Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-01-27
WHEELING Wv TUESDAY MORNING. JANUARY ~ 1891

IL is also quite significant that Mr.. h.
Rollmer, of this city, who had charge OF
! Mr.. Hamilton's confidential business
matters. disappeared and went West,
according to the newspapers of last fall,
lust before the discovery OF the body.
! IL is peculiar TO say the least, that in
stead of Fastening home 10 tell the
shocking story u the bereaved family,
both Mr.. Speir and Mr.. Moore decided
To remain some time at Tie ranch, and
Mr.. Moore, in writing To the brother OF
Mr.. Hamilton. said they stayed because
| MIR. Sargent seems 10 want MS to-
at is also noticeable that Mr. lIamil-
ton. who had only been in possession OF
his ranch for six weeks. should have
gone out alone in the wildS Of the West
to hunt and shoot AT time, too, when
he was expecting visitors who had noti-
fled him of their coming, and who wished
TO participate in the sport. Moreover,
according to the d 'SpatcheS. Mr.. Green
expressed surprise when he returned to
Helena after his shooting expedition to
the Yellowstone Park. that the public
had heard nothing OF Mr.. Hamilton's
fate: though, If Mr.. Green's first state
ment was accurately reported. the dis
patches had been forwarded more than
ten days previously. Neither Mr.. Ham
ilton's father hastened TO the West to
bring the body home, leaving it to be
buried at the ranch. His death an
nulled the marriage, from which he
was trying to escape, and it only re-
mained TO determine the settlement of
his property, and To put the claimant
for dover interest in his estate TO the
trouble Of cOnteSting the ease for her
self.
THE WILL. AND THE WOMAN.
".is soon as Mr.. Hamilton's death was
announced, Mr.. VOllmer returned from
the West and produced the will, which
was Immediately presented for probate.
As it made no provision for the woman
claiming To be his widow, she began a
contest on her release from prison.
Without the slightest difficulty the law
yerS retained in behalf of the estate
drew out from the unfortunate creature
the evidence OF her shame, wrung from
her the admission that she had sustained
marital relations with drunken vaga-
bond before she met Mr.. Hamilton, aud
that therefore her marriage with the |
latter was illegal, AMI finally obtained
her confession that the child she had
presented as IIamilton's was neither his |
nor hers.
Her case was thrown out Of court at
once, and the Surrogate decided, finally, |
and absolutely, that she |
mad no claim on Mr.. Hamilton's name or
fortune. Then came suggestive pro- |
ceedng. Mr.. HamiltOn's Will was again
for probate. and the astonish-
ing statement was made by the Surro-
gate that the evidence of death was in
sufficient. Neither Of the two men who
said they had seen the dead body and
it were present. One OF them,
Mr. Hamilton's partner in the ranch, was
said to be showed up in Idaho, and the
other, Mr.. Green, was in Europe. a
was ordered TO take the tes-
tmony of these two persons. and the
end is not yet.
II Mr.. Hamilton is not dead, he can
now with safety return to his home.
The woman who crossed his path has
no longer claim upon him. The child
that he felt himself called upon to sup
port. and to whom he lett Is his adopt
ed daughter an annuity of II, 200 year,
Is confessedly of another's blood. His
estate is free from entanglements, as it
was left mostly to his brother, who can
pass it back and let Mr.. Hamilton start
in life anew. There are those who
knew Robert Ray Hamilton well who
A r.. =. l.. ,r.t.tl
the story OF his death. Taciturn, Sc
cretive, adriOt, Skillfu in expedentS as
they ever knew him to be, they believe
he foresaw that his only and rcadieSt
way to escape from a most distressing
situation was by hiding behind the shell
ter of invented death.