The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-11
now THB RIOT STARTED.
The Murder of the First Mrs. Hawss-wh
Suspicion Points to the Husband.

The Murder OF the First Mrs. Hhwes-Why
Suspicion Points to the Husband.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Dec. 10.-The
causes which led to the terrible mid
night riot and loss Of life at Birmingham
are as follows:
A series OF horrible crimes had been
committed. An innocent and long-suf-
fering but lately divorced wife, together
with her little girl, and probably, also, a
second and still younger child, had been
murdered under circumstances OF the
most hideous atrocity. Their heads had
been beaten TO pieces and their bodies
thrown into lake, heavy pieces of iron
having been coolly and carefully tied to
the waist and feet OF the woman.
Circumstantial evidence OF the most
powerful character pointed 10 the former
husband as the murderer. He had long
treated his wife with shocking brutality,
beating her even to the breaking OF
bones. Immediately after thezdiyorce,
granted her but few days ago, both
mother and children disappeared, and
the shameless husband rushed TO a
neighboring town and married again.
Then brazeniy he set forth upon q we'd
ding trip, with accompaniments OF great
rejoicing.
At midnight Monday Hawes, the hus-
band, told parties at Birmingham that he
was going TO Columbus, Miss, next day,
where he expected to take another wife.
On Wednesday night
TIE POLICE GOT INFORMATION
that Hawes, with his newly-made wife, a
girl OF twenty, whom he married that
afternoon at Columbus, Miss, would
pass through Birmingham, en- route to
Augusta, Ga, on bridal tour. Accord
ingly warrants were sworn out, aud
Deputy Sheriff Truss and Officer Pinker-
ton were sent out to board the train at
Russellville aud arrest him. He was
found on the train, and called aside from
his bride and placed under arrest. His
face blanched ut the sight OF the officers,
but he made no resistance, and cody
asked what he was arrested for. When
told, he inditTerently denied the charge;
said his former wife had gone to Indiana,
and that il his child was dead he knew
nothing OF it. He was then placed in
Jail.
is daughter OF Col. ]. D. Storey, OF
Columbus, Miss, lady OF more than
ordinary attainments and OF excellent
connections. Hawes had
INFORMED HER OF HIS DIVORCE
from his former vile, but declared that
he had but one child, little boy. When
the real facts became known to her sho
was utterly prostrated and broken.heart-
ed. She suffered terribly from the ex-
citement, Hawes in'the meantime kept
up Il dogged Indifference and insisted
that he knew nothing OF the wherea-
bouts OF his former wife, and that he
was innocent of the death OF his daugh-
ter. There was another daughter u
younger one, Irene, who was also miss
ing, and
THE SUSPICION GREW
that she, too. with her mother, had SUI
fered fate similar to that Of Mamie.
The body OF tke little girl was dis.
covered in the lake first. The floors OF
the house in which they lived were
found bespattered with blood and brains.
Blood stains marked the path over which
the victims had been dragged to the lake.
Suspicion 0t once fell upon the husband.
He was promptly arrested while passing
through the city on his brazen wedding
trip with his new love.
The excitement grew apace and the
lake was dragged, discovering the mutt
lated and iron.weighted body OF the poor
wife and mother. Then the residents
OF the town arose-not wildly, not fur
iously, but with cold, solemn determin-
alton to take vengeance into their own
hands. 1t was not such crowd as the
word "mob" suggests; it was
AN UPRISING OF PEOPLE.
They moved upon the Jail, almost an
army in strengths but they were met by
officers as fearless as themselves, secure
| " posted, thoroughly armed, and strong
| in stern sense OF official duty. Both
sides believed themselves right; neither
would yield; neither accept warning
and so came the cruel collision, with
the crack OF revolver and the crash OF
repeating rifles.
the streets strewn with its dead and
wounded, not few of them being OF the
towns best known and most respected
citizens. The accused still covers in
his cell. The corpses Of the murdered
mother and children still wait for justice.
And the surgeon and the sexton are
busy with many OF those who served
only to add still greater horror to that
| NJ the ORIGINAL crime.