The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-01
STATE SPECIALS.
HE HAWKINS BELL TRAGEDY,
Hawkins 10 he Examined Friday
Heavy Hail and Rain storm Near
Plano A Corn fpminc Hattie
between Hangers aud Next
..Couri.h0use nurned.

chhhsst0uftsttouhch utheh'
Special to the llsrnld
Richardson, March 3l,-This morning, at
this precinct, In Justice Blewltt's examining
court WIS called the preliminary trial Of W,
j, Hawkins, on the charge Of numbering
Baxter NJ, Bell, at Duck Creek, last Satur-
day, Rufus A, Btl' son of the deceased
who Ia in Dallas jail MS implicated in the
killing, had bis examining trial belurc Ju' tee
Nash, ut Duck Creek, last Saturday, and was
committed without bail, II was generally
understood that Hawkins preliminary trial
would come of to-day, and the consequence
was that an immense number of tho citizeLs
Of Duck Crock came over 10 ki,hardson TO
attend tho trial. All those who witnessed
the killing were In attendance, ready TO
testify If called. Justice BleNitt opened
his court In the church building, the
mos. eligible place for the accom-.
mediation of the public, and the place Of
worship was filed with interested spectators.
Pending preliminarlcs in ths Hawkins
case, the Justice called up two cases of
minor importapce-The State Of Texas vs..
Willie Russell, OF Grapevine Prairie, for
proiano and vocilerous Language, and his
brother, George Russell, for participation In
an unlawful assembmgc. ID. A. Williams,
of the firm of HUT & Williams, OF Dallas,
gave tho court moderation talk" entered
n pea of glily for his youthful clients, and
the nominal fine Of 81 and costs WAS entered
against each total financial transaction for a
little profanity, 500 60 Justice with her
eyes bandaged holds the scales mighty level
in Richardson.
BY this time an understanding In |
been arrived ut between the States
attorney Hon. r. b. Seay and Colonel
Williams, OF the defendants counsel, The
State was ready to proceed u trial, but
recommended that desired continuance on
the part of tho defense DO granted, as the
brother and brother-in'lsw of Mr.. Hawkins
who were to assist him in his trouble, had
arrived from Missouri to Dallas too late to
accompany them to Richardson. a tel
gram had Just been received from them, and
a continuance was desired for further prepar-
alton. Justice Blewtt granted the conlnu-
anco to FRIDAY morning, April ,, nj 9
O'clock. II is believed that the examination
will proceed nj that time.
This putting An end to the court proc ed
inSs for tho day, proceeded 10 Interview
two of the principal witnesses to the
tragedy-Mr. w. A. Alexander, mer.
chant Mt Duck Creek, and Mr.. I. II. Saw
nttvaa nf tha locality
W. NJ. ALEXANDER's STATEMENT.
Saturday morning last Hawkins and Il. A..
Bell drove up to the Store. Both came in
the store. Hawkins remarked that b. NJ. Bell
had been lying about his (Hswkins) father !;
that he thought he tIawkins) had gone to
Missouri, and that he had .landered his
(Hawkins) wife, saying that he had married
her out Of house Of prostitution Alexander
told Hawkins he had never heard Bell mem
ton his fathers Ramn; "Well, then about
Col. Chandler" said Hawkins and that he
(Chandler) had kept house Of prostitution
in Springfield and that Hawkins had married
his wife there; Alexander said he had heard
Mr.. Bell say In the presence of Mr.. IL. G..
Hoskins, thst he (BelD had been Informed
bya man named Sawyer that Col. Chandler
had kept house Of prostitution in Spring
field and that a daughter Of Chandler mar
ried Hawkins. Hawkins said Bell had re-
peated 1t to number of e:sons, and that
as Mr. Alexander was present now, he
wanted him TO 20 and witness that Bell had
said it. Mr.. Alexander told Hawkins that
Bell had talked considerable about Chandler,
and that perhaps he thought he was justified
in it, and that he (Hawkins) had better let
the matter drop; he had advised Bell not 70
talk about the matter, but that he was willing
to 90 and witness to what Bell had said to
him. They vert down to the engine-room,
where Mr.. Sawyer was. Bell WAS in u mill
room near by; Hawkins called Ball out; Mr..
Bell came out, and Hawkins and he COM
menced quarreing about Colonel Chandler,
the divorced Mrs. Bell and Thugs that Haw-
kins alleged Bell had said; Mr.. Bells Ian
guage was all directed against Hawkins,
Chandler and Mrs, Bell; he studiously
avoided saving anything against Hawkins
wife; did not say word against
her; he said Mrs. Bell was II
prostitutes; that Chandler was -
and that Hawkins had taken Mrs. Bell into
his family to live with them, and that he
(Eawkins) was consequently no better than
she or Chandler. The lie and harsh names
we're passed and it begsn to look ms though
the difficulty would be settled without any
serious trouble, when Hawkins fired three
shots at Bell and the latter fell and died in
short time. Hawkins and Bell then ran up
to Alexander store, got into the buggy and
drove away. Mr.. Alexander then armed
himself, closed bis store, and after being
Joined by Squire Nash, proceeded in pursuit
of them. X. A. Bell was met coming back
from Richardson whore he had been with
Hawkins, whom he informed them had given
hilns self up to Squire Blewitt. They ar
rested Bell, who denied to them
being armed-said he had not even
a penknife, but when searched
q, fully loaded six-shooter, thirty-eght
calbre, was found concealed in his bootleg.
His preliminary examination followed before
Justice Nash, and he was committed without
bail.
TIL. sAwYER's STATEMENT.
came from Texarksna TO Dallas; lived in
The city about month; came to Duck Creek
about January LIST; got acquainted with B.
NJ. Bell one week ago last Saturday-just
week previous to the killing; lived in Texar-
KAMA four years: in 1869 and 1870 knew
md rented property from man named
called "Unce Daniel" in Spring
ield, Missouri; this man lost his wife after
his time and he turned his house into
4 house of prostitution: don't know any
women who were in it, or whether bis daugh-
.ers were or not; he had two daughters
,ne was married before go or 20, but don't
know the name of her husband; this is the
statement made to b. nj. Bell on the Thurs