Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-03-05
HAwES's RED HAND!
The Terrible Scene. in HI. Cottage.

HAWES'S RED HAND!
The Terrible Scenes in His Cottage.
How THE MURDERER DID Hrs BLOODY
WoRK-THE WRITTEN STORY OF THE
AWFUL CRIME AS TOLD BY THE MURDER
ER HIMsELF.
BIRMINGHAM, March 1.-Hawes's detail.
ed account of the triple murder of his wife
and two children has come to light.
The crime has always been horrible to
think upon, but the details falling from the
lips of the murderer ss he stand DIS in the
shadow of the gallows present picture
painted in blood that pals the BLACKLIST
page in the annals of crime.
HAwEs's coNFEssIoN-BooK.
Hawes's confession will be printed IN book
form and sold after his doath for the benefit
Of his soc Willie. The contents of that
book have become known. At first a few
railroad men began to talk of it among
them selves, and now it is generally known
in Birmingham.
HAYES tells the tale of his married life,
his unsuccessful attempt at divorce. aud his
second love affair-that with Miss Story.
Blind with the i fatuation for Miss Story,
he codrted her and was accep'ed. The day
for the wedding was fixed. He went to his
wife on Friday, Nov. 80, 1883, and asked
her to take the two little girls and go of
and never come back again. He offered to
pay her we'll and to support her the rest of
her life. She consented to go. wanting to
marry again. On Saturday night she said
abe had changed her mind and tainted him
with wanting to marry. She was drinking
There was terrible fuss. He upbraided
her for having ruined his life, and she only
laughed at him.
THE MURDERoUs AXE.
Selling an axe, the infatuated husband
struck his wife blow on the back of the
head and she sank to the floor dead.
just then Irene came running into the
room, having beeu awakened by the noise
made during the quarrel.
She knew what had happened. She was
living witness against him. Would she
not be happier in heaven than living on
earth, knowing her mother as she did, and
knowing that her father was murderer
1t took but moment for these thoughts
to pass through his mind He raised the
axe and struck the child across the head
handle-he did not wish to see the child's
blood.
CONCEALING TUE CRIME.
He had to conceal the crime. Now that
he had committed the deed, if he could hide
it he could still marry his ''angep' and be
happy.
He emptied trunk and put the two
bodies into it. He slipped out of the house
and went to town and picked up two pieces
of railroad iron and carried them home
One of these he fastened around his dead
wrfe's waist and the other about his child's
waist.
He went back to to wn again and hired a
dray, telling the draymau he wanted him to
haul trunk into the woods.
TEE TRUNK REMOVED.
1t was now about 8 O'Clock on Saturday
night, Nov. 81, 1898.
Wren the house was reached Halves
vent in alone, leaving the drsymau in the
street. He opened the trunk aud put other
pieces of iron in it.
The drayman was called in and the two
men carried the trunk outside and placed it
10 the wagon. About half mile from
Hawes's house, and near the base ball park,
the trunk was secreted in the woods.
The drayman and HAYES both left to-
gether, but HAYES soon returned and open
I'd the tr Ink. Irene's body was taken out
first and dragged to Lake View, which was
close by. He had to go through the base
ball park, and knocked off a paling to make
a near cut.
He placed the body of the child 10 a boat
and padded out into the lake, and threw
the body overheard.
He returned for the body of his wife and
dragged it to the lake. Leaving the body
he returned to the trunk and picked up two
pieces Of railroad iron. These he carried
10 the lake, and tied one around his dead
vife's neck and the other around her an
kles.
He plsced the body in q boat, and, pad
ding out 10 the middle of the lake, threw
it overheard.
He returned to the trunk and putting it on
his shoulders. carried it several miles into
the woods and hid it among some bushes.
BACK TO THE SCENE OF THH MURDER.
Late in the night the murderer returned
to his home.
He took the clothes which had been in
the trunk and carried them out into the
yard aud set them on fire.
For the first time in two hours he sat
down and began to think it all over
Another thing confronted him. He must
get May and Willie out of the way, and
then circulate the story that they had all
gone away.
He antended to give little Willie to his
brother Jim Hawes and send May to . con-
vent in Montgomery.
He went into the next room and took the
little boy, Willie. out of the bed, where he
aud May were sleeping. He did not dis
turb May. He quickly dressed Willie aud
carried him down town to the railroad
depot. He met his brother jim aud gave
the boy to him. asking him to take care of
him for while.
HAYES returned home aud spent the rost
Of the night.
Sunday he lett My with the negro wo
man, Fannie Bryant.
On that day he went out to Lake View to
zee if there was any evidence of his crime.
He saw nothing and was told that the lake
was very deep.
PoOR LITTLE NAY
Monday morning he went by Fannie Bry-
ans house to see May. His Intention was
to send her to Montgomery on that night.
He told her not to talk to little negroes.
de was uncertain about the child's igno.