The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-10

A remarkable and touching story of
hereditary insanity, a complete bearing
out Of the ScripturaI injunction that "the
sins of the father shall be visited upon the
children" has come TO light through the
appeal made to the War Department on
behalf of Second Lieut.. John 5. Hamilton,
Twenty-third Infantry, L. S. A. charged
with embezzlement, disobedience Of or
ders, desertion, and conduct unbecoming
an officer and a gentleman. OF all these
charges he was found guilty by a court
martial which tried him at Fort Jay, Gov
errors Island, \. Y, convened November
c. 1906
Mrs Hamilton. tie mother Of the ac-
cused. lives in Washington. and though 1t
must cause her infinite grief and chagrin
to discuss the sad fate that has befallen
her children. she feels that for their sake
the facts should become known.
John S. Hamilton and Lewis c. Hamil-
ton, her sons, were twins, born February
q, 1879, in Rochester, y. Y. Their father
was Capt II. c. Hamilton, who was bre-
vetted major at the close Of the civil war
for gallant services rendered during the
four years of the war. All his life after
the war the father suffered from a Sc
rious wound which frequently caused him
great pain, and pieces Of a shattered bone
often worked their way through the
flesh. The wound would heal for a time.
but continue to cause excruciating pain,
until finally the constant suffering affected
his brain. and he was practically insane
until he died, some twelve years ago. and
was buried in Arlington.
Even before the twins were born Capt.
II. G. Hamilton betrayed undoubted symp-
toms Of insanity. For days ne would dis
appear and would be found wandering
aimlessly about the woods. At times his
mania possessed him with the idea that
he was born 20 be a successful financial
genius, and thus he frittered away his
little fortune, SO that after the twins were
born his wife was forced to go to work
TO earn living for the family. While the
twins were Yet going 10 school she was
teaching school to keep a roof over their
heads.
Insanity in the Blood.
It was not so strange. perhaps, that
Capt H. c. Hamiltons mind gave way
under the sunerings he endured. for in
sanity was evidently in his blood. His
brother G. G.. Hamilton, had been in
sane for years. his mania taking a most
violent form. and even now he is con
fined in an asylum for the insane at
Rochester, \. Y, where he has dragged
out weary and frenzicd existence of in
generation for over forty years.
It is also said, in the brief which is
fled for appeal in the case OF John s.
Hamilton. that his maternal grandfather
died violently insane.
Under this frightfUi blight Of hereditary
insanity, the Hamilton twins were born
into the world. Mercifully, the mother
kept from them the secret OF their dread
inheritance. but one does not need too
vivid an imagination t. picture the fear
full solicitUde with which she watched
their progress day by day Hursed them
from the cradle, where they pTattled as
1oyfUlly, as innoeeutly, as other children;
watched them at their play. and saw with
all "a mothers pride and JOY their glow
ing health their growing strength, and
their perfectly normal and care-free ac-
Ccptance of bOyhoOd's happy delights
Side by side they grew 10 young man
hood. and never We're twins more alike
than these. 1t was not only that phys
ically, IN form and face and figure. they
Tesembled each other, the likeness eX-
tended To their gestures, TO their tastes,
to their idiosyncrasies; TO their modes of
thought
Alike in Everything.
They liked the same style and color of
clothing; they wore their hair alike. arose
at the same hour; at night retired to-
gethcr. Even those who knew them most
intimately could hardly tell them apart.
and the mother, who as the years wont
on and she saw them growing up into
brave and noble youth. prayed that the
curse which hung so IoweringIy above
them might never fan. sometimes was
mistaken, and took John for Lewis or
Lewis for John. Indeed, it was only after
some minor accident that happened TO
John. during which a portion of one of
his front teeth was broken. that she
could with any certainty distinguish twin
from Twin
At school the boys were quite normal
They joined in the play Of their fellows
with gusto; both were studfous. and their
teachers say both were marked by I'M
usual ambition.
They left school together. and when the
Spanish war broke out the twins went
arm-in-aTn 90 the recruiting Office, and
when the First Regiment Of the District
OF Columbia Volunteers was made up the
names of John s. and Lewis G. Hamilton
followed each other on the roster. They
served As privates during the war but
during the course of the campaign they
were separted for q while. Lewis c. was
LEFT al Tampa, Fla, while John, more
fortunate. was present at the taking Of
Santiago.
This taste of war suited the twins. and
when they came back and were mustered
out both were so eager for soldering that
with their mothers written consent, they
both being under age. they enlisted in the
regular army as pTivates
The Fatal Parallel.
Although from this time on the curious
and perhaps fatal parallel which had
marked their lives from birth continued.
their lives were soon TO be lived separate
y. Shortly after enlistment they were
selected. both OF them. as being above
the ordinary enlisted man. and We're rec
commended to tit themselves for commits
slons. They were sent to Fort Leaveu-
worth where they took a course of mill
tary education, after which both of them
submitted to Il rigid competitive examina-
ton, and both Of them passed with honor
and credit TO themselves. They were side
by side no longer now. for Lewis applied
for and received his commission just one
year before John.
Even ct Fort Beayenworth il was re-
marked by those who associated with the
twins, one after the other. that there was
something queer about them. and il was
not long after Lewis received his com
r,feeior, sarord Ifalgfpu1nf before 10