The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-24

Il Mas true ana lllaI MIS- HAMILTON ala
say that If she found Hamilton spread
ing sCandal0us stories about her she
would kill him if she hanged the next
minute. Miss Mary Ramilton's testi-
inony also showed that Mrs. Hamilton
had said that If she didn't have John
no one else would. Counsel argued
that Mrs. Hamilton bought the cart
ridges and loaded the gun for murder,
and not for suicide. He repeated the
various times when she said she threat
eued to commit suicide and the reasons
she gave for not having done so and
eontended that her actions showed she
never intended to Kill herself, but that
she did intend to Kill her husband. She
wrote or started to write the note to
her husband on the afternoon Of April
IS for the purpose Of bringing him to
the house that night that she might
carry out her threat to kill him
Counsel argued chat there was no
motive for Hamilton attempting to kin
his wife ON April 10. If he ever wanted
her life It was on March ). when he
first learned positively of her infdelity.
He didn't XIII her then; he didn't want
her life. he resolved to cut her out of
his life and let her so. II he wanted
her dead, why cid he dissuade her from
suicide? he, on April 10. had abso-
luteiy no motive for taking his Wife's
Van Colt. that John Hamilton was a
jealous man, but there is not Il word
of testimony to prove it, or even indi-
cate it. Yet that is the only motive the
defense can assign for Hamilton max
ing the alleged attack on his wife.
1t was not conceivable that John H.
Hamilton, about whom no one had any
thing to say but What was good, who
had acted SO generously and nobiy to-
wards his wife in all this business.
would behave as he did towards her.
bUoYed her Up, encouraged her and
Cheered her for six weeks. It is incon-
ceiVable, in view of those actions that
on the night of April 80 he would meet
his wife in the parlor, talk kindly to
her, comfort her, put his arm around
her and tenderly lead her out to the
porch and then, like 4 tiger, turn on
her, eHclaiming, C d you, win kin
YOU" and there and then attempt to
take her life. Moreover. John II. Ham
ilton was strong man, in perfect
health; he, according TO the account
given by Mrs. Hamilton. had the gun
in his hand. and if there had been any
scuftle, if there had been a fight, If
Hamilton wanted to kin his wife he
could and would have done so and the
woman would have been dead and not
the man.
Ny. Van Colt argued that the posi-
ton Of the bullet wound was such that
it could 2ot have been delivered by q
person holding the gun in his own
hand. The fourth, fifth and sixth shots
We're never delivered by Hamilton,
even according to the theory of the de-
Tense.
Counsel called the attention of the
jury 10 the fact that Mrs. Hamilton
had never said anything about the
powder marks on her hands and about
washing her hands until she got on the
witness stand. Also to the probability
that f Mrs. Hamilton had been at
tackled by her husband and that ir self
defense she killed him she would have
made that explanation at once. She
would not have said that John had
killed himself at one time, at another
that he had struck her on the mouth,
and again that she had done for him
now. She was cool calm and COM
posed. She told the officers she was in
side the door when the first shot was
fred. If that is SO, John II. Hamilton
committed suicide. When the officers
asked her about her cut lip, She said
her husband did it accidentally; that it
was only a love tap" She also told
the officers she had given the gun to
shooting. She tod Mrs. Se0don that
she gave the gun TO John on Thursday
night, and we find that Hamilton
hadn't seen her on Thursday night a
all. and the story told by her on the
witness stand is that she gave John the
gun as he was about to leave and Just
a few minutes before the shooting.
Speaking Of the Seddons, Mr. Van
Colt argued that it was perfectly
natural for Mr.. and Mrs. Seldom to
want to protect their sister 1t was
wrong, of course, for them to falsify
at the cor0ner's inquiry, but it was
natural They took her into their
house when they we're not we'll to do;
they gave her a home. On the night
of the killing, how natural it was for
them to try to protect her. knowing
their own innocence of the murder, they
cannot imagine that Tom Seldom will
be charged with the crime. But he is
arrested and he is in jail under the
accusation True. Mrs. Seddon's love
for her husband and for her children
was greater than her love for her sis
ter. 1t is only natural. Women love
their husbands more than they love
their parents; they often love their
children more than they love their hus-
bands. Wasn't it natural that Mrs.
Seldom. with her family depending on
the labor of her husband, should so and
ask Lou Hamilton to speak the words
that would free him, knowing, as she
did, that he is perfectly innocent? But
Mrs Hamilton wouldn't do it unless she
was so advised by her attorney.
At that interview Mrs. Seldom told
Lou that if Lou wouldn't make the
statement Tom would tell all he knew.
Then Lou said if he does it's all over
with me.
Counsel enumerated shortly some of |
the threats and other incidents leading
to the conclusion that Mrs. Hamilton
killed her husband
The first threat was made to Mary
Hamilton. Lou said if she couldn't
have John no one else would. The sec
ond was made to Mr.. Kelly. She said
if she found John spreading scandal
Gus reports about her she would XIII
him if she hung for it the next min
ute
Then she told Seldom on the after
noon of the killing for him to talk to
John first. for after she got through
with him there would be no chance to
talk to him.
Then she procured the gun, then the
cartridges She expressed her dislike
to Il divorce and threatened that John
would never live to get divorce All
these things lead directly up to the III
innate object of Mrs. Hamilton, the
killing Of her husband She had the
gun and loaded it. She had arranged
to have her husband there; he was
there, and she was there. She carried
out her purpose and shot and killed
him.
EVENING SESSION.
In the evening Mr.. Van Colt took up
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