The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-08-02
FROM PROMINENT FAMILY
Father of Young Man, Wealthy Real
Estate Dealer of Bellefontaine, o.,
Explains Sons Actions by Admit
ting He is Mentally Unbalanced.

The mystery surrounding Harold
Hamilton who has been held at the
city and county jails for more than ten
days following his arrest on charges
OF carrying concealed weapons was
cleared up in part on Tuesday after
noon when John Hamilton wealthy at
torney and real estate dealer from Bel
fontaine, Ohio, arrived in Kenosha and
told the story of the wreck of the life
OF his son to Chief O'Hare and court
officials. On the plea of the father
young Hamilton was released from the
county Jail and the charge against him
dismissed and he started late Tuesday
evening for sanatarium at Marion.
Ohio where he will be placed in the
care Of specialists. 1t is declared by
the father that he young man is suffer
ing from mental weakness. Hamilton
is a college graduate and a member
of one of the best known families in
that section of Ohio After he com
pleted his college work he went into
business with his father and he had
given great promise of being a success
ful real estate man. Some time ago he
was sent by his father to New Orleans
to handle big business interests of the
company in that city. He was engaged
IN this work when he was taken with
mental illness. The father went to New
Orleans and found the young man with
his mind almost completely shattered.
He started home with him and stopped
in Chicago. While the father and son
were at a hotel in Chicago the boy
disappeared and after two days search
In Chicago the heart broken father went
to Belfontaine. He next heard of the
boy when he received the telegram
notifying him that the son was in Jail
here This telegram finally reached
Hamilton through friends Of the family
in New Orleans. The elder Hamilton
greeted his son at the county jail on
Tuesday afternoon but there was no
sign of recognition on the face of the
younger man. He refused to look at
his father or to have any conversa-
ton with him. sEI never saw him in
this condition before' was the com
ment of the father. Later he asked
that an officer be sent to take the boy
to Marion, Ohio, and Police Officer
Thad Logan was detailed to make the
trip.
Young Hamilton intimated in Keno
sha that he had committed grievous
crimes. 1t was alleged that he had
boasted in a saloon that he had killed
four men. His father declared that
the young man had never been suspect
ed of any criminal act. He declared
that he had been acting queerly for sew
eral months. During these months the
boy had travelled all over southern
portions of the country and into Mexico
and letters which were found in his
pockets showed that the father had sent
him large sums of money from time to
time. When he was picked up here
he had only a small sum of money
Hamilton showed tendency to be VIC
lent just before he was leaving Keno
sha, on Tuesday evening but his father
objected to his being put in irons. 1t is
said that the parents of Hamilton have
long been prominent in Belfontaine.
His mother has for several days been
been suffering from nervous collapse
on account of the strange disappearance
of the boy.