The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
3 NJ IN
STRANGE DEATH MYSTERY
Accuse Young Matron of Bloody Breathitt County With
Poisoning Wealthy Woman R~ecluse-Anothe Held
as Accomplice-County Is Notorious.

JACKSON, Ky. Sept. 4A-Mrs. Mamie
Hamlin. a prepossessing young woman.
is In Jail here charged with the murder
last June Of Mrs. Polly Davis. a wealthy
widow. Mrs. Hamlsn was the wife Of
Burt Hamlin. son OF the late Howell j.
Hamlin. who In his day was a power In
Illinois politics. for one term Attorney
General of that state and once a candi-
date for Governor.
Mrs. Davis had long been a widow
She was one of twelve children. eleven
brothers and sisters. residing in Breath
1T, Lee and Wolf counties. Judge j
Wise Haggin and Judge \. ]. c. Back OF
Jackson are %nephews. while Of her i'm
mediate family one son, residing In
Portsmouth, the village near which her
HON was located. Is a prosperous mer.
chant. She was Familiarity called Aunt
Polly n was known for miles AROUND
for her hospitality and personality.
Her husband left her a large farm
on which vast quantities OF minerals had
been discovered in late years. 1t wa
also we'll timbered, and her fortune
gradually increased until at the time o.
her death she was probably the wealth
lest woman In the county. having abou
1000 acres of land and some $4,000
in cash.
Mystery In First Meeting.
The circumstances attending the frs
meeting OF Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Hamlii
are not very clear. Mrs. Hamlin say!
she was drawn to the neighborhood q
Mrs. Davis's home by the beautiful
scenery. which appealed to her as Al
artist.
Neither does she say where or whe'
she met Mrs. Meyers. who was indicted
! with her. and upon whose testimony III
Commonwealth is relying to make ou
It's case. II In aid that Mrs. Hamll'
was seen about Jackson and the Davi
' plantation for some nine or ten month";
| Mrs. Davis was Sc ear old. bu
lively and able to do a hard days WORK
as was her custom. In a statement mad
| when first placed under arrest Mrs
| Hamlin says Mrs. Davis was never sic
| a day while h knew her.
The Commonwealth did not present a
Of it's evidence against Mrs. Hamlin !
the hearing for bail. which too plac
the first of the week, but 1t claims
have many startling circumstances tina
Mrs. Hamlin must explain. one OF IN
chief witnesses against her Is the VIII
of A. w. Moses. an innkeeper at forts
mouth. She SAYS that when Mrs Hamli
came back after Mrs. Davis's death sh
told her that Aunt Polly had left a W
and that she must go To Jackson to o'
tain II. The next night she returns
and said Get the camphor. AuI
Polly has willed me all she's got"
Mrs. Moses says that Mrs. Hamli
showed her the will with the name s
Mrs. Clara Meyers signed to II. 81
said It would require another signatui
and asked Mrs Moses II II would DO
put the name OF Martin Clemmons @
II, and as Clemmons had been killed G
election day no one would know wheth'
he had signed II or not.
81 told her she had better not do that
said Mrs. Moses. She then offered NJ
$1,000 to sign the will. according to u
story. Mrs. Moses said she had been
the home OF Mrs. Davis when Mr.
Meyers and Mrs. Hamlin were ther
She also SAYS that Mrs. Hamlin left tn
part OF the COUNTRY along in June
Aunt Polly died July I. Mrs. Meyel
was there when she passed away. u
left soon atterward. going to her non
in Charleston. W. Va. Mrs, Moses u