The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-08-16


the assault on venerable Abran Beam and
his wife in their quiet Jenner township
farm house two weeks ago.
Hamilton was not captured without a
struggle Nine shots were fired afseT him by
the officers, when one of them demonstrat-
ed that he was a better sprinter than a
marksman, and run the fugitive down.
Hamilton struggled 70 release himself from
the hold OF the Off Ger but in few minutes
other members of the posse, who bad laid in
wait for him, come up and the prisoner was
manacled. Subsequently he was taken be-
fore Mrs Beam who identified him as the
man who had searched the drawers OF her
bureau in a vain effort to Fl nd money, and
before Esquire Keller. where ne waived
the right Of q hearing and was committed
to Jail
Abran Beam. a grand nephew of old man
Beam, and Harry Craver, Of Jenner town
ship, learned that Hamilton was stopping at
the home of his sunis. two maiden ladies,
living in Laughlinstown, and determined TO
capture him. In order to do so they caused
a story 10 be circulated in the neighborbOod
OF Laughlinst0wn that the members Of the
Somerset county posse, who had been search
ing the mountain for days in pursuit of the
fugitive had abandoned all Efforts to capt
ure him and had returned to their homes
Beam and Craver secured the assistance Of
two Westmoreland county men who knew
Hamilton, and believing that their ruse
would work ana that COLI would return
from his hiding place in the mountain TO
the home Of his aunts Saturday night, the
four laid in wait for him at d point along
the Jennertown and Lisonier pike, a mile
above the village.
Shortly after nine O'Clock COLI came
walking down the deserted highway. When
be passed in front of the clump Of bushes
behind which Beam, Crayer'and their two
friends were concealed, one Of the men ac-
quaiuted with Hamilton recognized him
and hurriedly whispered 10 Beam.
Hai,,n Commanded Beam stepping into
the road and presenting a revolver in the
face Of the fugitive.
Il guess not, replied Hamilton. and
away he bounded down the pike at full
speed.
Halt or III shoot you" again com
manded Beam, at the same time firing shot
from his revolver after the fleeing f. ure.
Hamilton paid no attention to the com
mands to halt and nine shots were fired af-
ter him by the members Of the posse.
Finally Beam concluded that he was bet
ter runner than marksman and bidding his
comrades TO cease firing he started after
Hamilton as fast as his legs would carry
him. He gained on the fugitive at every
bound when Hamilton realizing that he
would be Oyertaken fell forward on the road
Beam was on top Of him in moment and
then fierce struggle for supremacy com
menced between the two men. Hamilton is
a perfect athlete in form but he was no
match for the strong muscles of the hardy
young farmer, and before Beams compan-
ions came up be had sgEeed to surrender.
The prisoner was hand-cuffed to one Of
the men and escorted into Laughlinstown,
where an effort was made to secure a team
10 haul the party over the mountain TO Jen-
nertown. Being unable to secure a convey
ance Hamilton was compelled to walk to
Jennertown, still hand cuffed to one OF his
captors.
When the prisoner was led into the pres
ence of Mrs. Beam he looked her straight in
the eyes and asked her if she had ever seen
him before Mrs. Beam replied that his
fee looked familiar and that she believed
be was the man who had ransacked the
drawers in her bureau on the night she and
her husband had been so brutally beaten by
three masked men.
Hamilton was then taken before Justice
OF the peace Keller, and waving the right of
a hearing, was committed to Jail to await
the action of the grand jury.
HAMILTON INTERVIEWED.
Coll" Hamilton beamed a smile of
recognition when the HERALD reporter visit
ed him in the county Jail Monday morning.
Nc, am not as heavy as l was when
was here before charged with the Umberger
murder, he said, but am feeling pretty
good"
What am in for this time Well, my
bad name IS responsible for it. Every crime
nearly that is committed over in that section
of the country is laid to me- I'm innocent
of the Beam robbery, but guess I'll be sent
to the pen" for it, but all on account OF
having a bad name
How did come TO be captured knew
that there were warrants out for me on both
sides Of the mountain. assaulted fellow
over near LigOnier short time ago and he
had a warrant issued for me. and then I
knew that [ would be blamed for this affair
at Beams. l had arranged with Mrs.
Kooniz, where gang of US had been stop
ping, 10 keep me posted as to tine move
ments Of the Somerset county officers. Fri
day heard that they had gone home, and
knowing that the oiiense with which | was
charged was not very serious one, con-
clnded that they would not return to look
for me Sunday and that l could go home
Saturday night and clean myself up and get
some fresh clothes before setting out for
Chestnut Ridge. | knew that the other fei-
lows had been arrested and ! made up my
mind to leave Laurel Hill for a while
When Beam called TO me 10 halt | thought
that could run away from him. / wasn't
afraid of his bullets. but had been smok-
ing strong pipe and was light-headed, and
soon found that couldn't run very fast
kept or just the same, but Fl last / tripped
on stone and fell. If it hadn't been for
the pipe I'd have given the boys the hard
est chase they ever had.
When they took me in TO SEE old Mrs.
Beam she said that my face was familiar,
and when she learned my name she said 4"
know you now you have eaten many a
meal in our cellar" She evidently meant
that had been stealing stuff from her eel
lar. / told her that had never been in her
house before
Il am satisfied that we boys viii have no
trouble in establishing our innocence, but
my bad name viii operate against me"
The last time was sent up was for car
rying gun. got six months in the work
house for that and only gained my liberty
this spring"
Readers Of the HERALD will remember
"C5lln Hamilton as the suspect" who
was arrested on suspicion shortly after
the murder of the late Herman Umberger.
lie was kept in the county jail charged with
the commission of that crime until after it