, himself and
horse were then drowned. That night
terrible storm Of wind and rain oc-
Cured, and it is believed that the
horse, as the buggy was, was carried
down the river in the flood, but did not
lodge as the buggy did. Now, when
the leg was found with the boot
on the foot and some OF the
clothing on it, it was carried to bar
room in Milton. and there identified as
the limb of Mr.. Hamlet. 1t was iden-
tilted as follows: Mr.. r. l.. Walker
had sample of the goods of which the
pants had been made, which sample MIR.
Hamlet had given him, and the sample
corresponded with the piece OF the
pants that was on the leg or was found
with it. Mr.. McAdden, Mr.. Hamlet's
son-in-law. and a son of Mr.. McAdden,
had some clothing made Of the same
goods, which goods Mr.. Hamlet had
given them as from the bolt from which
his suit had been made, and these goods
were of piece with the fragment
found with the leg. When the leg was
brought into the bar-room, and some
body had stated that it was probably
part of Hamlet's body, one OF the by
ISLANDERS said {: 'sIf that is Hamlets
boot. you will find, after you have
washed off the mud. that there is a
burnt place on it "-describing the place
and saving when and where the boot
was burned-and it was found
even so. Mr.. McAdden had been seen
few days ago, and had not heard any
thing from his father-in-law, and Mr.
Elem. Hamlet, son of Mr.. I. NJ. Ham
let, was in Miltona day or two ago, and
had heard nothing from his father since
he came to Danville in February last.
But it may have been that Mr.. Ham
let was murdered and the body and the
buggy were thrown into the river and
the horse ran off with and sold. Any
how, the leg was part of the body of
Mr.. Hamlet. ALPHA.