Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-11-27
A PARDON FOR EVA HAMILTON.
The Pretty Vixen Released From
Her Barred Cage.


Quits Her Jail Home with Apparent Re-
gret--Her Petition for Pardon Numer-
0usly Signed--Shc VIII Now Fight Her
Husbands VIII.
TRENTON, Nov. 25.-The news that MrsA
Eva Hamilton, widow of Robert Ray Hamf
ilton and the central figure of the NolH
cottage stabbng at Atlantic City yea6
ago, had been pardnncd by the state courX
Of pardons, was received with general sur
prise this afternoon The application fof3
her release was vigorously pressed last]
winter, but the court refused to take anyt
action, and the opinion since then has been{
that she would have to serve ont her termk
which would end in May next. Even thsl
presence about the state house to-day o4
Col. Charles w. Fuller, cN-Judge William
7. Hoffman and Gen. William C.. Heppenf
heiner, counsel for Mrs. Hamilton, failed
to arouse suspicion, and when the pardon4
ing board, which always sits behind closed
doors, adjourned aud the clerk announced
the result, nobody seemed prepared Tor itl
The pardon was granted bya unanimous,
vote. Col. Fuller and 'ien. Heppenheimeg'
at once fastened 10 the secretary Of state'A
office and IN few minutes the papers were3
made out and handed to hem. They thcnl
jumped into cab ami drove to the statel
prison and informed Keeper pattersont
That official went into the woman's wing
and called Mrs Hamilton ont and handed
liberty she so much craved.
Mrs. Hamilton was deeply affected andt
burying her face in her hands, wept for
some time She was then taken 10 Keeper
lattersnn's apartments and remained there
while her counsel consulted as to the next
step, They feared if she was taken out Of
the institution at once her identity would
become known and she might have trouble
in getting hotel accommodations They
finally decided to take her away and at {, 30
cab was summoned. Mrs. Hamilton
babe good-by to Mrs. Patterson and all the
prison officials, for all of whom she exT
pressed the kindcst feelings. She took d
last look At the big building and stepped
| in n cab with the lawyers and they wprel
whislSed off to the Pennsylvania railroad
station, where the party took the $50 train
| for New York, II was thought that thew
might stop off at Newark Or Jersey City.
The court has been considering the APP
| plication for pardon ever since last spring.
| The petition before them from Atlantic
city, where she assaulted Nurse Donnelly,
| was probably the longest and contained
| the greatest number of prominent persons
Of any similar petition ever before tho
court. II contained 24s names, and
among them were the leading citizens OF
/ the city.
Mrs. Hamiltons own petition was some.
| what long. II set forth that her husband,
Robert Ray Hamilton, had brought suit
against her for the annnlment of their
marriage, and while She was confined in
prison She was unable to properly defend
herself fhe petition spoke Of the short
illness of Nurse Donnclly and told how
She afterwards exhibited herself in dime
4 museum. Her suit for damages was also
alluded to, and the petition stated that
Mrs Hamilton could not appear in court
and defend he self against the suit while
confined in prison. Il further stated that
MIR. Hamilton had promised TO nse his in
tluence for her pardon providing she would
allow the suit for divorce to 50 by default.
This She refused to do.
Mrs, Hamilton refItscdto he interviewed.
Baby Beatrice is in good hands and will
probably be visited BY its "mother.n
4 ,'losh Mann has not been heard of in a
long time.