The herald., 1895-03-30
William Settle on Trial for the
Horrible Deed
KILLED FOR A FEW DOLLARS
Main Witnesses for the Prosecution
Are In Hiding
The Story Retoid Of the Cruel Tanner In
Which an Old nan Was Done
to Death

William Settles was placed on trial yes
terday morning in Department One OF the
Superior Court for the murder on April
10Th of last year. together with Lucien
T. Healy. now serving life sentence in
San Quentin for assassinating Camille
Elikan OF Long Beah and of an old Eng
lish baker named John Hawkins, at
Wilmington.
There was no difficulty in securing
jury. but the prosection is laboring under
the disadvantage OF having had the prin-
cipal witnesses upon whom the people re-
lied for conviction abscond or go into
hiding.
The crime was a heinous one. Old
man Hawkins was over seventy years old
and his killing was very brutally done.
While some people knew that the baker
never kept more than $50 or $40 in the
house, but sent all his savings to his sis
ter at Elstone, England. others believed
that he was an old miser who boarded
large sums of gold in his bakery.
On the morning after the murder Dep
uty Constable D. s. Inman went to
Hawkins home on Canal street, in re-
spose to the desire of some. citizens who
were alarmed because he had not risen,
as was his wont. Upon entering the bed
room through the window, he saw Haw-
kns' dead body lying upon the moor,
his hands tied behind his back with bal
ing rope and his mouth gagged. Inc
body was nearly nude and presented many
marks of viol nee The top OF the head
which was very bald showed signs of hav-
ing been struck with broken brick and
there were marks around the throat.
Blood covered the f1oor
The room had been thoroughly ransack-
ed while this operation was going on
number of candles had been burned, and
the tailow of them had dripped upon the
body as the robbers and murderers crossed
it on several oc asions while searching
for the hidden money. Everything OF
value that might have been in the room
was carried away. The murderers had
escaped by the kitchen door and away
over the fence.
Officers were put on the case who ar
rested Settle long time afterward, and
Healy, who was then already in jail for
the Eliken murder was accused Jointly
with him. AT the preliminary examina-
tion Fred H. Fitch swore that he was
liverv stable helper at Long Beach on the
day OF the murder, and that he had
that night in buggy. Settle had met
Healey at drug store. who said: Hello,
Billy: YOU are late T. and Settle answered:
Better late than never" Fitch then
waited two hours with the buggy ana then
Settle returned alone and was driven rap
idly to Long Beach at his own request.
Fitch cannot now De found, but is sup
posed to be in hiding somewhere In the
county under the alias of Fritz.
Joseph MCPHERSON. carpenter. ad-
mitted during the preliminary examina-
ton that Settle had offered him to 80
into a combination to rob John Hawkins,
"who had lots of money hid upon his
place." This was five or six days before
the murder. Some time alter the deed
Nc Pherson and Settle went duck hunting
near Long Beach, and the latter showed
his companion $5. which he said was
"some of the old bakers money" Nc
Pherson, too is among the missing.
The deposition of Lucien I. Healey was
taken at San Quentin. He says that he
slept at the. ranch of a Mrs. Ellwood on
the night of the murder. where he had
been picking oranges during the day, and
that he was not &C Wilmington at all on
the night of the 10Th, either alone or in
company with Settle. whom he admits
knowing, but he disclaims at the same
cine that they were ever upon terms OF
intimacy.
After several unimportant witnesses
had been examined, Deputy District At
torney McComas read some of the testi-
mony of absent witnesses for the people
and the case went over until this morn
ing.