Deputy Collector James N. Hamilton

James N. Hamilton

Deputy Collector James Hamilton was shot and killed in his home on a farm near Harrison, Marion County, Arkansas, in an act of revenge.

Two years earlier Deputy Collector Hamilton had raided an illegal still in Johnson County, but the operator of the still escaped and remained in hiding. Prior to murdering Deputy Collector Hamilton, the man appeared at his farm and applied to be a farmhand under an assumed name. Deputy Collector Hamilton, who was running for sheriff of Marion County, hired him. The man worked on the farm for several days. On October 18th, 1886, the man sneaked into Deputy Collector Hamilton's home at around midnight and shot him in the head as he slept.

The man fled but was captured by a mob of citizens and admitted his true identity and motive in murdering him. As the mob prepared to lynch him they were interrupted by another group of citizens and the man was able to escape again. He was captured again the following day and put in jail. On November 11th, 1886, another mob of citizens removed him from jail and lynched him.

Deputy Collector Hamilton had served with the Department of the Treasury for four years and had served two terms as sheriff of Searcy County, Arkansas. He was survived by his wife and three children.