William H. Jackson

“ Thus ended the unhappy career of father and son, and we shall soon see the unhappy termination of the life of the youngest daughter. What a melancholy contemplation for the reader, when it appears that, like their cruel father, they knew no fear, but were of a perverse and cruel disposition, and seemed to set no value on the lives of their fellow beings; and strange, though true, that those who purchase property at such a sacrifice, seldom know how to take care of it, and however much they may have, seem to thirst for more. ”

“ Reader if I have wandered from my subject, it is in order to show that a miserable death is the fruits of a wicked life, for how did Paine seem to feel on the matter during the close of his earthly campaign, he died like Voltair his predecessor and many other remarkable infidels, yes reader, and like Judas who betrayed his divine master afflicted by the bitter gall of remorse and sorrow, but it is to be feared not true repentance. Therefore we should try to live as we would wish to die, or at least with a conscience as free from guilt as possible in order to render our last moments happy. ”

“ Yes, I wish that my name, and the memory of my cruelty, may be for ever, engraven on the memory of those who survive me, or hear of my cruel life and miserable death, that it may be a warning to those entering on the path of life, that they may suppress human passion, and untie the strong holds of Satan, who was my daily companion through life.—She was again interrupted by the good and meek parson, who tried to console her, by reminding her of the patience which holy Job exercised during his long affliction. ”

“ After these fits had a little subsided, and reason had again returned, the pangs of a guilty conscience and remorse, with all its frightful horrors and bitter anguish, would seize her soul, and she would cry out in the bitterness of her torments, that she already felt the flames of hell! reproaching herself in the most bitter anguish, for the awful crimes she had committed. Then she would again rave like a maniac, cursing and swearing in a most horrible manner, and attempting to destroy every thing within her reach. ”

“ For some time she remained in most exquisite anguish, until she at last sunk back on her pillow, weak and exhausted, and her immortal spirit winged its way, to appear before its eternal Judge, there to answer for the deeds committed in the body, and we hope will, or has, found more favor and mercy, than she did from the human tribunal, which sentenced her to die, according to the civil law, which I hope will still continue to be rightly and justly administered, because on its administration depends our safety and happiness, as well as civil and religious liberties. ”

“ When we behold the hardened and regardless sinner, who perhaps mocks at the idea of practical religion, as well as the boasting, disdainful infidel, who not only mocks, but tramples on the holy ordinances of religion, could we behold him prostrate on the couch of death, then indeed, we would find an awful lesson in the contradiction of his previous pretentions to attempt to mock, or at least disregard every thing that was sacred. ”

“ After the death of her husband, she became one of the most abandoned and notorious of women, giving loose to every species of licentiousness and extravagance—and there was no crime too great, no deed too cruel for her to engage in, to accomplish any object of her desire, often engaging personally in acts of the most outrageous and daring robberies. ”

“ If they will find a Montreal or Quebec journal of the middle or latter part of August their doubts will be satisfied. We hope the public will feel satisfied with the account here given, as we were prompted by no other view than that of preserving the honest fame of those who enjoy a moral reputation, and to secure a peace of mind to those who are yet unconscious of offence, as it is well known, to the misfortune of many, that an artful mind, actuated by illusion, if not checked in youth, may pass on to acts of fraud and violence, and in some instances to deliberate and cold-blooded murder ”

“ Some, who were extensively engaged in grocery business, others, who were equally as extensive as wine merchants, stopped suddenly, or left their business in the hands of others, and immediately disappeared, and no one knew where they went, or could give the slightest intimation of their business abroad, as it is considerably different in a village, from that of a city life, as each wishes to know the business of his neighbor, and, in fact, does to a considerable extent. ”

“ We may truly say that the annals of history have never unfolded to the world a greater instance of human depravity and utter disregard of every virtuous feeling which should inhabit the human breast, than the one it becomes our painful duty to lay before our readers in the account of Sophia Hamilton, the subject of this very interesting narrative. ”

“ I then had plenty of money, and I so much feared the arm of detection, that I returned to New York, joined a gang of low, dissipated, gambling fellows, joined in companionship and agreed to share equally in whatever we should make. We robbed a man on the Harlæm road of $400—he made a desperate resistance. I drew a large knife, which I generally carried with me, and stabbed him, when he fell, exclaiming, 'I am murdered!' Seeing the murder a few days afterwards in the papers, and the Mayor offering $1000, I feared my companion in the crime might be induced to turn States' evidence. ”

“ LIFE AND CONFESSION OF SOPHIA HAMILTON.
It has probably never fallen to the lot of man to record a list of more cruel, heart-rending, atrocious, cold-blooded murders and daring robberies than have been perpetrated by the subjects of this narrative, and that too in the midst of a highly civilized and Christian community; deeds too, which, for the depravity of every human feeling, seem scarcely to have found a parallel in the annals of crime. ”

“ My parents emigrated from England a short time previous to my birth, and I am happy to say that my mother is dead, so that she wo'nt feel the mortification of hearing or knowing of my untimely and ill-fated end, for she was, in early life doomed to drink deep of the galling cup of bitter sorrow. She was questioned by the minister, as to what she had reference to. She replied, I mean my ill-fated father, who lost his life when I was about eight years old, in attempting to take that of another, whose name was Murdock. ”

“ Still keeping in view the subjects here quoted as a living lesson, which on due reflection will not fail to dictate to any thinking mind the true path to virtue here below, and to everlasting happiness hereafter, the true object for which man was created and endowed with reason to guide and direct his path through this life of troubles which he makes for himself by his own neglect of his duty. ”

