Wichita eagle., 1889-02-21

formed on horseback. The head Of one of
the leading Short-horn interests in this
State has described to the writer his
early experiences in travelling to and from
Charleston, S. c., On horseback, before
any railroads existed in the South.
! One night,i nearly sixty EIGHT years
| since, riderless horse appeared at the
home of wealthy farmer OF Barren Coun-
ty, named Hamilton. 1t was recognized
as the animal that had been ridden by DR..
John P. Sanderson, a wealthy planter
from tbs vicinity of Natehez, Miss, who
was visiting Kentucky for the purpose Of
buying slaves. From the same date all
trace of DR.. Sanderson was lost, ard sus-
picioIs arose that he had been foully dealt
with. The vicinity of the Hamiltons was
searched by the neighbors, On masse, re-
sulting in the discovery of the corpse of
the missing man, covered with brush and
briars, at the side of the road through q
wild and sparsely settled part of the coun.
try. In the head of the murdered man
was found a number of shot and piece Of
a hammer of a pistol. His hat was discov-
cred In hollow stump, and under a log
near by was brass horse pistol with
broken hammer. Under the lining of the
hat was list OF thirty-one 500 Mississippi
pi bank bills, with their numbers and to
whom payable.
Sanderson had been last seen, while
alive, with John c. Hamilton, a son of
the gentleman referred TO, who had been
his escort from the Hamilton homestead
to point in the neighborhood where the
roads were less obscure. The two men
had been seen riding in company up the
ravine, at the head of which the corps
was discovered several days later. Sus-
picion was at once aroused against young
Hamilton, upon whose person was found,
after his arrest, the thirty-on bank bills
described in Sanderson's list. 1t was
shown that the brass pistol mad been bor-
rowed recently by Hamilton from Colonel
John Gorth, of Glasgow, and the shot in
the head OF DR.. Sanderson correspondent
with that purchased a few days before by
Hamilton. Besides, pair of "overalls,"
worn by Hamilton, was found, covered
with blood, secreted in his fathers barn.
These We're fully identified by Hamilton's
sister. Such was the evidence introduced
by the State at the trial at Glasgow
e. In the defense of Hamilton it was shown
that for years he had gone South regularly
as a ck-trader, during which time he
and Sanderson had been friends: that they
had come together from Natchez during
the past few weeks, their route lying
through an unsettled portion of the Indian
Territory, Hamilton being aware of the
amount of money carried by his compan-
ion; that Sanderson had been i'll during
much of his journey and had been cared
for by Hamilton, though little neglect
might have led to his DEATH so that Hamil-
ton might have secured the money without
the commission of murder. Mississippi
money was at discount in Kentucky, and
Kentucky money was at discount in Mis-
sissippi. Hamilton was about to return to
Mississippi where he could use the money
of that State, while DR.. Sanderson wanted
the Kentucky money to buy negroes
Hamilton claimed that for mutual accom-
mediation and profit they had exchanged
money, thus accounting for his possession
OF Sanderson's bills. He proved that he
had borrowed 81 900 from a bank at Glas-
gov, this being part, he alleged, of what
he used IN effecting the exchange. AS for
the pistol, he said that he had borrowed it
to lend to Sanderson. The "overalls" he
said, had been stolen at night by negro
who had gone to dance and gotten into
fight, and that they had been concealed in
the barn until the negro could clean them.
The accused failed to substantiate all his
statements, however. He belonged to a
proud, wealthy, and aristocratic family,
and it has been charged that his case was
prejudiced somewhat by the prevailing
feeling of envy against the Hamiltons.
John Rowan was the chief counsel for
the accused. and defended his client with
marked ability, but the.evidence was so
strong that he felt he presented hopeless
cause. He declared ever afterward, how
ever, that he believed Hamilton innocent
After the war Richard II. Rousseau,
of Louisville, was appointed Charge
d'Affairs Of the United States for Hondu-
raS, in Central America, returning home
in 1869. In that year he was visited, at
the city of Teguciqulpa, by Colonel Gibson,
a rich planter residing near Vicksburg,
Miss, who told him that some thirty or !
thirty five years before man had been
executed for murder in Eastern Mississip-
pi, and while under the gallows he heard i
him confess that he and comrade, both
fugitives from justice, were hid at the
head of the ravine where the body Of San
derson was found. They saw him as he
approached, and dashed out, seized and
dragged him from his horse. Sancerson
endeavored TO use his pistol, which they 4
wrenched from his hand. They then
struck him with the pistol and broke the I
hammer. which remained n his head; they /
robbed him, concealed his body, and fed. /
They afterward beard that Hamilton vas
hung for the crime. bot the facts had never
been made known until tAaf time. This
mans comrede had uset his death by an.
ether hangrnzn for another murder, bus /
died without disclosing his coanscsson with l
the foul murder OF Dr.. Sgode11on- and il /
rested with Kim aleos 10 tel thsszse sorry. i