The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-26

sumably by Frank H. Hamilton, a re-
porter on the Minneapolis times, in the
West hotel billiard room at 1 o'clock
Sunday morning, has plunged the city
Into one of the most sensa tional dramas
that has been enacted there for some
time. AS the result of the bloody fray,
Hamilton rests under a charge no less
serious than that of the coToner's jury
Of murder in the first degree.
SOME MYSTERY is INVOLVED.
The story of the tragedy involves prob
ably an intricate plot, the foundation of
which is not apparent al present The
Immediate outcome took place in the p3oI
loom OF the West hotel at about 10 Sum
day morning. A party consisting of
Charles E. Force, Fred A. George, Leon
Hrd Day, of Minneapolis and ]. T. Gray
Snd man named Brannon, travelling
men of Chicago, were engaged in play
Ing game of pool Just before thew
had finished their game another rartv
Of three men entered. These men were
Frank Fl. Hamilton, a reporter on the
Minneapolis Times; ]. S. CanheId. srort-
Ing reporter of the Tribune and r. L.
Evans. 1t was discovered, according to
the statements of Mr. Force and Mr.
George, that the party that entered
were under the influence of liquor. Soon
Force, according to the latter's story
for reason entirely unknown to Force
The latter endeavored in vain for several
minutes to get his assailant to desist and
nnaIIy took him by the shoulders and
set him down in chair The iarty play
ing pool, Force says, were free from
The influence of liquor
SAYS HAMILTON WAS AGGRESsOR
Force states that as unprovoked as
was the assault upon himself by Evans
Hamilton made a similar attack upon
Day, and before anything could be done
to stop them the men were scrambIine
around on the floor with each other
Both exchanged blows, and finally ac-
coTdlng to the statement of Force, Day
sustained a blow on the neck that
brought a gush of blood and the wounded
man was lying On the floor in his own blood
A small knife was dropped on the floor
after the scuff1e, which is said to havJ
been the weapon of Hamilton. Others
say that there were two knives found
one larger than the other, and that ono
was in the hand of each man. Day died
from the loss of blood before a physician
could reach him, and Hamilton was taken
to the central police station, where ne
is still.
DID THEY CLASH EARLIER?
w Llie the TWO men were engaged IN the
fight Fred George made an effort to sep
arate them. and received a cut in his
hand with one of the knives. Mr. George
is unable to say who dealt the blow thai
wounded him, as he did not realize he
was cut until after the excitement of the
awful affair Hamilton had severe
bruise on his forehead and a cut on one
side of his neck, as the result of the en-
counter, and there was blood on his col
lar. There is said to have been a pre-.
ViOus scuffie between Day and Hamilton
earlier in the day, however, and it Is
claimed, but not known positively, tha1
the bruises on Hamiltons forehead came
from that fight. There were bruises az
the body of Day to indicate that he had
been grappled with. After he was cut
Mr.. George went to the WaSh-boWl neal
the pool room and washed the blood from
his hand The stains were consequently
left on the towel and in the bowl. These
stains were at first said to have beel
the prints of other parties, who, it was
believed, were involved in the affair, bu
Mr.. George acknowledges that they wer
the stains of his own blood. There wer
Just these eight persons in the room
when the affair took place, and 1t /
hardly reasonable to argue, so tn
ForCe-George party contend, that thOr
could have been any other parties engeg
ed in the fight except Day and Hamil
ton.
PLEA OF HAMILTON'S FRIENDS.
From those who pretend to know come:
the statement that in the first tight Ham
ilton was knocked down by Day, using
a billiard cue. 1t is maintained this ac
counts for the bruiSe on H9miltOn's s head
There seems to be nc one who can, Ol
Is willing to, testify that Hamilton drew
the knife or that it was drawn by Day
Hamilton's friends have a theory tina
Day had the weapon in his own han(
and that he was doing his best to carve
his opponent and that Hamilton in Try
ing to ward off his blow, thrust Day.
hand, holding the knife, upward, thu
plunging it in his neck. They maintain
that if Hamilton committed the murder
1t was done in this form of self defense
Hamilton manifested great emotion
is said, when the tragedy was committed
al least when he beheh a dying man
lying PROSTATE in his own blood. DR.
w. B. Murray was summoned and Whel
he arrived found Day dead. Corone
Nelson was then notified and the remains
We're removed to the morgue, where
post mortem examination and inques
were held. Hamilton was turned owe
to the custody of officers Cedarburg
Rooney, Nolan. l<ieser, Riviere and Rus
sell AS soon as Lieut.. Michael Meale7
was informed of the affair he hurriedl!
summoned Inspector Joseph Lawrence t
the scene. The inspector found as man,
Of the men who were at the place whel
The fray took place and got what testi
mony he could.
MRS. DAY IS FRUSTRATED.
Day had but recently returned from
Europe with his mother with whom h
was stopping at the hotel The terrib-
news Of her sons untimely death was
difficult matter to break to the 9evote
parent and was done by the famil
physician, DR.. Staples. At first tn
stricken mother showed marvellous fort
tude. which was perhaps due to the ex
citement Of the moment, but as the real
Zation of the awful news began to daw
upon her mind she gave way and wa
completely prostrated by her sad fatt
She is therefore in a serious condition a
the hotel.
WOMAN IN THE CASE
There is said to be a woman at tn
bottom Of all the trouble. There are tw
theories regarding this feature, One i
that both the young men had been as
sociating with the same woman, who re
sides on Hennipin avenue and tha
jealousies arose over her. The woman i