The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-07-25
Claimants of $1,000 Offered
for Capture of Hamil-
toms Murderer
WORDING MAY NEED
INTERPRETATION
NO Decision on Motion to Set Aside
Verdict-State Will Make Stiff Fight
If New Trial Is Ordered-May Be
Hearing on Petition.

Contingent upon the final outcome
of the effort to find the murderer of
James Stewart Hamilton. the IIolbrook
Cabot Rollins corporation 5 enlplove
whose body was found on the morning
of Feb. beside the new railroad track
between here and Hinsdale. is the aues
ton Of the payment of a reward of
u ,OOo. On the morning that the body
of Hamilton was found the corpora-
tlon offered a reward in the following
form:
1000 reward will be paid
for the apprehension and delivery
TO New Hampshire officers of the
person or persons committing the
murder of j. Stewart Hamilton on
February ), 1913.
Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Cor
pOration.
Brattleboro, Vt. Hinsdale, n. H."
1t win be noticed that this offer
does not read: ''For information
which will lead to the arrest and con
viction,' etc, as is generally the form.
but for the apprehension and delivery
to New Hampshire officers When the
time comes for the payment of the re-
ward 1t is practically certain that a
question will come up as to the inter
pretatlon of the wording of the offer.
which. it is understood, was framed
according to the advice of the New
hampshire county solicitor
Probably the distribution of the
money viii be made under order of
court, If 1t is finally determined who
committed the murder, and it is likely
that broad Interpretation of the
phraseology of the offer will be made
and that the words apprehension and
delivery will be taken to mean ef-
Tort, by information or otherwise, to
run the murderer down.
John II. Wren, who lived on Rirua
street in this town and who also was
employed by the corporation. has been
found guilty of the murder, by the YER
diet of jury in Keene, \. H.. and
many persons claim the reward on the
strength of that verdict Detective
Hanrahan of Halifax, n. s. wio ar
rested Wren as he stepped off train
IN Nova Scotia, thinks he comes with
IN the wording of the offer. 1t IS true
that he apprehended Wren. but he dia
1T on information furnished bv other
oihcers. Milton Snowden. the colored
porter IN Boston who told the officers
where Wren s baggage had gone.
thlnks he ought to have slice. Eari-
Gus other officers and individuals think
they are entitled to share. As tbe
case stands now it would seem as
though Ralph Kirkwood, who fognd
Hamilton s registry receipt inside tho
chimney at his father 5 house. where
Wren had tenement, was entitled To
as much credit as anybody.
The murder case is not ended vet
however, as Wren s counsel have asked
to have the verdict of the iurv sat
ASIDE as being contrary to the weight
or the evidence, and have filed excen-
mons which viii take the case to tba
supreme court in case the verdict i NOT
set aside or a new trial is not granted
1t IS expected that the Judges who
presided at the trial will give bear-
ing soon on the petition of the resnon-
dent s counsel.
An impression has gone abroad that
II new trial was ordered the state
of New Hampshire would not aga;n
make contest, on account of the ox-
pense involved. Apparently this inn
Presslon IS erroneous, as it is under
stood that the state would fiobt ,bo
case to the last ditch, regardless of
the expense. u
but IN the event of new trial and
IN N the event of an aequittal for Wren
Ihe probability of any other arrest ba
ing made for Hamilton S murder or of
the distribution of the ST .OO0 raYvor1
would be somewhat remote.