The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-01-04
VERY SAD CASE
A Ysung husband Killed Rbae Asleep
by His Young nsaas Wife
STRUCK HIM WITH AXE

While Mentally Unbalanced Mrs. d.
3. Hamilton Deals Fatal Blow to
Her Husband. E. 4. Hamilton, at
Their Home Four Miles From the
City Of Laurens.
A special dispatch from Lau7ens
20 The News and Courier tells OF an
awfu! tragedy that took place four
miles from tha; city on Wednesday
night. AS he peacefully slept Z. A
Ha milton. one OF the county's lead
,nx farmers vas killed in his room
bv his wife, Mrs. Della Brown Ham
i,,on at their home four miles south
east Of the city.
The deed was committed by Mrs
Hamilton while in ct Of mental abb
erra.:on. from which she has period
ically suffered for several years. haV-
:ag durios the past year spent some
time at q sanitariun. In her deadly
work MIS-. Hamilton used smaH
aacd axe. and apparently one terrific
blow crushed her sleeping husband, 5
head. causing instant death.\ "itn
the exceo'ion o. their infant child no
other persons were in the room.
Mrs. Hamilton arose about II
O'Clock and must have gone outside.
where she procured an axe. She re-
turned to the room and struck her
sleep.cS husband q fca-fu! blow IN
the head with the dull end o: The
axe, knocking deep hole il his
sIull and splattering blood over tne
walls. Another large wound was
made in the neck as II she had chit
n:m with the sharp end OF the axe.
His entire head vas nualateo.
Death was Immediate.
Taking her youngest child. about
six months old. she then wen: to one
OF the nearby negro cabins and told
what she mad done. The alarm was
given after 5lrs Hamilton had taken
! her baby and gore out 20 the co!o7ed
cooks house. AZ o'clock the sher-
III was notified. Meanwhile reishoors
and relatives hurried to the scene
and found Mrs. Hamilton n q ter
rible state. One OF me negroes went
for help. and soo2 NJ. He.ly Blake
lis. her b.other-in-la arrived and
found Mrs Hamilton lying across =
bed. When he approached she
sprang up and struggled violently to
get away from him.
In trying to make her escape from
the premises she Is said 70 have
dragged her brother-in-law several
hundred feet before becoming e1-
lhausted. after which she calmed ano
talked about the tragedy. at times
expressing sorrow and again sayins
I, was all 70. the best. Subsequently
| M-s. Hamilton was placed n q Toom
and locked 10 until early Thursday
morning. when she was brought TO
the county jail. and there kept until
IL o'clock Thursday afternoon. when
she was carried to the State Hospital
70. the Insane at Columbia.
This sad occurrence is the one topic
OF conversation on the streets and
everywhere universal sorrow IS e1-
pressed a; the pathetic case. Hr.
Hamilton was IN the city only We'd
nesday. and was II very bouy2nt
frame Of mind The past season had
been a very successful one with him.
he having sold at one time. alone.
owe. sevency-tYe bales Of cotton and
out OF the years crop had gathered
between two and three hundred
bales He was prosperous and among
the most substantial citizens OF the
county. being highly esteemed for
his many sterling qualities.
There were no domestic troubles
n the family and the deed was the
outcome OF actions resulting from an
un balanced mind. MIS-. Hamilton
has been in a feeble s:s;a OF mind
for some time and herself realized it.
for recently she had requested that
all weapons and dangerous :astru-
ments be removed from her reach to
prevent her getting hold OF them IN
case the feared At Of insanity should
come However. as il vas not
thought that her condition warrant
ed such steps. no precautions were
taken.
The case IS peculiarly sad. sur
rounded as they wern with !a--e
and happy family and hundreds Of
acres OF productive farming land.
They had six little children. the old
es: OF whin is about thirteen years
OF age and the youngest about sir
months old While ample means
are left for their support. they must
miss the care and attention OF
mother and father.
NJ. Hamilton was about 35 years
OF ase His wife was Miss Brown.
daughter Of Mr.. William Brown. OF
this county. So;h families are prom
inent n the county. At an early hour
Coroner Ea!-s;on went TO the Hamil-
ton home and held the inquest: the
verdict rendered by the jury being
according 20 the facts as given above.
Thursday afternoon. the slain mans
remains were taken TO the Union
Baptist Church. near his old home.
n Waterloo township for intermert.