Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-23
THE HAWKINS CASE.
Testimony Of Witnesses for
the Prosecution.
MRS. EyRRsON ON THE STAND
The Ser Of the Deceased Tells all
He Knew About the Affair
at Florence.

The Hankins murder trial is still oc-
supyipg the attention of Judge Cheney
and jury, and will very likely continue
over the greater part of next week. The
first witness called was w. H. Dake, who
said he saw the body of Everson on the
evening of June 10th. 1t was lying in
the road. The wife of the deceased and
several other persons were there. He
and his wife were playing croquet in his
yard, when he heard a shot and scream.
He dropped his mallet and went over to
the spot. The body was lying in the road
face downward. Perhaps five minutes
after he reached the dead body of Ever
son he saw Hankins in a wagon. He had
come from his premises and drove west.
Ne assisted in removing the body to the
steps OF the deceased's residence. He
discovered no wound until the body was
being washed preparatory to its being
prepared for burial. He then saw a
wound on the left arm below the shoul-
der. Some one kept a watch over the
body from the time it was picked up from
the road until the coroner arrived. When
the witness first saw the body blood was
Ooxing from the mouth and he supposed
that was where the bullet was received.
But later developments proved his mis-
take.
G. A. Blakeslee. Sr., was next called.
He had known Everson for eighteen
months before his death. Witness saw
the body Of deceased on the porch of his
house. Examined the body for wounds.
Fonnd one about two and a half inches
from the left arm-pit. 1t was a hole
index finger. There was no other wound.
He was at the post examina'
ton: saw a physician search for the
wound. He saw the physician cut the
chest, but did not remain in the room.
Miss Elvina East testified: reside in
Florence. knew William Everson. l
know Erastus Hankins by sight. saw
him about O'Clock on the evening
ef July 19.h. 1t was twilight. He was
driving into the yard of the elder Han
kins. He was alone. was at the front
gate. Miss Jennie Hankins was with
me. About at that time / saw Everson
leading two horses. He was going east.
Ten or fifteen minutes later 1 saw Han
kins and his brother in buggy going
west. did not hear the shot that killed
Everson. (The cross-examination de-
veloped nothing new.) !. talked about
ten minutes with Jennie Hankirs.
Eversop, when first saw him, was
1eading his horses toward Clark's store.
Miss Nina Vance said she knew Ever.
son. She saw his dead body in the road
the day he was killed. She saw the de-
fendant on that evening, and hearing the
shot went to where the body lay in
the road. Mrs. Everson and Joseph
Hankins were the only persons near the
body when che arrived. Two ladies
accompanied her to the scene. The
body was lying lengthwise in the road.
DR., w. G. Cochrane said he was q
relative by marriage to DR.. Wallace. The
latter is now in Kentucky. He left for
there Elk weeks ago. This witness was
introduced by the prosecution to locate
the whereabouts of DR.. Wallace. who had
been desired for witness in the case.
Miss Vance recalled: Said she did not
rec Hankins, the defendant, that even
ing. The deceased had on his working
clothes. She did not see any weapons
On or near the body.
Mrs. Mamie Webb, of Florence, said
she knew Everson. She saw his body
in the roadway at Florence on the even
ing Of June 10Th last. It was lying
lengthwise in the road, and five or six
feet from large pepper tree. The
shoulders were about opposite the trunk
Of the tree.
She heard the shot and heard the
scream. She went to the spot with Mrs.
Vance, Mrs. Clark and her son Ernest.
There were several persons near the
body when they got there. There were
two horses standing near the body
three or four feet away. They had har-
ness on.