The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-01-04

One OF tie SaddcSt 0ccurenCieS In the
History Of the County Mnrred the
Closing Days of the Christmas HoI-
idays when One of iaurens County's
Best Citizens Net Tragis Death.
One Of the most shocking and yet
at the same time one OF the most
pathetic tragedies that has ever been
enasted nthis county was that We'd
nesday night, when Mr.. E. A. Hamil-
ton who lives few miles to the south
of the city, was killed in his bed by
his wife in a fit of insanity. The news
was spread around the city and coun-
ty early Thursday morning and cy-
erywhere sorrow and sympathy was
expressed for the dead man and his
unhappy wife. Mrs. Hamilton. who
was at another time an inmate of the
Asylum, again became dispossessed of
her senses about IL o'clock Wedncs-
day night. and as those who are so
afflicted often do, attacked the one
dearest to her
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
sleeping husband fearful blow in
the head with the dull end of the axe.
knocking deep hole in his skull
ana splattering blood over the walls.
Another large wound was made In
the neck as If she had cut him with
the sharp end of the axe. His entire
head was mutilated Death was i'm
mediate.
Fled to Negro Cabins.
Taking her youngest child, about
six months old, she then went to one
OF the nearby negro cabins and told
what she had done. The alarm was
given after Mrs. Hamilton had taken
her baby and gone out to the colored
cooks house. At o'clock the sheriff
was notified. Meantime neighbors
and relatives hurried to the scene
and found Mrs. Hamilton in a terri
BILE state. One of the negroes went
for help and soon Mr.. II. l.. Blakely.
her brother-in-law, 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 es
cape from the premises she is said TO
"e her brother -in-law sew
eral hundred feet before becoming
exhausted, after which she Gained
and talked about the tragedy, at times
expressing sorrow and again saying
it was for the best. Subsequently,
Mrs. Hamilton was placed IN room
and locked up until early Thursday
morning, when she was brought to the
county Jail, and there kept until 2
o'clock that afternoon when she was
carried to the State Hospital for the
Insane at Columbia
An Unbalanced Mind.
There were no domestic troubles i'm
the family and the deed was the out
come of actions resulting from an un-
balanced mind. Mrs. Hamilton has
been in feeble state of mind for
N'''N '''iN' "h' hSIocll IedllIeu III,
for recently she had reqested that all
weapons and dangerous Instruments
be removed from her reach to pre-
vent her getting hold Of them i'm case
the feared fit of insanity should come
However, as ii was not thought that
her condition warranted such steps.
no precautions were taken.
Peculiarly Sad Case.
The case is peculiarly sad, sur
rounded as they were with a large
and happy family and hundreds of
acres OF productive farming land They
had six little children, the oldest of
whom is about twelve years of age
and the youngest about six months
old.
At an early hour Coroner Hairston
went to the Hamilton home and held
the inquest, the verdict rendered by
the jury being according to the facts
as given above. Thursday afternoon.
the slain mans remains were taken
TO Union Baptist church, near his old
home, in Waterloo Township for in
terment
UncOmmOnly Useful Citizen.
Laurens county has lost an uncom-
monty useful citizen ana u remarkably
Continued on page four)