The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-22
Effort Will be Made by Grand
Rapids Attorney to Free
Imprisoned Man.
TRIED TO KILL EX.-ShFRIFF
Surprise Sprung in Circuit Court This
Morning When il Was Made Known
Application Would be Made by Low
er Peninsula Lawyers in Behalf of
Man Serving Life Sentence.

A great surprise was sprung in cir
made known that a new trial would be
asked for George e. Hamilton, now
serving a life sentence i'm Marquette
prison for attempting the life of ex-
Sheriff August Beck with an internal
machine.
Attorney John G. Stone of Houghton,
acting for Judge Newhan and Attorney
S. B. Clay of Grand Rapids, notified
Judge A. T. Strecter of the desire of
these attorneys to have a copy of the
testimony i'm the Hamilton case to be
made use of In an application for a
new trial for Hamilton in the Hough-
ton county circuit court. 1t is an
nounced that If the Grand Rapids at
torneys fail to get a new trial for their
client in this court that they will bring
the matter to the supreme court of
Michigan on a writ of error.
1t has been generally supposed that
the Hamilton case had been definitely
disposed of and that no more would be
heard of it, so the announcement that
retired will be received with aston
ishment throughout the copper coun-
try. Just who Is back of the Grand
Rapids attorneys in the case is not
known. but 1t is believed that some of
Hamilton's relatives are interceding i'm
his behalf
The history of the Hamilton case is
x.tfl hn I,ar
that August Beck while sheriff receiv-
ed suspicious looking box by express
one day and he was prompted to open it
carefully. He did so. and found it was
an ingeniously contrived internal ma
chine so constructed that by lifting
the cover off by means of handle on
the top it would make a battery con-
nection with dynamite contained I'm
the bottom and cause an explosion
sufficient to blow up the sheriff's resi-
dence and kill that official and his
family.
The discovery Of this attempt on the
life of the sheriff created the greatest
Indignation throughout the copper
country and there was a general de-
mand that nothing he left undone to
apprehend the guilty person. The Of
ficers went to work, Sheriff Beck him
self directing the search. Suspicion
fastened on Hamilton. who was then
on the Mesaba range in Minnesota. for
it was known that Hamilton had pre-
vously threatened Beck's life. dating
back from the time when Hamilton
was confined in the county Jail on the
charge OF theft, and Mr.. Beck frus-
trated an attempt of Hamilton's to es-
cape. A cake i'm which a saw had been |
placed was sent to Hamilton at the |
Jail, but Mr.. Beck, who was then un-
der sheriff. had his suspicious and |
breaking the cake open found the saw.
From that time on il is believed Ham
ilton had 'it in" for Beck and deter |
mined to get even with H.. This |
caused Hamilton to be susn 'cted of
sending the internal machine to Sher-
in Beck, and the investigation which |
followed made this contention plain,
a web of testimony being woven around |
him which convinced the jury of his
guilt.
The outcome of the case was gener-
ally popular, for 1t was an attempt at
one of the most dastardly crimes on
record i'm Houghton county. Had the
Internal machine exploded II would
have killed the sheriff and his family,
endangered the lives of the prisoners i'm
the county Jail and court house Off
cials and employees, as well as doing
great damage to county property.