The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-02
HAMILTON HANGED
At MORNINGS DAWN
Executed for Murder OF
Common Law Wife.
MET DEATH LIKE STOlC
Condemned Man Seemed 10 Welcome
End on Gallows Rather Than
Fear 1t.
MET DEATH LIKE ST0lC

I'm oxpiatfon of a wanton and brutal
murder of a woman. William Walter
Hamilton. colored thirty years old. went
IN the gaIlows in the District lHil al
o'clock this morning without tremor
and as uuconcerned as though his mind
was u perfect blank.
Ten seconds after the condemned man
stepped upon the scaffoid the trap was
sprung ard he was swung into eternity.
For seventeen minutes he body hung
between heaven and earth. and then the
jail physician announced that justice
had been done and that the law had
been obeyed TO the letter.
Met Death Firmly.
Hamilton walked 10 the scanold With
a firm. regular step. and joined two col
ored preachers in the singing of a hymn
entitled Saviour Is More Than Life 10
Me" 10 made no statement on the
gallows. but stood with his hands and
feet tied with leather thongs, and his
head thrown back so that the hangmen
could adjust the moose without diff
Guilty. Hamilton wore a suit of striped
goods and a white sweater with the
neck turned down low so as not TO in
terfere with the rope
scaffold. Hamilton shook hands with the
guards ana told them good-by. thank
ing them for the courtesies they had
extended him during his incarcerati ton.
which covered q period of about eight
cen months. When one Of the guards
Informed him that the time had arrived
for the execution. he said: I'm already
dead. This thing OF going out on the
stand is Just matter OF form. because
every man who swings is dead before
he leaves this cell.
After being tied hand and foot. the
thongs on his ankles being left loose
enough to permit him 10 walk. Hamilton
began singing Bear the News to
Mother and then shuffled across the
platform leading 20 the scafold Hamil-
; ton continued 70 sing. even after the
black cap had been tied around his head
D. The hymn was still on his lips when
Deputy Warden Uruer drew q haudker-
chief from his pocket and two guards
pulled the ropes which cut the -raD-
door from under Hamilton's feet. and he
dropped five feet and a-haIf. stopping
with a sudden jerk
His neck was broken by the fan. The
body was cut down and placed in a cof-
fin, which was carried under the scat
fold. The remains were conveyed 10
Payne's colored cemetery. and an hour
after the execution the interment was
complete
Quick Execution.
Warden Harris and the guards at the
Jail say Hamilton's was che quickest
execution that has ever taken place al
the District Jail. Everything WAS I'm
readiness for the execution yesterday
afternoon, and no man ever went 10 his
doom as uuconcerred as did Hamilton
Tie was q model prisoner. ~ no time
during his confinement did ne express
any fear or terror OF the gallows, but
on tho contrary. seemed anxious 20 be
executed. He did not sleep "a wink
last night. but spent the time with The
Revs. John Roberts and J. r. funston.
who sang hymns and read passages
from the Scripture to him. a few mo-
ments before the death warrant was
read 10 him by Warden Harris he drank
a cup of coffee. This was all the
breakfast he wanted.
Hamilton's Crime.
Haniltons crime was committed in
q small frame dwelling al 703 Washing
ton court. between G. H. Fourth. and
Fifth streets northwest, about . o'clock
in the afternoon of June %, 1904 The
house is I'm a row which is thickly popu-
lated by colored people, many of whom
We're in their homes at the time the
Lyman woman was straHgled to death.
The police. however. We're unable to
md anyone WHO heard a struggle in
the house
The man and woman had been living
in the Washington court house for sew
erel months, and they We're known TO
have had many quarTels. which ended
In one or the other appearing with
blaCkened eye or cut head. Hamilton
is said 10 have claimed the woman s
every heart beat and watched her like a
hawk day and night. He suspected IN
fidelity, and each time he had any
ground for believing she had spoken to
another man. he beat her unmercifully
and neiEhbors went 10 her rescue when
he was on the point of killing her.
On the afternoon he killed her he went
20 the house and found her sewing on
a dress for their siX-year-Old daughter
Stella.
Strangled TO Daath.
Where's Stella he asked.
She's gone to the store TO get me a
EpoOl of cotton and then she's going 70
her aunt's house" replied the woman.
We'll, you'll never see her again, %
said Hamilton. as he threw her on the
bed and then tore his tie from his neck.
b While holding her on the bed ne drew
the ascot stock, or necktie taut about