The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-02-12

thing" said Mr. Newal, and then he
explained to Henry all about the loan
from Mr.. Dewar.
"That is it, no doubt,'' said Henry
'' he wrote just like me, and driven to
desperation, forged my name to get
money to live on. l am glad he did it.
See that the money is repaid
After a pause, during which Henry
seemed to be much affected, he said:
"NewaI, I've made all arrangements
for the poor fellows burial By the
way, he must have been killed in
brawl, for there is wound, as of a
knife, right in the region of the heart.
L will use my influence to keep things as
! quiet as possible" :"
There was a Coroner's inquest, and a
verdict that the deceased came to his
death at the hands of some person or
persons unknown. Then the body was
quietly buried in the yard of the Old
Cross Kirk, and the matter was soon
forgotten.
Things went on smoothly for many
years, and Mrs. Hawk bore another son.
In January, 1898, Henry Hawk fell from
a horse and broke his leg. Mortifica-
ton set in, and amputation proved of
no avail. He died on February l, leaY-
ing viii by which he divided all his
property between the two boys, Edward
and James, and gave each an equal
share in the business. His funeral was
a very solemn one, and for years after
ward the Hawkhill mansion was like a
tomb. From the day of the masters
death to the day of her own death,
which happened in 1898, Mrs Hawk
was never seen out of her dwelling
On May 3, 1906, Edward Hawk be-
came of age. He was q strong, well
/ favored young man, but of a very sullen
! disposition. Two months after he
reached his maturity he began an action
in the high court to declare his brother
| illegitimate, and to recover the property
which had been willed to him. From
the records of that remarkable trial this
narrative is compiled, and the facts
necessary to explain what has already
been told will be given.
When John Hawk received from Hen
ry the sum left him by his father, he
went to Antwerp as agent for the
| firm. With all the money he could
! get on the letters credit of the firm,
he went to Paris and London. There
he spent all in riot and debauchery
Worn down and ruined, he returned
to Dundee; and, though he went TO
the gate of his brothers residence, he
had not the courage to enter. Before
he knew that his brother had gone to
Antwerp, he forged his name and got
the money from Dewar. When he
found that Henry was out of the
country, he set his wits to work to dis
cover how he could profit by it. The
resemblance between the twin brothers
had always been remarkable. In
fact, when they were boys Henry
always wore a red ribbon in his button
hole to distinguish him from John,
Little by little Il diabolical plot de
velOped itself in Johns mind. An
ticipating that Henry would write tc
his wife by the return packet
John planned the intercepting of the
letter.
While the boy who bore the package
of letters to Mrs. Hawk was away foI
the supposed pocketbooK, John opened
one of the letters, and, by its perusal
found that his brother was to return by
the next packet in October. He in
duced the boy to allow him to deliver
the letters so that he might explain tha
Mr.. Newa1 had opened the letter by
mistake. For a time he was in gTea
suspense, as the carrying out of hi!
plans required that the packet shoulC
arrive after dark.
, AS soon as he found that the tidt
} would exactly suit his purpose, he mad,
his arrangements. Disgusting himsel
and procuring a boat, he boarded tn
} packet on her arrival in the Tay, ant
: induced Henry Hawk to go ashore.
} Midway between the vessel and tn
land, he drove knife in his brother
! heart. Then he carefully stripped tn
| body and flung it overheard. Securing
the money and valuables in the clothes
? he tore them in strips and cast them o
the waters. Landing at a secure spot
with his brothers. pOrtmanteau in hi
, possession, he went to a sailors board
} ing-hOuse and dressed himself III tn
I dead mans clothes. Then, with a bold
4 ness and wickedness unparalleled, b
4 went to his dead brothers home and ri
+ ceived kiss of welcome from the won
e an whose husband he had slain.
il On trial witnesses were produced VIII
e stood by the dying bed of the murder
: Gus wretch and heard his confession {
b. his crime. These consisted of d.
+ Nimmo, a prominent physician, Nj
+ Sims, a distinguished surgeon, d
Carruthers, a Presbyterian clergyman
e and Ann Mackay, a nurse. The col
II fession had been reduced to writing
It a lawyer and duly signed and witnessed
The court adjudged James Hawk
n be illegitimate, but entitled to succeC
IL to his mothers estate, which was col
2 siderable