The evening world., 1889-09-18
Robert Ray HamiltOn'S Siren Appears
for Trial To-Day.
Called to the Bar for Assaulting
Nurse DOnneIIy.
She Looked Pale and Wan as Sho
Faced the Crowded Audience.
The Nurse on the Witness Stand Ray
Hamilton Present.
ESPECIAL 70 THE EvrxrNo WORLD !

ESPECIAL TO THE EVENING WORLD
MAYS LANDING. N. j., Sept. 1s.-It was
cold md damp outside this morning when
the sharp-,oned bell tollcd the opening of the
little courthouse in which Mrs. Eva llanil-
ton was to be tried for assault on Nurse Don
nelly.
The largest crowd of the term had gathered
within it's limited confines.
A large number of women were present
in court, many of them elegantly dressed
ludies from Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
Robert Ray Hamilton WINS not in the court
room at the opening, but his young friend
Nollmer was present.
Judge Reed and his lay associates, Messrs.
Cardray, Scull and Byrnes, took their seats
on the unp%retentious bench a few minutes
after 10 O'Clock, and the machinery of justice
was at once put into motion.
A lumber Of |unimportant cases preceded
that OF Mrs. Hamilton, and the majority of
the spectators were evidently FESTIVE at the
de ay. for their whole interest was centred
in the case of the notorious woman about
whom SO much has been printed, and the
story OF whose iniquitious life is without n
parallel, even i'll tho pages of the most
Eva TAT up the greater part of the night in
her dimly lighted attic and smoked cigar
cites almost continuously, and frequently re-
sorted to her ~favorite drug, morphine.
AT 1854 Prosecutor of the Pleas Thompson
stepped forward, and in a low voice, scarcely
audible to the reporters close by, said:
II move the case of the State against Mrs.
Hamilton"
ment and a general commotion, which
brought the aged tip,taf to his feet with n
cry of Silence! ="
The noise subsidized and all waited in anx-
ious expectancy for the approach of Mrs.
Hamilton.
Finally the swinging doors were pushed
aside and the famous prisoner, wan and
weary-looking. entered, attired in o long
DirectOire cloak.
1t was the one she wore on the day she
started for Mays Landing.
ranied by her counsel, Mrs. Rupp, of the
NolI cottage, and Mary Ann Donnelly, the
wounded nurse.
They all took seats within the rail. Mrs.
Hamilton sitting close beside Capt. Perry.
Prosecutor Thompson was on her right
hand.
Contrary to general expectation Mr.. Ham
iltou came into court a few minutes after the
prisoner entered, and coolly sat down beside
Mrs. Rupp within easy reach of his wife,
whom he SEE med to entirely ignore.
Counsellor Perry proceeded to question the
jurymen called, and within IA very short time
the tull quota were seated in the box.
During his questioning Mrs. Hamilton
broke into sobs repeatedly and showed great
agitation. Her cheeks were pale and sunken
and she wore an expression OF dependency
and forlorn hore. as if even death to her
would be welcomed as a relief from the sea
OF trouble she was III.
Nurse Donnelly. who was dressed neatly,
was to all appearances fresh and healthy and
nouo the worse of her stab wound.
After the jury had been sworn Prosecutor
Thompson reviewed the particulars of the
assault, aud asked for n verdict III accordance
with the fucts.
DIR. Crosby was the first witness called. He
was shown the knife, and said IT would make
a wound similar TO that inflicted on Mrs.
Donnelly. He said the nurse was now out of
all danger.
His evidence was listened to with the
greatest interest by the principals in the case,
but 1t was mainly a technical statement with
reference to the wound and its effects.
Mary mi Donnelly next took the stand.
She said she Was up at 6. 80 o'clock on the
morning of the stabbing. She went at Mrs.
Enmilton's call to lock her trunk.
She saw Mr.. Hamilton i'll n nude condition
and refused to enter the room. His wife had
torn of his shirt.
Later Mr.. Hamilton wanted her to go for
IN officer to arrest Mrs. Hamilton. She went
for q policeman. but could not find one.
On returning to the room Mrs. Hamilton
grasped her by the hair aud pushed her upon
the bed with u vile cpithet. She continues:
| grabbed her and told her TO take that back.
She then picked M u bottle and threw it at me-.
She and MIR. Hamilton then .grappled. and
stood in the door, which was half open. when
she suddenly sprHng towards me and let mo
have the knife in my side.
The knife and scat wero here produced
and identified, pants also identified.
I have not been living with my husband for
over a year. | have quGrrellcd with my hus-
band. but never inflicted any wounds on him.
Mrs. Hamilto is ot a qunrrelSomc disposition,
but VIC never had any serious quarrols previous
to the stabbing.
While the nurse was giving her testimony
about q drink of whiskey she had taken
previous to the ARRAY, her language was SO
positive and humorous that-Hamilton himself
Joined in the general laughter, while the
crestfallen prisoner wept b tterly.
On cross-eXamination she said
| pushed Mrs. Hamilton on the bed and told
her she would have to take back what she SAID.
When l let her go she threw Il whiskey bottle
at me.
MIR. Hamilton promised to give Mrs. Hamilton
81, 900 u year, and she jumped up and said she
wanted SO, 600.
After considerable rambling testimony in
response to Capt. Perry's pert queries. and
which proved beyond a doubt that the nurse
was both hot-tempered and aggressive, and
that she assaulted Mrs. Hamilton herself aud
aggravated the assault from which she
suffered, the Court was adjourned until .
O'Clock.