Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-08-26

were found in corn crib and the evil
man was placed on trial at 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 he went on trial.
One OF the ablest lawyers of the Ken
lucky bar of that day defended him.
but 1t was a hopeless case.
Hamilton took the stand on his own
behalf aud 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 mile or two on his way. had
given him the pistol because the doc
Sanderson to exchange his bonds for
United States currency because lie
thought the doctor might have difficult
ty in chshing the bonds. He had bid
den Saaderson God-speed at last, he
said, and had left him riding away
toward Glasgow.
"a negro was ready to testify that
he aad stained the overalls with blood
himself, having stolen them from his
master, to wear to party. But he
was o slave and his testimony was
inadmissible. Few of those who heard
1t regarded Hamilton's story as any
thing but cleverly concocted tale to
accouot for circumstances so clearly
againtt him. The jury certainly did
not DGlieve 1t, and as l thought before
hearirg of the outcome 1 would have
done Us those jurymen did.
"En spite of the many efforts to save
him Hamilton was adjudged guilty.
He Was condemned to death and exc
cuted, protesting his innocence even
on the scaffold. Only one person be-
lieret5 in the probability of the mans
story being true. He was the Judge.
"3 believe John Hamilton was in
noceht of the murder of DR.. Sander
frie1ls, after the execution. But the
very winds of heaven blew against me
In tfrat trial.
"Ahd now comes the most astonish-
ing rart of the story. Many years af-
ter IGamilton'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 2hem what he said was the true
story Of the murder Of DR.. Sander
SOD.
Ore day while wandering as a lad
IN thu woods near the road to Glas-
So~. he saw a stranger riding past
alone a minute later the Sheriff of
Barren County, the man who after.
ward found Hamlton's broken pistol
on the road, who was instrumental in
findiLg Sanderson's body and who was
HamFlton's bitterest prosecutor in the
proceedings that followed, appeared
from the opposite direction. The
Sheriff rode past the stranger, turned
and rode up to him, wrenched the
pistol from his saddle and dealt him q
blow that knocked him from his
horse.
The dying man who told this swore
that the Sheriff knelt beside the body
and searched it. Then, seeing the lad
watching him from a 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
crime was committed. He lived for
years afterward in a distant part of
the State, but n 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
IN United States currency in bank
in that part of Kentucky to which he
moved, and from his subsequent life
no one who knew him doubted for q
moment that he was really the mur-
dercr of DR.. Sanderson.
In his new home the ex-Sheriff
gave himself up to life of crime and
violence. The citizens who had lived
near him finally warned him to leave
the community if he valued his life,
and few days later he disappeared.
lie was recognized long afterward in
Cuba, and the desperate ruse by which
he got away from Kentucky was then
revealed. They say it was character
istic of the man.
"One night soon after he had been
warned to leave Kentucky, Craddock
was called from his home by a strang-
er. The next Gay, in hog pen a few
yards from the house, was found
body clad in the remains of Grad
cocks clothes, but so gnawed and mu-
tilaicd by the hogs that it was unrec.
ognlzable. Every mark by which
Cr2ddock might have been recognized
was obliterated, but from the clothes
the body was supposed undoubtedly to
be Craddock's, though | believe his
nciShb0rs wondered how he could