Coachman, William Hamilton
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 1:59 pm
Came across this in the Boston Globe. First time I can recall hearing of this name in relation to the Borden family.
Boston Daily Globe, April 6, 1895
“Was Not The Borden Murderer...Mistake of Brighton Man Causes The Arrest Of Miss Lizzie Borden's Former Coachman, Will Hamilton”
“Hello Will Hamilton!” These were the words with which ex-Gov. Robinson greeted William Hamilton at the Brighton police station yesterday morning.
Hamilton had passed through a trying ordeal during the proceeding 21 hours. He is a colored man, 51 years of age, and for the past few weeks has been in rather hard luck. A few weeks ago he came to Allston and succeeded in securing enough employment at the Wilton house to pay for his lodging, room and meals. At spare moments, he did odd jobs wherever he could find them.
Hamilton was employed in the Borden family in Fall River at the time of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. This fact was the cause of him being at the Brighton police station yesterday forenoon.
On last Thursday forenoon he decided to send a letter to his former mistress, Miss Lizzie Borden, asking for assistance. He entered a shoe shop on Lincoln St. and asked an occupant of the place to write the letter for him. His request was willingly complied with, and Hamilton was hopefully looking forward to the assistance, which he expected would be forthcoming.
His hopes were dashed to the ground when policeman Jenkins of Division 11 soon appeared and put him under arrest. He was taken to the station house and locked up “on suspicion.” He remained a prisoner until yesterday morning.
It appears that the man who wrote the letter for him immediately notified the police that he had located the murderer of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. After Hamilton had been put under arrest, the police of Fall River were notified, and yesterday morning five of them, accompanied by ex-Gov. Robinson and lawyer Adams, visited Brighton for the purpose of seeing the prisoner.
When they saw him Gov. Robinson said, “Hello, Will Hamilton!” to which the crestfallen man replied, “How do you do, Mr. Robinson?” Then Mr. Robinson said, “Why, we know him. He is all right. Let him out.” Mr. Adams and the police from Fall River also identified Hamilton and said that he was all right. He was accordingly released from custody and hastened to the Wilton house to make known the cause of his absence.
He is much affected by the affair and says that he did not know what was going to happen to him. He said, “I am 51 years of age, and I never was in such a fix before in my life.” He said that he had been employed in the Borden family for about eight years, and that he was on his way to the depot to meet Miss Emma Borden at the time of the murders. He had been employed by Gov. Robinson before working for the Bordens.
Boston Daily Globe, April 6, 1895
“Was Not The Borden Murderer...Mistake of Brighton Man Causes The Arrest Of Miss Lizzie Borden's Former Coachman, Will Hamilton”
“Hello Will Hamilton!” These were the words with which ex-Gov. Robinson greeted William Hamilton at the Brighton police station yesterday morning.
Hamilton had passed through a trying ordeal during the proceeding 21 hours. He is a colored man, 51 years of age, and for the past few weeks has been in rather hard luck. A few weeks ago he came to Allston and succeeded in securing enough employment at the Wilton house to pay for his lodging, room and meals. At spare moments, he did odd jobs wherever he could find them.
Hamilton was employed in the Borden family in Fall River at the time of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. This fact was the cause of him being at the Brighton police station yesterday forenoon.
On last Thursday forenoon he decided to send a letter to his former mistress, Miss Lizzie Borden, asking for assistance. He entered a shoe shop on Lincoln St. and asked an occupant of the place to write the letter for him. His request was willingly complied with, and Hamilton was hopefully looking forward to the assistance, which he expected would be forthcoming.
His hopes were dashed to the ground when policeman Jenkins of Division 11 soon appeared and put him under arrest. He was taken to the station house and locked up “on suspicion.” He remained a prisoner until yesterday morning.
It appears that the man who wrote the letter for him immediately notified the police that he had located the murderer of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. After Hamilton had been put under arrest, the police of Fall River were notified, and yesterday morning five of them, accompanied by ex-Gov. Robinson and lawyer Adams, visited Brighton for the purpose of seeing the prisoner.
When they saw him Gov. Robinson said, “Hello, Will Hamilton!” to which the crestfallen man replied, “How do you do, Mr. Robinson?” Then Mr. Robinson said, “Why, we know him. He is all right. Let him out.” Mr. Adams and the police from Fall River also identified Hamilton and said that he was all right. He was accordingly released from custody and hastened to the Wilton house to make known the cause of his absence.
He is much affected by the affair and says that he did not know what was going to happen to him. He said, “I am 51 years of age, and I never was in such a fix before in my life.” He said that he had been employed in the Borden family for about eight years, and that he was on his way to the depot to meet Miss Emma Borden at the time of the murders. He had been employed by Gov. Robinson before working for the Bordens.