Life and Confession of Sophia Hamilton: Who was Tried, Condemned and Sentenced to be Hung, at Montreal, L. C. on the 4th of August, 1845, for the Perpetration of the Most Shocking Murders and Daring Robberies Perhaps Recorded in the Annals of CrimeJackson, William H.
History
Life and Confession of Sophia Hamilton: Who was Tried, Condemned and Sentenced to be Hung, at Montreal, L. C. on the 4th of August, 1845, for the Perpetration of the Most Shocking Murders and Daring Robberies Perhaps Recorded in the Annals of Crime
Jackson, William H.
Canada -- Fiction; Murder -- Fiction
About the middle of November, 1835, a gentleman whose name was Parker,
from Quebec, on his way to New York, stopped at her house, as he had to
wait for the steamboat, which was broke down. Finding that he had a
large quantity of specie with him, she placed her unsuspecting guest at
a table, so that his back was near an open window, which served as a
passage or door leading out to the roof of the back part of the house,
through which he was shot by one of her consorts, whose name we could
not learn. They then robbed him of every thing he had about him. We are
informed he had with him £2000; they then secreted his body in the
cellar until night, when he was buried in a swamp, in the rear of the
dwelling; his horse they afterwards sold for $150, in Plattsburg. Soon
after the navigation of the Lake closed, and the cruel and lawless gang
spent the winter, having plenty of money to carry on their gambling;
but some of them were compelled to clear out for assassination and other
drunken outrages.
In about three months after, two gentlemen from Montreal, on their way
to Burlington, Vermont, happened to stop at her house. The travelling
being very bad, in consequence of a very heavy snow drift, which made it
impassable, either for wheeling or sleighing, they resolved to put up
for the day. After calling for dinner and making some inquiry about the
price and quality of furs in the New York and Boston markets, which at
once indicated their business, and in all probability cost them their
lives, they engaged in conversation, and wiled away the time in exciting
and gratifying their feelings by the wit and fascinating conversation of
their polished, shrewd and deceitful hostess; and as the evening began
to draw nigh, the brandy decanter became quite a sociable companion, and
was used pretty freely. One of them being rather limited in his use of
the cup, she resolved that he should not escape her hands, and
immediately called for a bottle of champagne, (and was understood by the
waiter,) which left him perfectly stupid; thus she kept them until about
eight o'clock, when they called for their horses, and while they were
making ready to start, Brown and two others started about four miles
ahead, laying obstructions in the way, by making fast a rope across the
road, about three feet high, in order to capsize the horses as they
passed down the hill, which proved effectual, while they lay in ambush
and rushed upon them, shot one and stabbed the other--the affrighted
horses broke the harness and run away, but were brought back. The bodies
they brought to the tavern and also buried, according to Brown's
confession, while in prison at Kingston awaiting the day of execution,
from which we find a detail of this almost unprecedented
outrage.--Sophia was herself present, and was of course employed in
searching and dividing the spoil, of which no doubt she claimed a pretty
good share. We are informed that they had in their possession £2000.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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