The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-27
An Int eresting Inquiry.


! The refusal Of the surrogate Of New York
county TO admit 10 probate the will OF
Robert Ray Hamilton on the ground that
Hamilton's death had not bsen satisfac
torily proven has started the inquiry
whether or not Hamilton is dead There
has been no more remarkable case in the
courts in years than that which has resulted
from Hamilton's relations with Eva Mann.
He was a msmber Of one Of the oldest,
wealthiest and most aTistOcretic families in
| New York. His own estate yielded an iG-
come of about $4,000 year, and he was
lawyer Of considerable ability, and poll
tician Of prominence and influence
His friends thought that he was leading
very correct life They were greatly
startled, therefore, little more tla a year
ago by a scandal at Atlantic City, Y. j.,
with which ne was connected. A woman TO
whom he had been married made deadly
assault upon a servant In his ser ice. The
woman was sent TO the penitentiary. and he
began a suit for divorce on the ground that
his alleged wife had attempted to make
him believe that she was the mother and
that he was the father Of baby which she
had pure based for SO.
Before the divorce case came to triel he
went to ranch on the Pacific coast in
which he had an interest. Ia September it
was reported from there that he had lost his
life while out hunting alone. A body said
to have been Hamilton's was found by
friend OF his, a son of DR.. Norvin Green,
president of the Western Union Telegraph
Company, 1t was buried on the ranch.
Neither Hamilton's father nor his brother
took any steps to have the body brought to
New York.
His will was found in his lawyers office
in New Y ork, and when it was offered for
probate his alleged wife, Eva, who had
In the meantime been pardoned out OF the
penitentiary, asked to have it set aside on
the ground that she was the widow Of the
dead man and that no provision had been
made for her. The will left the bulk of the
estate to the dead mans brother, and au-
thorized the payment Of $1,000 a yesr to
the $40 baby.
On the witness stand it was shown that
Eva had lived With fellow named Joshua
Mann for a number of years before she met
Hamilton, and that she had repeatedly
stated that she was Mann's wife. 1t was
also in testimony that Mann, as witness
in court, had sworn that Eva was his wife.
Eva also admitted that the baby she had at
tempted to palm OF on Hamilton was not
his. The surrogate decided that she was
Mann's wife and not Hamilton's widow,
and, therefore, had no interest in Hamil-
tons estate.
But is Hamilton dsads That is the ques-
tion which now puzzles New Workers.
There are not wanting those who do not
believe the story of his death. In their
opinion that story Was invented to enable
him to get rid Of Eva and all sntangling
connection with her without going into
court and making known facts that could
tend. to disgrace him and his family. A
| court of competent jurisdiction has decided
that he was never the husband OF Eva.
What then is to hinder him, if alive, from
| returning to his home and declaring that
the report of his death was a mistake. Eva
has no further claim upon him or his estate.
| 1t is not improbable that it will never be
known to the satisfaction of everybody, if
he does not return to New York, whether
he is dead or not. If not dead he may be
hiding his identity either in this or foreign
country. His brother could easily ma ge
his property and send him the income from