The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-19

ii /! l@ d
put out Of tho way by John Delaney sar-
gent. Accordingly the following affidavit
was filed with Coroner Code, Of Evanston,
Wyo., who had Jurisdiction over the dis
trict:
= State Of Wyoming, county. OF Uinta:
The affiant, John II. Spears, after having
bsen first duly sworn depoaes and says that
tho dead body of Q mnu reported TO be
Robert Ray Hamilton, and that the said
body OF the person 10 buried was inferred
at or near what is known asJackson's Hole,
and that the afliant IL informed and bo-
lieves that the person 30 buried came to his
death by unlawful means and by violence,
and that said body was buried without any
inquest having been held thereon"
Thereat, Coroner Code, with w. A.
Hooker, an experienced surgeon OF Evans
ton, joined party organized by the Globe
Democrat correspondent. and on Thursday,
ing snow storm for Jackaon's Hole. One
week later, on Thursday, Oct. 8, they
cRmped on Jackson's lake, d quarter OF a
mile from the Hamilton lodge, and the
next morning the body WAS disinterred and
carefully examined for such marks as
Hamilton. Some of those marks were sim
pie and easy to distinguish. Hamilton had
glossy black hair, his upper front teeth
were notiocably perfect while those in the
lower jaw were crowded and overlapped.
Further than this, he had. while riding ia
Central park one morning. fallen from his
horse and had fractured his left leg below
the knee. an injury that kept him in the
Presbyterian hospital for eleven weeks.
When this fracture healed tho growth Of
the bone formed prominent projection on
the front of the shin. There were still
cther marks of identification, as the follow
ing statement of DR.. Hecker made when
testifying before the jury shows:
"On Oct. 8, 1891, was called on by q
coroner's jury to examine a body supposed
to be that of Robert Ray Hamilton. made
the examination, and NJ marks of identificat
tion found the first molar tooth in the righ-
lower jaw filed with gold, the second molar
on the same side and jaw filled with silver
or some composition, the last molar on the
same side and jaw filled with gold. The
second molar on the left side Of the lower
law wns gone, and presume had been ex-
tracted, as tho bone had filed mp and abb
sorbed in a way that would indicate TINT
the tooth had been gone long time. l also
found the left tibia had been fractured
about the middle and the leg little short
ened az a result of the fracture. / have also
heard all the testimony of the witnesses e1-
amined before the coroner'a jury, and am
satisfied that the body examined by me to-
day is that of Robert Ray Hamilton"
Partner Sargent said that these teeth had
tist in New York during ths month of May
preceding Hamilton'a death. He probably
told the truth, for he had memorandum
book in which were noted in Hamilton's 8
hand the charges made by the dentist.
The Jurors were Robert j. Miller, Andrew
Mattson and G. +. Hamm. They rendered
the following verdict: ''State of Wyoming,
county OF Unita.-We, the coroner's jury,
empanol0d to inquire into the cause, time
and manner of the death of the person
whose body lies before us, do find that the
name of the deceased was Robert Ray
Hamilton. native of the United States,
aged about thirty. nine years, and that he
aforesaid by being accidentally drowned
while attemp pting to cross Snake river below
Jackson's lake. According to the evidence
furnished by his watch, which had atopped
when he entered the water, and by a note
which he left on tag at the south end OF
drowned at $3.50 on Saturday night, August
| "a, 1890"
The picture presented to the little group
of spectators when the cover of the lude
box in which the remains were found had
been removed was pitifnl and shocking.
served his constituents we'll in the legisla-
tive assembly, and who was moreover, a
areat-grandson OF one of the most distin-
guished of American statesmen. 1t was
crowded into box too shallow to allow the
feet to remain upright. 1t was clothed in a
rough woolen coat, waistcoat and shirt, and
in trousers that had been cut off below the
knee with the semblance of Knicker-
booker. Black leather leggings and leather
shoes were on the bare extremities, and a
pair Of heavy spurs were strapped over all.
Around these were twined long shreds of
water grass.
The kindly face and graceful form his
-. tad !,
gentle spirit. Overwhelmed by the disgrace
into which he had fallen. Robert Ray Ham
ilton sought seclusion and peace in the
widest regions of the Rocky mountains.
Here, while waiting day whom trial in
court would again renew the mental strain,
he sought to forget his trouble by hunting
and fishing. But dire fate was to over
take him. On an evil day he left the lodge
and rode to the lower end of the lake,
whore on the day following he shot and
partly dressed an antelope. Hanging this
to his saddle he started for the lodge but
night overlook him. Instead of camping,
as be might have done, he rode his horse
the still water of the treacherous South
Fork of the Snake river. When we'll nigh
across, the water suddenly deepened far be-
yond the reach of horse or man, and he was
pitched over the horse's head into bed of
long, tough grass that grew to the surface.
LIS bGEukRlcS AOI GAo ouoIc WOlO oOO4 ON0As
and a life, nlarred only by one great mis-
take, went out in the night.
Nor did dire fate then desert him.
Strangers found his body, and those who
could not appreciate his worth knocked a
few boards together for coffin. wrapped
tho body in a dirty and ragged tarpaulin,
loaded it into the box, and without tear
or prayer dumped it into hole on u des-
olate hillside under the shadow of the
barren, forbidding Tetons, and there it was
allowed to remain, marked only by rough
pine head and foot boards on which some
one had scrawled with lead pencil a
tribute OF praise. which, viewed in the
light of all the facts, is au exaspsrating
mockery. A loyal friend, true gentleman
and brave man was Robert Ray Hamil
ton. but hundreds Of dogs have been more
decently inferred by their masters than
was he by the friends to whom he was
loyal.
WORLDS FAIR MATTERS.