The sun., 1891-01-31

Tho Mystery OF Snake River.
Many man has been hung on clrcum-
Stnntiul evidence not half so strong as that
which supports tho belief thnt RoBERT RAY
HAMILTON is still alive. Tho remarkable
chain of evidence upon which this belief Ia
founded wns printed In THE sun last Sum
day. During tho Intervening week, from
half dozen sources in the East and West,
strange rlmOrs have been heard OF Mr..
HAsIILToNs living presence. while no wit
ness has appeared to strengthen tho belief
IN his mysterious death.
The Mail and Erpress, 1t is true, has en-
acavorcd to demonstrate that Mr.. HAM1L-
rON's death would not have annulcd his
marriage. Wo need not enter into dis
cussion Of this question. We refer our highly
pious as well as learned contemporary to
Rom. vii, 2, us competent authority for our
conclusion Oh that point.
ELIuU Roof, tho able and most distin-
gushed leading counsel for the HAMILToNs
In tho existing litigation. scouts the idca
that ROBERT RAY HAMILTON is alive mir.
JAMES o. GREEN" he says, "snw the corpse,
and that IL evidence u me that no is dead"
Gen. SCHUYLER HAMILTON, father Of tho
missing man. says the latters two friends,
6pEIR and MOORE, visited the grave, but
did not cxhume tho body. as they shouli hare
done" Nor did they bring tho authent-
Gated statement OF Mr.. SARGENT, who was
with Mr. GREEN when tho alleged body OF
MIR. HAMILTON was found. Gen. HAMILTON
has reason to give for this strange mad
vertcnce. "There was no notary or other
official in that wild region" ho says. "or
thoy would probably have obtained Mr.. SAn-
GENTS statement on OATH"
Tho only other wltncss who can possibly
testify that the body found in the Snake
River was that OF tho missing man. is Mr..
JAMES o. GIEEN, now In Europe. He, as we
said last Sunday. hcndcd tho party that
found tho body. Hc returned to New York
subsequently,, and was hero for months be-
fore ho sailed for Europe. But Gen. -HAM1L-
TON nerer salr him to hear from the lips of a
living witness tho last sad story of his be-
loved sons reported fate. After Mr..
GREEN returned to Now York." says Gen.
HAMILTON. "it was my intention to have
seen him. and loft word at his office OF my
desire to do so; but for some reason that
cannot explain no left town without my hay-
Ing an opportunity to hear his statement"
From what other standpoint than our hy-
pothesis that he is still olive can this pos
sibly be explained
Gen. HAMILTON also recalls the public
statement made by Mr.. GREEN, printed on
tho 18th OF September last In tho journals Of
this city, telling how he found tho body In
tho Snake River, and closing tho narration
with the words, THAT body was RAY HAM
1LToN's." This story of Mr.. GREENS by
tho way. contains statement that is almost
Incredible. llo says that tho body of Mr..
HAMILTON had tied about its waist "a belt
full OF cartridges, which must have weighed
him down." And then Mr.. GREEN continues
his theory Of tho drowning by telling how
Mr.. HAMILTON tried to swim tho Snake
River on his horse. and. finding tho wnter
d"p freed himself and struck out for
shore" Ii 1t reasonable to believe that q
man weighted down with belt OF bullets
would have sacrificed himself In such u way
Attention has been called to tho fact that
tho body OF tho drowned man has never
becn brought home for burial in the family
lot. Gen. SCHUYLER HAMILTON In recent
interviews says that in December, three
months after the drowning, he thought he
would lk" to have his sons body removed
and brought East. But Mr. SARGENT, tho
partner in tho ranch. said tho ground was
frozen md covered with snow. and that the
family would have 10 wait until spring. In
another interview. Gen. HAMILTON gives as
the reason for not removing tho body the
fenr that EVA, as the widow, could con-
troll tho disposition Of it,"
These statements obviously conflict with
each other. but the complNxity of the situa-
ton Is increased by the fact that on the 9Th
OF September last. Immediately after the
finding Of tho body. Mr.. MOORE, an intimate
friend of ROBERT RAY HAMILTON. wrote to
the latter's brother at Sing Sing letter
briefly re'crring to the drowning. and say
Ing: "lf you viii allow me word of ad-
Vicc. l should recommend YOU not to at
tempt to have RAYS body removed now. It
could not bc done. II you write TO Mr.
SARGENT, he ,riN choose the best time for re-
moving the body and notify you. But this
say, knowing that RAY had expressed his
wish to be buried here"
Had Mr.. HAMlLToNs brother promptly fol-
lowed this advice. Mr.. SARGENT could have
exercised his own discretion rs to the for
warding OF the precious remains. Why Mr..
HAMlIhoN, after staying only few weeks
In II remote and inaccessible spot. should
have expire -scd Il wish TO be buried there, is
still u sub.cc, Tor reflection.
There ara two witnesses, and only two.
whose testimony would be conclusive in tho
identification OF the dead body as that Of
ROBERT RAY HAMILTON. One Of these is
NJ. SARGENT, his former partner in the