Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-11-07
JURY RETURNS
FREE VERDICT
FOR ATTORNEY
Deliberation 1. a 5 t s
Less Than 2 Hours;
Accused Man Says
Conscience Clear.

WEATHERFORD, Tex. Nov. L.
F)-Judge r. II. Hamilton, former
member of the state supreme court
commission Of appeals, was free to-
day. a jury having decided he act
ed in self defense when his son-in-
law. Tom Walton, Jr., the BRIDE
groom i'm a secret marriage. was
shot and killed in Hamilton's ANA
rillo law office last May.
The jury. after listening to seven
days OF testimony and eight hours
of argument, required only one hour
and 46 minutes and three ballots
to acquit the jurist and lawyer
Four jurors voted for conviction on
the first and one on the second
ballots.
The defendant was asleep in his
hotel room when the verdict was
read, according to his brother, Dex-
ter Hamilton. who with the Judge (
son. Robert II. Hamilton. Jr.. Uni
versity Of Minnesota student. thank
ed the jury.
Meets Friends
He dresSeea quickly. however,
when his son and brother rushed
to the hotel and came TO the lob
by TO meet his friends. Theresa,
his 18-year-old daughter. whose Sc
cret marriage to Walton while the
two attended the University Of Tex
as was indirectly responsible for
the shooting. threw her arms
around his neck.
"Oh Daddy" was all she could
say, and she fell back 70 watch
others congratulate him.
MY conscience was clear" Hamil-
ton said to the only newspaper man
who broke through the Gordon Of
friends whicn surrounded him and
said. That gives you q clear con-
science?-
Certainly It does. Certainly 1t
does" Hamilton replied. My con-
science was clear" He added the
information. I'm going home to-
morrow," before friends closed about
him and shut off further inter-
views.
Kindly Father
The state in the trial sought 70
show that Hamilton. knowing o.
suspecting his daughter had mar
RED Walton. whose home was in
Amarillo. deliberately shot the young
man when Walton came TO his Of
flee TO make q clean breast OF the
affair.
The defense pictured Hamilton
as n kindly father, aware Of Wal
tons intentions toward his daugh-
ter and willing TO bless the couple,
once he was satisfied Of Walton S
desirahility as . husband.
Defense testimony painted the
young man in a sinister light, how
ever. a number of witnesses teSti-
fying Walton had uttered dark
threats against Hamilton, who. he
felt. disappeared Of him and him
dered him in his efforts 70 see
Theresa. One witness testified
Walton had boasted a past as a
Capone gangsteF and said he was
more deadly than a rattlesnake.
Several witnesses testified they had
heard Walton threaten 70 kill
Hamilton.
Hamilton himself, from the stand,
testified these threats had come TO
him through others and he had
prepared TO defend himself. When
Walton entered his office on the
fatal daS, lie said, the young man
made a motion as If 10 draw q
gun and he grabbed for his own
weapon. The defendant did not
admit Shooting Walton, but said
they had engaged in a mortal COM
bat for the gun. Walton was shot
four times and died on the floor OF
Eamilton's office a moment later.
Mrs. Walton, Judge Hamilton'S Is
wife, mother Of the secret bride and
Helen Hamilton. her sister, took
the stand during the trial. The
resa, widow Of the slain man, did
not testify.