The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-30
THE mAwKISs.nELL TRAGEDY.
Interview with II. A, Rel, son OF the
Deceased, Who Nv ~ Jaii ~ an Ao-
eessory 90 the Alleged Murder,

tragedy, M no WIS with Hawkins before, al
the time Of, and after the killing The result
Of tho Interview was as follows
On Saturday morning last Wa Hawkins
borrowed horse and buggy from Joe Hill
Ilill and my father were on friendly terms
for al know. | was at Hawkins house
Hawkins asked mo TO got into tho buggy ]
did not know where llawkns was going.
Hawkins house 10 about threo'lourths Of n
mile from whore my father WINS nj work at
the gin. About two hundred yards from
the gin Hawkins stopped and saw u man
named Sawyer, before going 10 SEQ Bell,
Hawkins asked Sawyer what no had been
saying about Colonel j. l.. Chandler, his
(Ilawkns) Authoritative Sawyer said he
did not know j. l.. Chandler and had said
nothing about HIM Ho know q Daniel
Chandler In Springfield, Missouri. haw-
kins said he bad been told that Sawyer had
been slnndering his (llawkins) wife. Sawyer
hio wife. Hawkins said that b. NJ, Boil [fa-
Their Of the man being inIerviewedl had told
him (iIawkns) tina. Sawyer had told Boil
that he (Sawyer) knew j, l., Chandler in
| Springfield, M 9our, and that no kept II
house of prostitution there, and that Bells
divorced wife was tho mistress Of Il that
Chandler had put his two daughters In tho
house, and that Hawkins had married ono Of
them while she was there. To this Sawyer
said that he had told Bell that Daniel Chand-
Ter had done these thiDgsin Springfield, Mis-
souri, Hawkins told Sawyer to 20 and see
Bell down ut the gin, Then Hawkins, Saw
yer and myself proceeded TO the gin, Haw-
kins and went In the buggy, and Sawyer
went with his wagon. We all got out on tho
ground near tho gin. Hawkins went into w.
NJ. Alexanders store, and told Mr.. Alcxan-
der that no wanted him to go down to tho
engine with him No witness. Sawyer was
already at the engine with my father. Be.
fore leaving the store Hawkins asked Alex
ander If no had heard my father say any
thing about his (HawkinsO wife. Alexander
said he had that my father had slandered
her, and that no (Alexander told him he had
better be careful how he talked. When they
reached the engine Hawkins told my father
he wanted to settle with him about what he
had said in regard 70 his (HawkinS) folks.
Hawkins called on Sawyer to state what he
Sawyer had told my father. Sawyer again
repeated what no had u short time before
told Hawkins that 1t was not Colonel j. l..
Chandler he had told my father about, but
Daniel Chandler. My father then
told Hawkins that j. L. Chandler
was a - and that he
(Hawkins) had brought his family into Chan
dler's house at Duck Creek, and that he and
his wife we're no better than Chandler. My
r.tk al Hau,l,,a that he L., a.
rascal, and if he wanted anything he could
get il; that he was the man to give it to him.
The lie was then passed two or three times.
do not know who gave tho lie first. My
father then told Hawkins that he was
thief. Then Hawkins drew his pistol and
fred After the first shot my father started
toward the engine, going sideways
from Hawkins. They were about
fifteen or twenty feet apart.
Hawkins fired second shot at my father as
he was going towards the engine. My father
acted as if both shots had hit him. When the
second shot was fired my father went into
the engine room and came out with an iron
rod, about four feet long and an inch around.
He came towards Hawkins with the rod.
Hawkins was retreating, walking fast, from
him, going rather sideways, and fired the
third shot. l was then 80 excited did not
see whether my father fell or not went to
the store. Hawkins had gone there ahead of
me. Igot into the buggy with Hawkins and
we drove back to his house. We both went
from there to Richardson on horseback and
Hawkins gave himself up to Squire Blewitt.
l started back home to Hawkins house.
About mile from Richardson was arrested |
by Squire Nash, of Duck Creek. After Haw-
kins gave himself up | made affidavit |
against him, charging him with the muir
der of my father. | did this at
the suggestion of Squire Blewett Hawkins
did not ask me to do il. My father and my |
self were not on friendly terms, but we were !
not very bitter towards each other. He would
not lot me come on the place where he WAS.
We always spoke kindly to each other, If at
all, whenever we met Sometimes we did
not speak at all. had sued father in the
Dallas County court for my dead mothers
part of his town property in Mckinney.
The suit had never been tried, but II is as good
AS settled now, rs he is dead. The divorced
Mrs. Bell is my step.mother. was born in
East Tennessee, Jefferson county, in 1854. l
was only ono year old when we came to
Texas. We lived in Collin county till about
ton yohro' uyO uuVo iNuu III Dhilus Souuey
since. My mother died in 1858. l have had
three step-mothers. All are dead except the
present divorced Mrs. Bell. She and 1 are
on friendly terms. TIE reason father did
not like me was because was friend to
Colonel j. L. Chandler. In regard to the
trouble between Hawkins and my
father, knew nothing about it, and was as
tonished at the killing, and it so excited me
that at the time | did not know what to do
for the best. The reason went TO Richard
son with Hawkins after he killed my father,
was to show him where Squire Blewitt
lived, as he wished to give himselfup. Haw-
kins had lived at Duck Creek only about
four or five months. He came there from
Ash Grove, Missouri, about twenty miles
from Springfield. did not know him until
he came to Duck Creek. The divorced Mrs.
Bell has been living with Hawkins family
at Duck Creek. have employed Judge
Thurmond as my lawyer. He came to the
Jail and offered to defend me. He forbid
me saying anything about the killing, but
don't suppose this will do any harm, as it
can't be used as evidence.