The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-09-12
FATHER PLEADS
FOR MAYNARD son
WRITES SHERIFF OF THIS COUNTY
Gives IntimatiOn of Cause of Downfall
of Fred $. Hawkins, Now I'm
County jail.

and Joy, but of a soul and spirit that
will not be conquered. that keeps bat
Ting on against odds that would baf-
fle many Of the best of men, that
hopes against hope and that finds the
greatest solace for care in helping to
bear the burdens Of others.
The letter came from S. N. Hawkins,
attorney at law and mayor Of New
Richmond, Wis, to Sheriff Grant. Mr..
Hawkins Is the father of Fred s. Haw-
kins, who Is a prisoner in the county
Jail. pending trial for a slip that may
be due to the conditions that his father
describes. At any rate, If it is not so,
no one can read the letter without
feeling the touch Of nature that makes
the world akin, and sympathies are
bound to arise for the bereft father,
while the lesson set forth to the young
IL one that ought to impress itself
tndelibly on the mind of every boy
who reads the appeal of the father.
Sheriff Grant is usually disinclined to
make public communications Of this
kind, but after reading and rereadng
this letter, which touched him deeply.
he concluded that much good might
be done by its publication. The let
ter reads:
New Richmond, Wis. Sept. T. 1905.
To the Sheriff, North Yakima. Wash:
SIR have received word that my
son, Fred s. Hawkins, has been ar
rested. charged with some crime. and
is now held at your place to await
trial, etc. and I hasten to ask If that
is true. and If so will you be so kind
as to let me know what the charge is.
and what the proof is, and also what
the sentence may be. If convicted. the
maximum and the minimum term of
confinement, ETC., etc.?
Pardon me IL I give you short
history which Is almost heart rend-
ing in the extreme. Previous to 1899
I was pretty well fixed financially.
and had beautiful home, and lovely
family, including this poor, unfortu-
nate boy. The young man had been
brought up well. graduated with hon.
ors at the high school, then he taught
school a while, ard then went to the
university and came home with high
honors, came into my office, and for
a while we ran law office as Haw=
kins & Hawkins, composed of S. N.
Hawkins, myself, Fred S. Hawkins,
Robert " Hawkins and Camilla C.
Hawkins, my daughter, who was our
stenographer and typewriter. A cruel
tornado came along June IL, 1899. and
swept away our home, and killed my
entire family. all excepting Fred and
ebert My wife, two daughters, and
one son, niece. hired GIRL and my
father-in-law, seven killed on one
spot. Home swept away, office swept
away, everything gone. Myself
bruised, battered, torn, ribs broken,
leg broken, head bruised body press
ed, two-story brick building fell in
upon me and also my son Fred. We
re- aimed under the bricks for about
one and one-half hours. I was lying
level, SO that when I was dug out.
although I was badly hurt in my body.
my head was not affected. Poor. un-
fortunate Fred was buried with his
head downward, and after remaining
in that position for more than one and
one-half hours. until he was dug out.
ais head was. and has been ever since,
affected The blood set down in his
head. and afterward had 70 send
him to an insane asylum for treat
ment, but after a while he was re-
leased and permitted to come back to
his home.
He remained with me for a while
and then the scenes of his former
days. the loss OF his home. his mother.
sisters and brothers. were too much
for his injured head to bear. and so
after consulting with friends I let
him go westward. and borrowed
money In order to pay his passage
to the coast. He remained there for
some time and for a while It appears
he was doing fairly well. and later on
It further appears he was falling from
grace. and fell into bad company. and
got to drinking and eating drugs. the
drug being his evil spirit. Finally I
was persuaded to send him to hos
pital again, and did 80 and for a
time he was all right. but unfortun-
ately he fell again. