Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-03-20

not entered tho Laundry for the purpose
OF burglary. lie . aimed the hospitality
Of Lieutenant Weir as g II after Of pro'.s
sioDal co lf'esy and subhlittsd wish bad
eISc- 20 being put iu cell. When Mag
i5trate Thorp arrived in the mnrriue
Bswkip.' dsz'd mipd cpu'd not campre-
heDd the situstiou aud whsn rogfrou:ed
i by Hop Slug he remarked, cheefiuily,
that he he'd no charge to make sgaiust
him.
Tie Philadelphia Hess esvs "James
L Hawkins, ,chief of polios of Wilmington,
came to Philadelphia on Wednesday in
search Of wilder amusement than his
own city afforded. In the courss OF the
evening he engaged the services of a
hackmsn for S.. After midnight,
however, ne demanded some change from
the driver. The hack was then near
Twentieth and Lombard streets. The
driver, Hawkins alleges, threw him
ont of the carriage and dashed
away. Hawkins, who was Intoxicated,
wandered down Twentieth street
until, he says, some one struck him a
violent blow on tie head. This made
him wild with anger, and on the corner
OF Twentieth and Kater streets he saw a
light in the window of a Chinese laundry.
Thirsting for revenge on somebody or
something, Hawkins drew his revolver
and began blazing away at the laundry,
while Hop Sing, the proprietor, put his
head over the transom OF the door and
teleitially, but vainly protested against
the fusillade.
'The noise Of the firing brought to the
scene two officers of the Fifth district,
who arrested him. Magistrate Pole,
relative of the unluoky chief, became his
security. The frightened Cinnamon
thought that Hawkins was trying to rob
their place, but as the prisoner had S125
in his possession when locked up, this
charge doAs not receive any credit.
Hawk Ms WAS appointed chief OF the
Wi miueton police il Jane, 1889, by
Mayor Wales. Before that his reputa-
tion was that OF a rough ward politician,
and Eil appointment was distasteful to
many OF the bss. citizens of Wilmington.
That city seems unluuky in its choice of
officers OF the law, as one man high in |
position on the polics force there is said |
10 have been robbed in badger house in |
the alums of this city some years ago and |
thrown naked into the street."
THE cnlEF's STORY.
Chief Hawkins gives the following ver-
sion Of the affair "I had been taking a
friend home and was going up Twentieth
street about midnight, to the depot, trying |
to make the II 80 train to Wilm Dgton. |
had b9en drinking but not enough to
make me stseger. Near Kater street |
ssked a man how TAR it was to the depot. |
bad not gone more than a dozen STEPS
after this when, the first thing l knew,
was knocked down. l think the man
who knocked me down struck me with
club" (The chiefs hat WAS cut
on one side and there was
lump on the right side of his
head near the top; there was
also mark on the left |
side of his hat which, he says, was
caused by the other blow.) "Igot up and
WAS Knocked down again. l hsd not
done or said apythipg to provoke the
assault, w len got up the second time
just caught 2limpse of q man running
into this laundry; then drew my pistol
and fired up in the air. have explained |
the whole matter TO the maeiatrate and 1t
is now all settled. l am not under bail |
and ] don't expect TO go up on Monday to |
have further hearing. did not shoot |
at the Chinaman | shot up into the air |
| would not want to shoot anybody"
On Saturday afternoon Mayor Wales |
issued an order suspendiug Chief of
Police Hawkins from duty until thor
ough investigation OF the charges against |
him can be made.