Evening star., 1877-11-23
HANGING OF HAWKINS.
HIS ATROCIOUS CRIME.
OUTRAGE ON A SCHOOL GIRL.
MEXICANS THREATENING.
GEN. ORD WANTS MORE TROOPS.
THE G4LLOVS.
Execution at rousOntowu Md -Haw-
ktDs. who Outraged Ida Scnaetter-
His Crime and IL Punishment

lSpeciCd Dispdtch 10 The S'dr.

Especial Dispatch 10 The Sidr.l
TowsoNrowN, BALTIMORE COUNTY, Nd,
Nov. I'D, ls71.-This morning at a few min
utes past nine o'clock, James r. Hawkins,
colored, convicted of rape at the September
term OF the Howard county court, To which
his case had been removed, suffered the ex
tire me penalty OF the law, being executed in
the jail yard.
HAWKINS CRIME
Hawkins, the criminal, is IL years old. of
not very dark color, with a low forehead.
His crime was attended with extreme bru-
tality and cruelty. His innocent victim,
Miss Ida Schaeffer, is an orphan, only Is
years old, living with her uncle, Henry
Ringing, on the Sulphur Spring road. The
assault upon her was committed near the
intersection of the Baltimore aud OHIO rail-
road with The Cstonsville pike, on the 2Sd OF
April last. She was al the time a student at
81. Denis school. II appears that Hawkins,
living with his parents near where the crime
was committed, frequently met the girl on
her way TO and from school, and she was In
the habit of recog lizing him by the saluta-
tloH OF "GoOd morning." or "How are YOU
JIM" de attempted to become more IA
mll1ar, and once or twice wanted to walk
with her, but she ran away from him. On
the day in question she was on her way home
from school, about 40 p. M, aud when about
one fourth ola mile from the house of Haw-
sin's father, he left his plow, and walking
towards her called her, but she run. He,
however, overlook her near piece OF woods,
and catching hold of her threw her down,
ard took strap cut from his harness. placed
ii around her neck and dragged her TO a tree
where he made the other end OF the strap
fast, ard at the same time he spit tobacco
juice into her eyes To blind her, and placed
his hands over her mouth, and when insen-
sible accomplished his hellish purpose, leav-
ing her lacerated and bleeding in the woods
Here she for a time was insens bic, wi IN
clothes torn, her face bloody, her throat black
and blue from the tlghtness OF The strap, and
her eyes ip1amed from the tobacco juice, but
subsequently made her way home.
The girls uncle at once swore out a war
rant for the arrest of the negro before Justice
English, OF the 18th district of Baltimore
county. Special Constable Perry q. Mitchell
served the warrant and arrested Haw kins
with little difficulty, finding him upon the
farm where his father Is employed. A deep
excitement prevailed throughout the neigh
bOThoOd as soon as the facts in the case We're
Known, and II was with great difficulty tn 1t
the constable prevented resort TO iynching
The girl fully identified Hawkins there aud
subsequently on the trial, which was re-
moved To Howard county, where a verdict of
guilty was rendered September 27th, and he
was few days afterwards sentenced TO death
and brought back here for the execution OF
the law. A few weeks ago Governor Carroll
signed the death warrant, fixing to-day for
the execution.
A PROGRESSING CHRISTIAN.
Some three years ago Hawkins professed
religion and united with the church of Rev.
Mr.. Williams, in the neighbOrhOOd OF his
home. 1t would appear from the statements
made by him that outside the ime tor which
he suffered death, he was a rather hard Chris.
tiaD, as he was lustful and larceny was IA
vorite pastime with him. He had however
never been In prison but once before, and
that was on Justices commitment on a
peace warrant. He was about five feet eight
IL ches high, slim built, OF chestnut cDior,
with prominent cheek bOaes, and his fe4-
lures Of the Caucasian type, his nose being
rather prominent. His cOuntenance was not
at all pleasing.
HIS PRISON LIFE.
Rev. NJ F. b. Rice. formerly OF Grace NJ.
jail. with Rev. j. W. Cray, . Pi OF the N N. 'Pe Pc
Church, have been visiting him since he was
first committed, and latterly Rev. Mr.. Trout,
oi ,ne Al. r: Churcn,. ana Rey. l.. Daniels
was stOlid and indifferent, seemingly ex
pecting Communication of the sentence or,
perhaps, expecting in some manner 10 get
out. Within the past day or two he turned
his attention more TO his Spiritual interest,
listening attentively to the Instructions OF
Messrs Rice and Gray, apd frequently en-
Rice called to administer 10 him the sacra-
ment, he was singing, in q loud clear voice,
"ILL WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY IN
PEACE."
few minutes afterwards Rev. Mr.. Daniels
aid several members OF his congregation
III ale and female, arrived and entered his
cell, when the sacrament was administered
and during the course OF the evening he
offered fervent prayer. In the course OF his
prayer he acknowledged that he had sinned
deeply against God and asked, MAY this be
awarning, and may be the last one who
will ever walk to the scaffold" This was a
ringing extempOraneous prayer made in a
loud singing voice, and lasted some Is TO -
THE JAIL
is a stone building, containing 24 cells, on
each of tiers, and is surrounded by a high
board fence. 1t is situated at the foot OF
some high hills, and upon them were many
people, who saw the execution from them,
there being small group on every spot
from whence a view OF the Jail yard could be
obtained.
THE scAFFoLD
had been used twice before-in 1870, in the
execution of Pritchard for rape, and in ls72
in the case OF Palmer for a similar offeuse.
1t was placed near the south end of the
cross beam, from whence the rope hung, the
llatform being IL feet from the ground, with
trap about feet square, worked by a
trigger attached to the lower step. Mr.. 8. W.
WOTthington, the sheriff. issued only some
l25 tickets OF admission 10 the jail and yard.
HATCHET.
Recently the prisoners father and sisters
have visited him several times and on Mon
day last, when three or four OF his relations
were in the cell, his sister Lizzie, girl OF l.
called, but the officers having been apprised
that he expected q hatchet, she was searched
and q hatcaet was found secreted on her per-
son. When questioned she admitted that she
what he wanted 1t. This fact was at ones
made known to the states attorney, and he
had her committed for carrying q weapon
to q prisoner" There is but little doubt that
Hawkins intended to attempt to escape, and
the hstchet found secreted on the person of
his sister was to have been his weapon. This
had long handle, SO that ii could be used by
both hands, and IL Is thought that he intended
to murder any officer Of the all who stood in
his way. 1t would have been impossible for
him TO cut out with this weapon, as the
walls Of the cells are 2k feet thick, and II is
thought that he intended at some time to
strike either the sheriff, Mr.. Worthington;
the warden, Mr. Todd, or the watchman, Mr..
Smith, in the head. He denied most strenu-
ously any knowledge Of the hatchet. After
this discovery his manner changed, and
although he had all along strenuously denied
his guilt, about Tuesday last he told r ".
MI. Rice that he was q much worse man
Than people supposed that although he had
for three years been O member Of the church,
he had been in the habit OF running with
women promiscuOusly, had got into frequent
fights, and had committed larceny. In regard
70 this crime he said he was guilty, and said
that he had no idea at nrst OF committing the
crime, suppoeing that he could persuade her;
but finding that she would resist he knocked
her down and spit tobacco juice in her eyes
TO blind ber, but did not use any strap; but
he was now sorry for what he had done.
HaWkinSp ComEeaD1On.
Although the evidence In this oase was 90
conclusive that no one who heard the testi-
WOpy bad Tia lo0St nhadoW Of doubf as n