The herald., 1894-12-06
iTORY Of HAWKINS MURDER
yettles and Healey Charged
With the Crime.
they Were Arraigned Yesterd day at
Long Beach.
A Istsrvisw with Settles and What
H Disclosed - How Poor
Old Hawkins Was
Murdered.

On the night Of April 20 OF this year
rohn Hawkins, an aged baker OF Will
ninRton. wss found murdered in mis-
oom in the rear Of his shop. He had
Dssn killed BY strangulstion.
From the appearance Of the body
vhen found IL seemed 40 though Hawk
ms had been strapped down by the rob.
Ders in order to give them q chance to
plunder his effects. 1t 10 not supposed
they intended murder. and their inten-
ions seem to have been simply robbery.
The robbers. however, showed no mercy
In their method and lett the old man to
lie OF slow strSngulstion.
The deed was q most inhuman ono.
Hawkins must have suffered and strug.
ylsd for his life in the very presence OF
The robbsr, who. however, took the
precaution to keep him from making an
butcry. His face was horribly distorted
deep cut showed plainly under the
left eye; . great cash opened . scalp
wound from the forehead to the back of
The head and the eyes bulged nearly
rom their sockets.
Hawkins WAS accustomed to rising
and going to work in his bakery as early
10 4 O'Clock in the morning. The next
morning after the murder. Constable
[nman in passing the old bakers shop,
noticed that the windows were closed,
tho blinds down, and thatno one seemed
10 be around. The constable tried the
doors and windows and found them
lightly fastened. The first thing to at
tract hin attention was q broken pane OF
II = t.N- - rvxtp 20
) rear window he discovered where an
bntrance had been effected. and further
investigation showed Hawkins lying
npon his bed cold in death.
Sheriff Cline and all the officers at
Wilmington worked for months on the
murder, but got no clue that would lead
to an arrest. II proved to be q mystery
indeed.
The mystery now promises to be short
" solved. The thread of evidence
which was gathered day or two after
the murder of Camille Elikan at Long
Beach has been followed to a point
where indications locate the murder up
on two young mon now iu the county
Jail. The old saw that murder will out
ie again likelv - cc.ne true in tho arrest
of the men VINO stand charged with
brutally taking tho life Of John Haw-
kins.
The persons under arrcat for Hawk
ins' death are William Settles and L. F.
Healey. Healey and young Fseler are
charged with the murder OF Elikan, and
it was this murder that caused the ar
rest OF Settles. All three young men
had been together for years. and Settles
ana Healey were especial friends. They
all resided at Long Beach.
Shortly after the arrest Of Healey and
Feeler . remark by Settles caused the
officers to suspect him OF being impli-
Gated in Elikan's murder, but when
they confessed and ehouldsred the blame
on each other Settles was partially
clear d. His ststemsnt at once led to
the belief that he know something OF
Hswkins' death, and an investigation
led to tho issuance OF q warrant for his
arrsst, the fact: Of which we're sxolu-
sively published in yesterday's HERALD.
to Long Beach yesterday and arraigned
in Justice Roseci ans' court. Their pre-.
liminary examination was set for next
Saturday at 10 80 O'Clock.
Healey. of course. denies all coms
plioity in the Hawking murder, but ad-
mits that his partner, Feeler, shot Eli
kan In his presence.
When O reporter for the HERAD called
Settles from his cell at the county jail
yesterday, after no and Healey had
been returned from Long Beach. he ap.
peared smoking q cigarette and look.
ing somewhat agitated. He ia q tall,
well.pToportiored young man, whose
face 10 not that of q murderer, but
whose eyes mighs indicate O more
or less reckless life. He is said to have
caused his family much humiliation by
his careless aud unthrifty habits.
"Whst do know about HAWKING
murder?" he repeated after the repor-
ter.
Nothing" he said, II have nothing
ut ell to say concerning the charge"
"Well. then you deny any knowledge
or completely of tine crime, and what do
you expect to do to clear yourself?"
II shall prove an alibi. On the night
OF tho murder was in Long Beach, but
remember only one incident whereby l
can prove my innocence. The last time
Was in Wilmington went there to q
dance and that was fully two months
before the murder of Hawkins"
II never saw the murdered man in my
life. l have lived with my father at
Long Beach, whore he owns property
and still resides. but can't understand
how came to be taken for murderer.
The man who swore TO the complaint is
one of the fellows who get their badges
from the eRst'-a half detective working
on his own hook. think his name is
Boswell."
Nothing further could be elicited from
the young man, except that he expects
his father and his attorney to got
evidence enough to cause his release at
the preliminary examination ut Long
Beach next Saturday.
A Monetary 6olaoe.
The trial OF tho damage suit Of Peter
johnson, a carpenter. against Albert