Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-23
EVA HAMILrON,s CASE.



Mira Robert Ray Hamilton does not believe
abe win be taken to the New Jersey state prison.
When asked il she desired to make q statement
to the public she said that the thing she was
most anxious for the public to understand was
that she had never been in the habit Of using
morphine or other stimulants. Sheriff john
son said; "Mrs. Hamilton will be kept here
until certain developments in her case are set
tied am allowed to take prisoners to Tren-
ton any time after forty-eight hours following
conviction. do not know yet when 1 will take
her. Her affairs are not yet settled by any
means, and until they are shall keep her
here.
The sheriff does not think that Mrs. Hamilton
should have received the sentence imposed
upon her. ''She is bad woman, of course"
he said, but she wasn't convicted on testi-
mony. The public don't begin to know any
thing about her history and it never will. She
has been at liberty to make any statements to
since she has been imprisoned here, but she
has steadily declined to do So"
Sheriff johnson declares that Mrs. Hamilton
was an actress before she met her husband
His information on this point is strengthened
by some curious features of her wardrobe,
which he has secured for her. This includes
an assortment OF silk tights and bodices, similar
to those worn on the vaudeville stage.
WHAT JURYMAN SAYS.
Two OF the jurymen are residents of this
place. They are John v. Beckett and Daniel
Rape. Mr.. Rape said: "None of us thought,
when we decided upon the verdict of guilty
that she would suffer any other penalty than
that OF a heavy fine, say $500. We did not
know that Imprisonment necessarily followed
verdict as indicted"
According to Mr.. Rape, who was one of the
most intelligent men on the jury, that body did
not understand the difference between a YER
dict for assault and battery-a plain breach of
the peace-and atrocious assault. Mr.. Rape
said that after the sentence was imposed by
Judge Reed he consulted lawyer, who was a
friend OF his, and was surprised to learn that
the laws OF the state demanded the penalty OF
imprisonment for conviction on the charge
upon which Mrs. Hamilton was held
Mr.. Rape Indignantly denied the imputation
OF Mrs. Hamiltons counsel that the Jury had
been improperly Influenced. He said it was
true that they all had read the newspaper &C
counts and comments of the trial and had
talked tn matter over with other persons on
the night and morning following the day when
maintained that they had not been unduly in
fuenced thereby.
BELIEVED ALL THE WITNESSES LIED.
1--WE gave no weight to the testimony of Mrs.
Hamilton, Nurse Donneliy or Mr.. Hamilton"
he said. ''We believed they all lied Mrs.
Hamilton was her own worst witness. STILL
don't think she deserved any more punishment
than Mrs. Donnelly, who believe is equally as
bad woman. That nurses turn ought to come
next"
A letter was received yesterday by resident
OF Mays Landing protesting against Mrs. Ham
lton's statements on the witness stand that
both her parents had died several years ago,
and that she had lived, previous to her meet
ing with Hamilton, on the money left her by
her father. According to this letter Mrs. Ham,
ilton also gave fictitious address for her early
home.
The letter was from John Honeywell, pro-
prietor OF the hotel in the little town Of Dallas,
In Luzerne county. Pa. Mr. Honeywell said
that the woman's old father, Farmer Steel. is
still living at that place. which was Mrs. Ham,
llion's early home. He has not seen his erring
daughter for years. Mr.. Honeywell related
that Eva Steel. accompanied by Mrs. Swim
tons aspiring son, Josh Mann, applied for ad-
mission to his hotel one evening last winter,
and he ordered them out. when they left the
town.
At the time the old father was shoeing a
horse IN the little blacksmith shop adj dining
the hotel