Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-20
SENTENCED.
Mrs. Hamilton Found Guilty and
Given Two Years in Prison.
The Judge in His Charge Virtually In
structs the Jury TO Return q
Verdict of Guilty.
Upon Hearing the Reading of the Verdict,
the Prisoner Falls to the Floor in
Swoon-A Dramatic Scene.

MAYS LANDING, n. J., Sept. 10
Court did not open this morning for
continuation of the trial of Mrs. Eva
Hamilton for atrocious assault upon the
nurse Mary Donnelly until lO:45 o CLOCK.
The delay was caused by detention
through accident to another train from
Atlantic City, upon which were the judge,
attorneys and others officially connected
with the case. When the Jurors had
taken their seats Judge Reed said:
''Sheriff, bring III the defendant. - Mrs.
Hamilton begged to be excused from ap-
pearing on account of serious illness, and
the judge allowed the case to proceed.
Capt. Perry, counsel for the defense,
began his argument. He said he hoped
the Jurors would frame their verdict aC-
cording to the testimony independent OF
newspaper reports or other influences.
He closely reviewed the circumstances
which led up to the assault and argued
that the testimony showed clearly that
Mary Ann DOnnelIY the nurse, was the
first aggressor and that she forced Mrs.
Hamilton to pick up a knife in self-de-
Tense She had threatened to kill her
mistress She was hot tempered and
frenzied with brandy and she assailed
Mrs. Hamilton with murderous intent.
Prosecutor Thompson proceeded to
dissect the testimony from the states
standpoint. He dwelt upon the proposed
separation between Hamilton and his
wife, and upon the proposed money con-
sideration of five or six thousand dollars,
and how she demanded more and had
placed price on the marriage relations.
He said that both Hamilton and his
wife repeatedly cOntrSdicted themselves,
while on the witness stand, and that
their testimony were tissues of falsehOods
from beginning to end; that Mr.. Hamil-
toms life would probably have been
taken were it not for timely interference
of Nurse Donnelly, and that Mrs. Ham
ilton was fortunate woman in not being
here to-day to answer charge of muir
der instead of an atrOcious assault, and
closed by urging the jury to find her
guilty of the latter offense.
Judge Reed then adjourned court until
1 :45, when he win charge the jury.
TWO YEARS IN THE PENTTENTIARY.
1t was nearly o CLOCK when court re-
assembled and Judge Reed at once be-
gan his charge to the jury.
''The whole matter hinges on the plea
of defense,' he said. "A blow may
be struck in self-defense, but when
deadly weapon is used in self-defense it
materially alters the case.
Continuing, the judge dwelt upon the
fact that q knife thrust was a deadly
one, and the only way in which plea
of defense could possibly be tenable
was that the blow was struck
to save defendants life; that she
was in imminent danger and
had to deal a deadly blow to save her
own life His charge was clearly
against the prisoner. He set aside all
facts, which it was said , led up to the
cutting. He instructed the jury to give
her the benefit of any doubt as to the
character of crime. They might bring
in a verdict of assault and battery if
they thought her knife thrust was not
malicious, but if they viewed the matter
from the standpoint that she reached
around to stab the nurse then there was
no reason why they should not return
verdict in accordance with the indict-
ment.
The jury then filed out of the room and
within a short time returned bringing
verdict of atrOciOus assault. Mrs.
Hamilton was led into the courtroom by
Sheriff Johnson, and when the foreman
OF the jury pronounced the verdict she
fell in a swoon on the floor. 1t was 8
most dramatic scene and brought tears
to almost every eye in the courtroom.
She was sentenced to two years in the
state prison. The jury was out just one
hour and fifteen minutes, and their YER
dict was in form of guilty as directed.
THE BABY.
Mrs. Elizabeth Rupp, prOprietress OF
Noll cottage, where the row occurred,
was seen tonight She said she was
caring for the baby, Beatrice, under in
structions from Robert Ray Hamilton,
whom she met at the court and who said
he would decide in a day or two what
disposition to make of the innocent cause
| of all the trouble. Mr.. Hamilton
said to Mrs. Rupp that he would never
set foot in Atlantic City again, as it
would recall many incidents that were
painful to him which he wished to blot
from his memory. The nurse, Donnelly,
still remains here, but will leave for New
| York as soon as the attending physician
pronounces her able to stand the jour-
ney.