The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-19
MAY SOLVE AMURDER
SUPPOSED DARIEN MURDER WIT
NESS ARRESTED IN SAVANNAH.
KILLING OF ARTHUR HAMILTON
IDA ANDREWS, CoLORED, WANTED
BY MCINTOSH AUTHORITIES.

May BE Able to Tell Who Killed
HamiItOn-Was Arrested by Sheriff
Blount and Taken to Darien, hut
Denies That She Knows Anything
Negroes Arrested for the Crime,
But Four ReIeased-TOm Iverson
aud Charles Houston Still in Gus
tody-Two Theories of the killing.
Detective Stark worked on the
Case and Brought Prisoners TO SH-
vannah - Lawyers and Police
CInshed.
Ida Andrews, a negro woman, was ar
rested early yesterday morning and taken
to the county Jail by Sheriff T. B. Blount
of Mcintosh county. The sheriff came
from Darien for the purpose of finding
the woman, who is wanted by the state
as a witness in an important murder trial.
She left with the sheriff for Darien in the
afternoon, but stoutly denies that she
knows anything that will throw any light
on the murder of Arthur Hamilton, a
young white man.
Hamilton was shot and killed in the
streets of Darien one night several months
ago and six negroes have been under ar
rest charged with the crime. Large re-
wards were offered for the capture of his
murderers, but the officers were never
able to get any satisfactory evidence
against any of the men arrested. 1t was
not altogether clear why the young man
had been killed. There were two theories
advanced at the time, and both were
plausible.
Hamilton had been intimate with a ne
gro woman and quite a number believed
at the time that this condition was re-
sponsible for the homicide. strike was
on al the same time in Darien and Ham
ilton had been working in the place of
the strikers. Most of the officers be-
lieved, and are still of the opinion, that
some of the strikers ambushed the young
white man.
City Detective Julius Stark was sent
from Savannah by Maj. Screven to work
on the case, and followed the theory that
Hamilton's relations with the woman was
the cause of his tragic death. The Savan-
nah detective remained in Darien for sew
eral days and returned with five men IN
custody. There was some crcumsta initial
evidence against members of the party,
and the men were held in the police sta
ton.
The readers of the Morning News will
recall that Attorneys Harrison and My
rick insisted that the men were being
held by the police without authority. The
row between the police, and the Lawyers
was heated and a writ of habeas corpus
was secured from Judge Falligant, and
the men were taken back to Darien a few
days later. 1t was stated at that time
that whisky had been furnished the pris-
cners, and that they had been frightened
into making damaging statements. AT one
time the police refused to permit the at
torneys to see the prisoners, and lively
scene was enacted in the station when
Lawyer Harrison insisted on talking with
one of the men.
At a preliminary examination four of
the negroes were released, the evidence
not being strong enough TO hold them.
Tom 1verson and Charles Houston were
held, however, and are still in the custody
OF Sheriff Blount. Iverson is looked upon
as the murderer by the officers, who be-
leve that the Andrews woman can give
some important and damaging testimony
against that prisoner She will be held in
Darien and may be induced to talk after
confinement.