Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-04
IN The ELECRTIC CHAIR
A New York Negro, Who Cut His Wife's
Throat, Pays the Penalty-The Most
Successful killing by Electricity.

A New York Negro, Who Cut His Wife's
Throat, Pays the PenAlty-The Most
Successful killing by Electricity.
SING SING, n. Y, April 3.-James
W. Hamilton, the colored ex-preacher
and convicted wife murderer, died In
the electric chair at 1l:l2 this morning.
The death warrant was read bY Warden
Brown in the condemned mans cell at
1890 o'clock last night. Hamilton sat
on the bed and showed some signs OF
emotion when the document was read.
Carlyle w. Harris, who occupies cell
No. s, which is the second cell from
Hamilton's, was able to hear the read
ing of the warrant. He showed no
signs Of being affected by what was 60
ing on so near him, and what may
be repeated in his case few weeks
later. Hamilton shook hands with
Warden Brown when the reading Was
finished and said goodbye. he talked
with Father Creeden until IL o'clock
and then went to bed. DR.. Irwin, the
prison physician who saw him az the
time, said he showed no signs OF break
ing down and that 1t was evident his re-
ligious enthusiasm would keep him up
until the fatal moment. Hamilton slept
until o'clock this morning. lie was
visited by Rev. Fathers Wallace and
Creerden, aud they remained with him
all the morning. The witnesses who
had been invited by Warden Brown ar
rived before 10 q. m. Electrician h. Z.
Davis made careful test Of the sppar-
atus. The same chair, electrodes ana
switching mechanism which was used In
the case OF Fred Mcclure last Decem-
Der were employed to-day.
1t was 1880 a. m. when warden
Brown led the witnesses down TO the
the execution chamber, There was
some delay in getting the dynamo In
working order, but at ll:l0H all the
connections were made, and Warden
Brown gave the signal. The current
was left on for sixty seconds and then
turned off. The physicians stepped Tor
ward listened for the heart beats and
felt for the pulse. They declared the
subject dead at Tl:l3.l0. The electro
cutlon differed from all its predecessors
In that only one shock was given.
There was no scorching or scaldlng OF
the skin, or steaming at the electrodes,
and while the man was ABOVE the
medium height and of massive build, IL
was evident that death was instan-
taneous. Electrician Davis said IL was
the most successful one at which he
had officiated. He gave the voltage at
l.74O and the amperes at Z $40.
The crime for which the colored
preacher, James l.. Hamilton, died IN
the electric chair at Sing Sing to-day
was the cutting OF his wife's throat at
Winfield. L. l., Sunday night, May 2,
1892. Three years ago Hamilton was
Obliged to marry Annie Brooks. pref
ty colored woman whom he had be-
trayed, and who was IN the employ OF
Druggist John Hepburn, OF Flushing.
They did not live together, when
the husband tried TO obtain d.
yorce without success. lie had
expressed his determination TO get rid
OF her. One evening She was found
with her throat cut from ear to ear.
Hamilton was at once arrested on sus-
picion. II was proved that he had de-
coyed her from her home In Flushing
10 Winfield to look at house In that
town that he proposed TO buy as nome.
She told her employer on the evening
mentioned that Che was going to meet
her husband. Both Of them took the
s o'clock train to Winfield, and
Mrs. Hamilton was seen TO
leave the train with man
identified as Hamilton. A broken cane,
razor and cuff button which proved
TO be the property Of Hamilton, were
found on the banks OF the pond, and
Hamilton made two different explana-
tiops of how they came TO be there. a
feature OF the case was that no blood
stains were found on the clothing OF
either Of them, which was accounted
for by the assumption that the throat
was cut while both were In the water
Evidence was produced that Hamilton
had been meditating the crime for some
TINA