The sun., 1901-05-12
DIED FOR ANOTHER'S CRIME.
TABS o. NAN VINO DIsBELIBvEs
CIMCUMsTAxTIAL EVIDENCE.
10 wss Dead Against . reuns KentsChian
nanssA fer the MURDER ef Ills Bsnefactor
PROVED Guilticss Lens Aftsrward and
The DEED RaeNNnea ON HM Rresecator.


nanssA for the MURDER ef Ills BsnefactoI
! PROVED Gui,tiess Lens Aftsrward ans
the DEED Fsss~usd On His presecstor
They were tai king In the hotel once about
the Kennedy oass and the oonvsrsetI Ion turned
naturally into q discussion Of the value ol
| ciroumstAntisl evidence The sporting man
couldn't see how on the evidence given
against the dentist any sane person could
have voted for his acaulttal Of tho murder ol
Dolly Reynolds and said strong things abou,
what no would have done 10 the ju<ymsn
who differed from him had hs been in the
jury room at tho recent trial Most OF tho
others were inclined TO agre with him.
Gentlemen" said the drummer from the
South. who had been shifting unsaslly in bi.
chair during these remarks without having
had chance TO break into the discussion,
Il should have agreed with you about air
months ago. in fact before my last trip sout h:
but now. should I ever have the power never
would vote TO condemn any human being
TO death on ctrcumsts ntial evidence alone"
There seemed to be a story coming and the
other men waited while the drummer chose a
fresh cigar and lighted It,
-On my last trip said the drummer. Il
passed through the western part OF Ken
forever has destroyed my faith In unoor-
roborated circumstantial evidence. II was
down In Barren county was struck by
the appearance Of a fine old mansion. Thoy
told me down there that It had belonged TO q
wealthy and aristocIatic family named Ham,
ilton. now extinct and then heard Of the
crime which for years put the Hamiltons
under q cloud OF Disgrace.
han fha Ia lr-
held their heads as high as any folk In
ives tern Kentucky. John Hamilton the
young head Of the house. took 10 Louisiana
a drove Of mules for the Southern market
In New Orleans he was stricken with yellow
fever and lay for weeks at the point OF death.
At the hospital In which he was confined
was a certain DR. Sanderson The doctor
took a fancy 10 young Hamilton and pulled
him through the fever.
Hamilton on his part seemed to take an
equal liking to Sanderson They we're
thrown much together while Hamilton was
recovering and a warm friendship sprang
up between them. Sanderson had money
and when the time came for Hamilton 10
leave the hospital, the Kentuckian invited
his friend to return with him and try a venture
in the slave market in Kentucky Sander
son was only too willing He resigned his
post in the hospital and the two men started
out together on horseback through the then
almost untraveled wilderness between Louis
lana and the Blue Grass State
They arrived safely at the Hamilton
homestead and Sanderson was Hospitality
entertained for two weeks lie had
brought with him sioDO for investment
in slave dealing. and he was anxious to go
on further to part Of Kentucky whore II
could be more readily invested The sl,Ol
was in bonds Of the Louisiana state Bank
ono summer morning the doctor took his
departure for the slave market at Glasgow,
and young Hamilton rode with him for "A mile
or two to get him on his way and to wish
him good luck
md went about his work several days
passed and nothing WAS heard OF tile q Ctor
Then ono morning, m" horse on Nhl'h Il"
had ridden away from tn" Hamilton home
stead was found rdorless in th" road few
miles outside of Glasgow The saddl" was
stained with blood In the grass by the
roadside not far away there was picked NJ
brass barreled fnt-lOCk pistol IL was
recognized as belonging 60 Hamilton The
lock was broken and fragment Of II was
missing
Further search revealed In a shallow
hole only about 800 feet from where the
pistol was found decayinG body which
The $4,000 worth of bonds which he had
carried away with him were missing
Now all this was discovered hefor" Ham
ilton wa. Informed that his friend was dead
As soon a , tho body was found. he VA, placed
under arrest accused Of the murder one
~ the first things he did was TO produce
from The lining Of hi. Pat tHe H3,oo9 worth
son had brought to Kentucky. He did so
protesting that the doctor had given them
to him in exchange for cash and that be
l.. 1f fhA lar In y
Then q pair Of bood-stained overalls
that had been worn hv Hamilton were found
In a corn crib and the evidence seemed com
plete The young man was placed on trial
AZ the next term Of court TIL then he had
had the best of reputation, and hiS friends
left when he went on trial One Of the abl"st
lawyers Of the kentucky Tar of thnt day de-
Tended him. but il was n hopeless cas-"
Hamilton took the stand on his own he-
half and he was an excellent witness. ac-
Cording To the stories they've handed down
iu Kentucky He sworc that he had ac-
Companicd br SandersOn mile or two on
his way, had given him the pistol because
the doctor had none and also had persuaded
SandersOn 10 eNChHng" his bond. Tor nlted
states currency bccaU-e he thought tho
doctor might have difficulty in cashing the
bonds He had hidden Sandcr~on god
speed NJ last. he said, and had left him rlulng
a negro was ready TO testify that he had
stained the oyerallS with blood himself,
having stolen them from his master, 70 wear
70 a party But he was slave anu ms tcs-
timorV was inadmlssible Few of those who
heard il regarded Hamlltons story n any
thing but Cl"vorly cOnCpCt"d tai" % account
for circumstances 80 clearly against hun.
The Jury certainly didn't believe II, ana as
! thought before hearing OF III" outcome
! would have done n tho~" lurymen dld.
In spite of tho many Efforts e. -ay" him
Hamilton WAS adiudged guilty He was con
damned to death and executed, protestIng
his Innocence even on th" ~cafold only
one person believed in the probable lty OF the
mans story being tru" III" was the Judg"
- brlirve John Hamilton was Innocent
Of the murder of Dr Sauderson' they say
ne told Hamilton'- friend, after the eNecu-
ton But by God, IN" very wind Of Heaven
blew against me In that trlll
And now comes the most astoniShlnS part
Of the story MANY years after Hamilton
execution, there died in western kentucky
an old half-wittcd man named King on
Lis drathbed his mind seemed to grow clear
and ne sent for witnesses md told them what
hr said was the true strov OF the murder OF
DT SInderSOn
zone dav while wandering as lad in the
woods near the road 10 Glasgow, he saw
stranger riding past alone minute hter
the sheriff Of Barren county the man VINO
afterWnrd found Hamilton broken pistol
on the road. who was nstrumentai m hndng
Sandpr-on's body and who was Hamilton
hitterost prosecutor IN the proceedings that
followed. appeared from the opposite dlr"c-
turned and rode ~ TO him, wTcnchod the pistol
from his saddle and dealt him blow that
knocked him from his hors"
The diving man who toid thls sTore nay
the sheriff knelt beside the body and searched
il Then seeing the lad watching him from
a little distance, he called hun and mad"
him help carry the body 70 the SAND hol"
whore II was atterwnrd FOUND. Ihey Gov
after threatening the lad with T. stant death,
should he ever tell what he had seen. re-