Edward Luton who was a  town marshall in Hamilton, Washington went out to
investigate a loud Christmas party and never made it home.  His killer was
never found.  The story I had always been told is that he was killed and
then run over by a car to make it look like an accident.  After his death,
my grandmother took over as Town Marshall. She also wrote the news of
Hamilton for a Sedro-Woolley newspaper.  She was pregnant with her youngest
child when Ed was killed.  She raised all four of her children alone.  She
never remarried.   Source:  Craig Luton.  *******  The records concerning
the murder of Edward Luton were sealed after the investigation and remain
sealed even today, as it is an unsolved murder.    by Donald B. Kelly,
November 14, 1999.  *******  Edward was buried in the Hamilton, Skagit
County, Washington, Cemetery with the services held at the Methodist Church
in Hamilton, and conducted by Rev. Dears.
____________________________________________________________________________
________

                              My compilings of the Home Town sherrif, Edward Luton

                                                           author unknown
 

     In April of 1916, Ed Luton was appointed marshal to replace Charles
Richardson who had resigned.  Luton's pay was to start at $30 per month but
the little town of Hamilton was having a pretty tough time and they had no
town meeting from May until the October meeting when they had collected
enough money to pay the past three month's bills.  Things got better and
they went back to monthly meetings.  His pay was the $10.00.

     In the fall of 1919, everybody came up for election again and Ed was
appointed marshal again by Mayor Dave Russell.  In 1921, he was ordered to
enforce the meat peddling ordinance.  Evidently, some one was butchering and
selling the halves and quarters of beef on the street.  The next problem
that showed up was cows loose with bells on and were declared a public
nuisance so Ed had to notify the owners to remove  such from sundown to
sunup.  Then he was again to notify Louis Castrilli of the malfunction of
his septic tank at his cheese factory.  I guess it was running over and the
whey was running into a ditch, and in the summer time was sour.  Later the
factory was closed because of sour whey.

     Ed continued as marshal at $10 per month until in September 1924 when
he was raised to $12.  In September of 1926, a complaint was filed against
Ed Luton by Mrs. William Baldridge, asking him to remove a building that
obstructed her view.  But the council allowed it to stay.  In January 1927,
with the results of the new election, Luton was replaced by Ed Smith: but by
the end of 1927, Ed Luton was reappointed for the year of 1928 and at the
January 1930 meeting, June Moore was appointed marshal, as Ed Luton had been
killed December 15, 1929.  The city gave Mrs. Bessie Luton the job as pound
keeper, but June Moore didn't exercise his option to qualify himself as
marshal until late in February, and Bessie was marshal until he took the
oath of office in March.

     I find that on April 10, 1933, Bessie was given permission to extend
her fences 20 feet into Elm Street and to use it for pasture until further
notice.  I see where several people fenced off alleys and parts of streets
for use and this helped the city in the mowing, cutting and controlling of
thistles.

     Bessie was really lucky, as the State Industrial Insurance had just
gone on the books about a year before and she qualified for insurance to
raise her family.  But, you know how the stat operates and after a couple of
years they stopped her pay.  She appealed and it took over two years before
she was reinstated, until her children reached the age of eighteen years.  I
imagine this really helped her during the depression.

     Bessie continued to live in Hamilton and raised her children and then
some grandchildren made their home with her, also.  She passed away in 1970.
The marker says Ed Luton -- Born 1877 and Died December 15, 1929.  Bessie's
says -- Born 1866 and Passed away 1970 -- Age 84.

     The old home was considered being placed on the Historic List but some
one set it afire and later the fire department had to finish burning it, as
it was unsafe.

                                                     "It may be in the coming years,
                                                       Perhaps within the better land,
                                                  We'll know the meaning of our tears,
                                                  And then, ah, then, we'll understand."

Source: Hamilton 100 Years   page 160

Compiled by Carol B. Bates and James A. Bates.
Proof reading has been done by Carol Bates and Jean Wagner.
Setting to print has been done by Jumbo Jack's Inc., Audubon, Iowa.
Binding into hard backs has been done by Classic Book Binding, Des Moines,
Iowa.
The above poem was first read at the funeral of Edward Luton and has become
a family tradition by being read at the funerals of Ed's wife and children.
(Source: Don Kelly)
____________________________________________________________________________
________

                                         local newspaper article on the death of

                                                              Edward Luton

                                                             after December 15, 1929

      Edward Luton, town marshal of Hamilton, was found dead on the main
street of Hamilton, near the school house, about 8 o"clock Sunday morning,
and although Prosecutor Gilbert and Sherrif Conn have been working
constantly on the case since that time, it has not been decided whether he
had been accidently killed by an automobile or was a victom of foul play.
The officers are not convinced that he was not murdered and are continuing
their investigations.
     An inquest was held in Mt. Vernon Monday, and evidence given at the
inquest indicates that Luton had attended a party held at the home of Mrs.
Perry Harding in Hamilton following the dance Saturday night; and that
shortly afterwards Harold Knox, Sedro-Woolley, orchestra leader, Ted Bear of
Sedro-Woolley and Miss Gertrude Russell of Hamilton left the party in the
car and drove to a service station some blocks east; and on their return
this party found Luton's body lying in the street.  Luton was rushed to the
Sedro-Woolley hospital by Knox and Bear, and there it was found that he was
already dead.  There was much conflicting evidence at the inquest, but Knox,
Bear and Miss Russell all deny that their car struck Luton.  There were
fifteen present at the party, and when questioned in regard to drinking the
evidence ranged from statements that there was no liquor there to
statements, that there was plenty of liquor, and that all had been drinking.
No verdict was rendered by the coroner's jusry; the inquest being ajourned
until a further investigation was made by the officers.
     Sunday morning Knox, Bear, Mrs. Harding, and Donald Anderson and Ernest
Vanderhoof of this city, were taken into custody and held for questioning.
Folowing the inquest Monday all were released, but Knox is under bond on a
charge of driving while drunk.
     An Autopsy, conducted Tuesday by Drs. Boynton and Lloyd of Mt. Vernon,
showed that Luton's death had been caused by a fractured skull, his head
being badly chrushed over the left eye.  The doctors say that the injury
indicates that death was instantaneous.
     Funeral services for Mr. Luton will be held in Hamilton this afternoon
at the Methodist church, the service will be conducted under the auspices of
the Sedro-Woolley Aerie of Eagles.  He was 51 years old and was a carpenter
by trade, but had served as marshal of Hamilton for the past two years.  He
is survived by his wife and three children.

 Source: Hamilton 100 Years   page 361
 Compiled by Carol B. Bates and James A. Bates.
 Proof reading has been done by Carol Bates and Jean Wagner.
 Setting to print has been done by Jumbo Jack's Inc., Audubon, Iowa.
 Binding into hard backs has been done by Classic Book Binding, Des Moines,
Iowa.