The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-28
HELD FOR MURDER
jim HAWKINS BOUND OVER TO THE
CRIMINAL COURT.
He was Given a Hearing Before Mayor
Waddell-He Made a Statement Saw
ing He Fired Three Shots and WILL
lam emmett Two Shots-The Coro-
ner's Inquest.

Pursuant to the recess taken by the
jury of inquest which met on wednes-
day morning to investigate the killing
Of john Brown, colored, in Golfers
alley On Tuesday night, the jury met
again at 9 o'clock yesterday morning
at the city hall. There was a large
crowd Of curious spectators in attend
ance.
At the examination Tuesday morning
the only witness, whose testimony was
taken. was Robert Smith. n Of the
negroes who was in the room with Jim
Hawkins and John Brown when Haw-
kins began to shoot. His testimony, as
recorded, was as follows:
Il and William Bennett went to Jim
room found he and John
Brown playing cards. Jim says to John
"Give up the money!" with his hand
on his hip pocket on a pistol. John got
up from the table and Jim placed him
self against the doc and commenced
shooting him. He shot him twice, and
Bennett and / got out of the door and
ran"
When the jury met yesterday morn
ing only one more witness was exam
ined. He was William Bennett, the
other negro who was in the room when
the killing occurred. He testified as
follows:
81 and Robert Smith heard Jim Haw-
kin and John Brown in the room and
we went in and found them playing
cards. L heard Jim say to John Brown,
Give me my money" and Jim and
John got up and commenced scrambling
Tor the money and 1 ran out and when
1 was a short distance away. / heard
pistol shots. Robert Smith came run
ming by me and / said, Hello, Bob,
what's the matter? He said Jim has
shot John Brown. / saw Jim Hawkins
have a pistol about half way out of his
pocket when I ran"
The jury returned the following as
their verdict:
We the undersigned jurors of in
quest, empaneled to determine the
cause of death Of John Brown, after
hearing evidence, decided that he came
to his death by six balls. shot into his
body by the n Of Jim Hawkins.
THE MURDERER'S STATEMENT.
Then the municipal court met yester-
day morning, Mayor Waddell had Jim
Hawkins, the murderer, brought over
from jail and gave him a hearing on
the charge of murder. Mayor Wad-
dell asked him if he wanted to make
a statement and he replied that it was
his desire to do so. The mayor then
put him on his guard. saying to him,
that he was not compelled to make a
statement and that he need not do so
unless he wished to do so of his own
free will n accord. He also warned
him that he need not say anything to
incriminate himself unless he desired
to do so. Hawkins said he wanted to
make a statement and then gave the
following as his version of the killing,
after the mayor had sent Robert Smith
and William Benne from the room,
to wit:
ION Monday. myself, John Brown and
RahQ TOVVnSpn6 VVare in a ms Of
cards together, and he (Hawkins) threw
a six spot, winning about 40 or so cents.
Brown and Babe Townsend snatched
the money up after I had won it. I
then told them hat if they played
again and won my money 1 would
snatch too Tuesday night we had an
other game, but Townsend was not
present. Myself. John Brown, Robert
Smith, William Bennett and several
Others were playing in my room in the
house where the shooting took place.
John Brown stuck in a cub Of eight
spots on me. / told Brown that I had
no bet, to carry them back to the deck.
Brown then stole three aces from the
pack and beat me out of between 40
and so cents. / started to snatch I'D
the money, but before my hand reached
it, Brown jumped up and made an eff
fort to kick me. William Bennett then
fired a pistol twice in the house. John
Brown was standing up against the
wall and 1 shot three times at Brown
as 1 was going out the door, Some
body shot at both of us when we were
outside and one of the balls cut the
rim of my hat"
Smith and Bennett were brought
back into court, and William Bennett
being sworn, made the following state
ment:
az was next door to the house in
which the shooting occurred. / had
some meat that l wanted cooked and
went to the house to ave it cooked. ]
heard some one inside talking. I
knocked at the door and Hawkins
opened the door and let me in. / saw
Jim Hawkins. Bob Smith and John
Brown on the side of the bed playing
cards Brown pulled out a card from
the deck and Hawkins cursed him and
told him he would make him give back
all the money he had won from him
(Hawkins). 1 then saw Hawki pull
a pistol. but 1 left the room before the
shooting occurred"
Robert Smith was sworn and testi-
fed as follows:
Myself and Bennett, went into the
house together. Jim Hawkin and John
Brown were in Hawkins room playing
a skin game" Just after we got in,
Hawkins jumped up and demanded OF
Brown to give him back his money
Hawkins pulled his pistol and fired
twice. l then ran out of the room. ]
don't know how man more shots were
fired. 1 had no piston myself"
After hearing the testimony Mayor
Waddell committed Hawkins to jail
without bond to be tried for his life fol
murder at the next term of the circuit
criminal court Of New hanover county
which V on Monday, June 3rd
Judge E. K. Bryan presiding. Robert
Smith and William Bennett were COM
mitted to Jail to be detained as wit
neSSeS-
Jim Hawkins says he is a native OF
Petersburg. He has a bad character here
and on the 9th of last February mayor
Waddell sent him to work out a term
of 20 days on the public roads for dis.
orderly conduct He worked out his
term. Those who kno~ him., say he
was never without a pistol, and that
even While he worked he had one stuck
in his breast under his shirt. He an6