“ The ill-fated, innocent, and defenceless victim to his savage and cruel feelings, whose name was Sera Milton, was murdered on the 22d day of June, 1830, as was ascertained by Brown's previous confession, while in prison awaiting the day of execution, and from her dear and loving parents, whom he caused to mourn and sigh in bitter anguish for the loss of their affectionate and only daughter.
Sophia Hamilton's cruelty at this time had reached to a mature age, for she was enveloped in innocent blood ”

“ But as our limits will only afford a glance, we hope it may be a seasonable lesson, or example, to those who may have the responsibility of discharging that duty which is expected of parents, as also those who owe a duty to their parents, that they may earn that blessing, by obedience, which is pleasing to God, that they may expect the same in return. ”

“ At this time business seemed very prosperous, so that it was nothing remarkable for young men of every rank, station and age to visit her house; besides, she being a young and fascinating widow, having the sole responsibility of a large and prosperous looking establishment, it was no small inducement to young men who admired an enterprising partner. ”

“ Thus terminated the cruel, atrocious, and blood-thirsty career of father, son and daughter. And now, gentle reader, you may contemplate over this melancholy field of human wickedness, which, I venture to say, stands unparalleled in the annals of crime; for true it is, that as man lives, he generally dies; as we [Pg 29] find Brown did, who was mentioned in the foregoing pages, and whose career ceased with hers; therefore it is to be sincerely hoped that the exposure of the lives of those atrocious beings may be a timely lesson to those who may read this ”

“ She soon got around her a gang of ruffians who were perfectly obedient to her will, and ready to execute the most bloody act, whenever she planned or commanded; of this gang she was always the principal deviser. Whenever travellers, or such as she had good reason to suspect had plenty of money, stopped, she immediately marked her object, and frequently became the leader herself in some of the most horrible and outrageous murders. ”

“ And it seems doubly shocking and atrocious when we find them perpetrated by one of the female sex, which sex has always and in all countries been esteemed as having a higher regard for virtue, and far greater aversion to acts of barbarity, even in the most vitiated, than is generally found in men of the same class. ”

“ We assure you reader, that we entertain too much respect for the feelings, as well as the moral effect which the exposure of such crimes might have on the weaker minds, and we therefore consider it a duty we owe to the public to lay before the world the foregoing pages. ”

“ In this manner I roved about, and finally went to New York, from there to Albany—not finding employment, I started off for Montreal, but stopped at La Prairie, and finally agreed to serve as bar-keeper for Sophia Hamilton; and in November, 1835, I was accessory to the murder of Parker, from Quebec, on his way to New York, and in about three months after, I was the principal leader of the gang who laid an obstruction across the road, when we killed and robbed the two travellers. ”

“ His uncle and he dissolved, and as he had considerable of the money that his father bequeathed to him, he soon found company to suit his purpose, and became enamored of a woman of low character, who succeeded in making a union with him, and after spending considerable of the money, and seeing the funds likely to be exhausted, immediately scraped up their effects, as she possessed a little property of her own. ”

“ After giving very liberal contributions to charitable institutions, and seldom charging her visitors any thing, in the course of one year her house was the principal resort in the village—so that it was necessary to employ a pretty smart bar-keeper, or one who would be capable of superintending the general business; therefore, she hired a young man, whose name was Brown, a native of Maine, who seemed to be very capable as well as admired, until at length he left—but of him we will speak in another page. ”

“ They were kept in custody until the cellar was searched, where the body of Morse was found, amongst skeletons and other emaciated remains. The prisoners were carried to Montreal prison, on the following day, (10th of December,) to await the sitting of the Queen's Bench, which sat on the 8th of April, but was postponed until the above term. In the interim, Wilson turned Queen's evidence, and discovered the whole mystery of the murder of Morse, and declared that Rogers was innocent of the murder, for none but himself and Sophia were guilty of perpetrating the horrid deed. ”

“ After the Judge's charge to the Jury, which followed, they retired and remained out about an hour, when they returned with a verdict of "Guilty of Murder in the first degree." She received sentence on the 11th of August, to die by the law the 5th of September, during which time she remained silent, until three days previous to her final destination, when she received a quantity of poison, which she took to avoid the public exposure of a [Pg 21] shameful death. But it may be asked, how she got the poison, or by whom it was carried into the prison cell; that remains as yet unknown ”

“ Hence, as has been observed by the author, it is his sincere hope, in sending this narrative abroad, that it may be the means of saving some misguided youth from similar offence, as there are many in the moral retiracy of village life, little conscious of the wickedness and depravity of the world. They too often advance on [Pg 31] the journey of life without caution ”

“ The youngest daughter whose name was Sophia, and who is the principal subject of this narrative, was at the age of seventeen married to a young man whose name was Hamilton, a respectable mechanic, who happened to be travelling in that section of the country, we believe a native of Kingston, Upper Canada. ”

“ As he had a good education and bright intellect, he was soon looked upon as a leading man [Pg 7] in the neighborhood, and it was thought profitable as well as necessary to establish a tavern in the vicinity, which was strongly recommended by many lumber merchants; and Jones, being considered to be the best adapted for the business, accepted the offer. He at this time was of course prosperous, as he had the whole monopoly and an unbounded concourse of travellers stopping at his house ”

“ Murdock fell alongside of his wife, exclaiming, "they have come to murder me! farewell, my dear and affectionate wife;" and at the moment Jones rushed in as Murdock's wife moved out of the bed, and drove a large knife through Murdock, when the poor afflicted wife screamed aloud, and Jones missing his way through the house, was confused for some time, and was, perhaps, a little intoxicated. Just at that time the Quebec mail stage came along, and hearing the cries of Mrs. ”