Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-28
TO BE HUNG NEXT FRIDAY.
Two Men TO Suffer the Extreme Penslty
Unless the President Interposes

Unless the President Interposes
THEY ARE LEWIS WILLIAMS, ooLoREp. CONVICTED
OF The xuRDkR or Kx-roLIcKMAS ALDkH, AND
BENJAMIN HAWKINS, ADJuDsED GUILTY or HAv-
ING KILLED HIS WIFE
In the Court in General Term today Justice
Hagner delivered the opinion Of the court In
the cases OF Lewis Williams and Ben jsmin
Hawkins, convicted Of murder, affirming the
judgment below in each case.
Williams, alter two trials, was convicted Of
having caused the death Of en- Policeman W C.
Alder near Bennings in October. lss7, by str IL
ing him on the head with a stone. having pre-
viously had a quarrel and fight with hum. The
court said that the had given each case care
ful consideration and could fnd no error m
the rulings.
IL THE CASE or WILLIAMS
the question was whether there had been sun
cient cooling time between the quarrels. The
testimon on this question showed that prob
ably half an hour had interviewed The do
PENDANT himself had supplied what evidence
was needed 90 prove that there was cooling
time. After the first quarrel he walked up the
railroad and played the mouth organ, thereby
showing that the matter out OF his mind
dc went back to the place. and whom his uncle
expostuated with ham he replied; Il know
you give good advice, but In kali him to-
night" II was a cool. deliberate crime and
the judgment was approved
N THE CASE or HAwKrSs
convicted of the murder OF his wife Cora L,
March IA last on Virginia avenue, the court
said they saw no palliating circumstances. No
one saw the bl ow given and defendant said he
killed her for ONE of her smart talk. because
she did not re turn 10 the parlor social BY the
front door. Ii was an attrocious butchery and
The motive seemed 10 be revenge. They had
been living apart, each having a paramount
Admitting all the defendant said was true they
could not ma single pallIatsng circumstances.
| The Judge seems to have given the prisoner
| every aid he could under the rules of law and
The court had no hesitancy in saying that the
nnding OF the jury IN accord with the evil
dence.
BOTH MEN TO BE HANGED NEXT FRIDAY
The warrants to the warden OF the iau will
be sent 10 Gen. Crocker today, and unless the
| President should grant another respite or
commute the sentences that Of Williams wi II be
| carried into effect between and II o'clock
! next Friday morning and that of Hawkins be-
| tween 10 and o'clock Friday. IL is likely as
| put three full days intervene from the decision
to the execution, that friends Of the prisoners
will make efforts for a further respite and per-
| haps communication of sentence.
HAWKINS SAYS HE Is READY TO DIE.
Both prisoners have been paying att eution 20
| NhNA Aot bOule time, ana nave
| not been given much encouragement as TO their
chances when their cases were heard IN the
Court in General Term, so that the decision
! rendered TO-DAY will not surprise them Reys
Dr. Howard of the Zion Baptist Church aud
| John Roberts OF the Colored Young Mems
Christian Association. who are Hawkins
| spiritual advisers, were at the Jail yesterday
! They told Hawkins that the chances of getting
a new trial were against him. The news did
| not affect him in the slightest degree, as he
saws he has made his peace and is ready to die
When arrested Hawkins weakened consider
| ably, and IL was thought he would remain
30 until the time set for his execution
and there would be a scene upon the
scaffold, but his spiritual advisers say that
IN event Of his execution that will not be the
case. They say that he is a changed man en-
| tlrely and II he has to walk 70 the gallows he
viii do so with firm step and steady nerve
| tomorrow the reverend gentlemen will call
| upon the President and ask for a Communication
OF sentence, and If that l. denied they will ask
/ for further respite OF two weeks or q month
TO give the condemned man further time to
make preparation TO die.
WILLIAMS READY To MEET HIS FATE.
| They will also make the request for Louis
Williams. who is of the Catholic faith. He is
also firm in his convictions that his sins have
been forgiven and he, too, is ready TO meet
! his fate.