The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1905-03-28
SHOCKING CRIME
IN RENO HOTEL
zeri Hamilton Kills His Daughter
and Then Shoots
Himself


mitted in Reno. Sunday night one Zer
Hamilton, crazed with whiskey and de-
bauched by gambling killed his seven
year-old little daughter in a most brutal
manner, attacked his wife and then blew
out his own worthless brains
The crime was committed at the Clar-
endon hotel in Reno and was the final
act in a stormy marital career Hamil-
ton had but recently come to Reno from
Hawthorne. where he had been employed
as machinist He had worked Ia the
shops at Sparks and was a good me-
chanic when his love for drink and gam
bling would allow him to work He ar.
rived in Reno but a short time ago
sought out his wife and daughter, who
had been stopping at local hotel, and
persuaded them to go with him to the
Clarendon. Sunday he was about towr
leading the little girl, for whom he pro-
fessed the deepest affection He toe
number of people that he had applied
for divorce from hN wife and would
take the child away from her.
Sunday night after they had retired
he arose from the bed, secured a heavy
carpenters hammer which he had taken
to the room and deliberately crusheu the
skull of his little girl as she lay sleeping
beside her mother. Then he turned his
attention to his wife and beat her over
the head with the same weapon. Step
ping back from the bloody bed and con-
templating his murderous work for a few
moments he then placed a revolver to
his temple and fired. Meanwhile Mrs
Hamilton had screamed for help and the
guests In the house came running in
An appalling scene confronted them
The agonizezd mother. with blood stream
ing from her head. was bending over the
murdered little one. while the iifeless
| form of the husband and father lay ir
a heap on the floor.
Mrs. Hamilton could answer nothing
coherently at first, but the scene needed
no interpreter This is not the first time
Hamilton had attempted murder
Not since last summer has he lived
with his wife. For many months there
had been an enlargement and the sepa-
ration came last summer when they
stopped together at a Carson hotel Ham
ilton accused his wife of untaithfulness
and when the man of whom he was jeal-
Gus paid marked attentions, as he claim
ed to the woman, he locked the mother
and child in room and coolly informed
her that he intended to kill the entire
family. Drawing his revolver he placed
1t against her head and forced her to
write a farewell letter to their friends
and to the public as he dictated. Trem-
blingly she obeyed him, but at a favor
able moment jumped from the chair and
wrestling the revolver from his hand
hurled it through the transom. at the
same time screaming for help. auests
of the house rushed into the room and
before Hamilton could carry out his
murderous intentions he was placed un-
der arrest while the wife and daughter
hurriedly 9enarted for Susanville. her old
home.
There are five distinct blows of the
hammer on Mrs. Hamiton's skull, all on
the top of the head. Each cut to the
bone and made a severe indentaton, but
there are no fractures. She will recover.
Questioned about the affair she made
a partial statement in which she tried
to shield her husband. In regard to the
funeral arrangements the injured woman
said
II want Zeri and the baby buried to-
gether He loved us both so much l
know that he would like to be buried
alongside our baby"
She then buried her face an her pillow
and declined to say anything further.