The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-06
The Famous Hamilton Infant Now
Cared for in New York
City.
She IL In the Charge Of Robert
Rays Executor, Mr..
Vollmer.
Ample Provision for Her in the Will
Guesses ut tho Contents OF
That Document

Baby Beatrice Hamilton passed last night
in this city. and she will hereafter be cared
for by the executors of the estate OF Robert
Ray Hamilton, whose tragic death IN the
Yellowstone region recently ended . career
replete with sensational episodes, says the
New York World of Sept. %.
An understanding was reached few days
ago by Gilbert NJ. Spier, Jr.. one of the ex-
ecutors of Robert Ray Hamilton's estate.
and Lawyer Joseph Kunzman. who had
! been counsel for Mr.. Hamilton, that the
terms Of the will empowered them to re-
move the child from the care Of Mrs. Rupp.
of Philadelphia, and place her in home in
this city, where she may be brought up in
careful way and properly educated.
On Saturday afternoon at thres O'Clock
carriage drove up to the house Of Mrs.
Howard Rupp at No. 454 Franklin street,
and woman. They were evidently expect
ed by Mrs. Rupp. who opened the door.
The visitors soon reappeared. the woman
carrying the famous baby who, it 10 now
said, inherits large portion of the dead
|ex-assemblyman's estate.
The two men, the woman and little Bea-
trice entered the carriage and were driven
to the Broad street station Of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, where they took the four
O'Clock train for this city. Arriving at Jer-
sey City they entered carriage and were
driven rapidly away. Who the woman was
could not be learned yesterday, but the men
we're said to be p. r. vollmer, lawyer Of
this city, and Gilbert NJ. Speir, . lifelong
friend Of Robert Ray Hamilton.
The will Of Robert Ray Hamilton has not
yet been filed for probate, and will probably
not be until the return of Edmund l.. Bay
lies, one of the executors. But the terms of
the will are known to Mr.. Speir, MIR. Kunz-
man and Mr.. Vollmer, and their action in
in accordance with Mr.. Hamilton's last in
structions. That the baby will be we'll pro-
vided for by the will was not denied last
night by one of the three men who know
the condition Of affairs, and he even init
mated that large portion Of the estate viii
largely of realty in this city and ranch on
Snake Hill, Idaho, the income being esti-
mated at $18, GOO year.
The Worlds authority for this story said
to q reporter last night: 1T is useless to
look for the baby, az it will be q fruitless
will not be able to find any of the gentle
men interested tonight, and I know you
cannot find Mr.. vollmer in PARTICULAR"
Further than that he would not say, but
his manner indicated stronger than words
that baby Beatrice is under the protec-
ton of Mr.. Vollmer or person of his &C.
M. Vollmer was for years the conf
Dental clerk of Robert Ray Hamilton.
When Robert Ray Hamilton decided to buy
The Idaho ranch and 90 vest be made Mr..
" had the care of legal matters pertaining
to the suit in which Hamilton sought to
annul his marriage to EvanReline Steele
Hamilton. who is now in the Trenton Jail
serving out two years sentence for an
assault on Mrs. Donnelly, the nurse Of
Beatrice.
The assault occurred at Noll cottage on
Tennessee avenue, Atlantic City, on Aug,
rs, 1887, and first brought into prominence
the troubles Of New York's e1 assembly
man.
During the trial evidence was produced
showing that baby Beatrice was not really
the child of Robert Ray Hamilton, and that
Mrs. Hamilton bought four children at an av-
erage price Of $40 each, but they either did
not servo her purpose or had died. So
palmed of on Mr.. Hamilton as his heir.
On Sept. 5 Robert Ray Hamilton made
Mrs. Howard Rupp, Of PHILADELPHIA, the
custodian of baby Beatrice. On that day
Mrs. Rupp visited Mrs. Hamilton in the At
lantio City jail. She carried Beatrice, who
tiny arms was olasped bracelet Of Etrus-
can gold. In the center of each golden
band blazed solitaire diamond. On the
middle finger of the right hand the baby
wore gold ring. which was attached to the
bracelet BY finely wrought chain Of deli.
Sste wosf@ ~s;ts Her baby robe was
Mrs. Hamilton was in bed at the time of
the visit, but Baby Beatrice was greeted
with every demonstration of motherly affec-
ton. Subsequently, and about September
q. Mrs. Rupp, who kept the boarding house
phia.
81 brought this child with me, }" said Mrs.
Rupp, at the timc, "because Mr.. Hamilton
asked me to look after the baby at Mays
Landing when his wife was convicted.
will keep the baby until Mr.. Hamilton tells
About October l. 1885, the law firm of
Root d Clark began an action for Robert
Ray Hamilton for the annulment of his
marriage to Eva I. Steele. The application
was based on two counts, as follows: t1)
That the woman had husband at the time
of her marriage to Hamilton; (2) that the
marriage was obtained by fraud. Il was
mot suit for divorce. The case was in the
hands of Referee Van Duzer, of Elmira. at
the time of the death of Mr.. Hamilton, and
cnat SAD ana Tragic event raises most I'M
usual and odd question.
Unless Eva Steele had husband living
at the time of her marriage to Robert Raw
Hamilton" said Lawyer Abe Hummel.
''she is to-day his widow and entitled to her
DOVER. If he left no will she must receive
her one third of his real estate and one
third positively of his personal property.
The fact that her husband had the best
grounds for the annulment of the marriage,
and no matter how great the fraud by which
that marriage was brought about, would not
alter the case in the slightest degree. II
kind were proven. and the judge was about
dipping his pen in the ink for the purpose
of writing decree annulling the marriage.
and at that instant and before the Judge
had time to afix his signature, the husband
should die, the woman would remain ais
wife in the sight Of the law and would have