The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-07-25

was dead. AS soon as the body was
found, he was placed under arrest &C.
cused of the murder. One of the first
things he did was TO produce from
the lining of his hat the $4,000 worth
of Louisiana State bonds which DR..
Sanderson had brought to Kentucky.
lie did so, protesting that the doctor
had given them to him in exchange for
cash and that he was innocent of the
murder. but nobody believed him.
Then Il pair OF blOOd-stained over
alls that had been Worn by Hamilton
were found in q corn crib and the evil
dence seemed complete. The young
man was placed on trial 1T the next
term of court. Till then he had had
the best of reputation, and his friends
had been legion. He hadn't many
friends left when lie went on trial.
One of the ab!est lawyers of the Ken
lucky bar of that day defended him,
but it was hopeless case.
Hamilton took the stand on his own
behalf and he was an excellent wit
ness, according to the stories they've
handed down in Kentucky. He swore
that he had accompanied DR.. Sander
son a mile or two on his way, had
given him the pistol because the doc
tor had none and also had persuaded
Sanderson to exchange his bonds for
United States currency because he
thought the doctor might have difficult
ty in cashing the bonds. He had bid
den Sanderson God-speed at last. he
said, and had left him riding away
toward Glasgow.
"a negro was ready to testify that
he had stained the overallS with blood
himself, having stolen them from his
master, to wear to party. But he
was n slave and his testimony was
inadmisSible. Few Of those who heard
it regarded Hamilton'S story as any
thing but cleverly concocted tale to
account for circumstances so clearly
against him. The jury certainly did
not believe it, and as thought before
litiIIu W (uc SuiNOIuS NOuiNI LlN I
done as those jurymen did.
In spite Of the many efforts to save
him Hamilton was adjudged guilty.
He was condemned to death and exc
cuted, protesting his innocence even
Oh the scaffold. Only one person be-
licved in the probability of the mans
story being true. He was the Judge.
~ believe John Hamilton was in
noccnt of the murder Of Dr. Sander
son. they say he told Hamilton's
friends. after the execution. But the
very winds of heaven blew against me
in that trial
And now comes the most astonish-
ing part of the story. Many years af-
ter Hamilton's execution, there died
in Western Kentucky an old half
witted man named King. On his
deathbed his mind seemed to grow
clear and he sent for witnesses and
told them what he said was the true
story of the murder of DR.. Sander
son. -sn..~r>. -->-'l'.
''One day while wandering as n lad
in the woods near the road to Glas-
cow. he saw stranger riding past
alone. A minute later the Sheriff of
Barren County, the man who after
ward found Hamilton's broken pistol
on the road, who was instrumental in
finding Sanderson's body and who was
II a hitfn,.acf IN no
proceedings that followed, appeared
from the opposite direction. The
Sheriff rode past the stranger, turned
and rode up to him, wrenchcd the
pistol from his saddle and dealt him q
blow that knocked him from his
horse.
The dying man who told this sworc
that the Sheriff knelt beside the body
ana searched it. Then, seeing the lad
watching him from Il little distance,
he called him and made him help car
~ the body to the sand hole where it
was afterward found. They covered
it with leaves and then the Sheriff,
after threatening the lad with instant
death, should he ever tell what he had
seen, remounted and rode away. Such
was his fear Of the murderer, the old
man said, that he had kept the secret,
though keeping it had driven him
half crazy.
'One Gaspar d. Craddock had been
Sheriff of Barren County when the
,,.i,,,
years afterward in q distant part Of
the State, but short time before the
old mans tale was told he had dis
appeared. Investigation showed that
not long after Hamilton's execution,
Craddock had deposited nearly $4,000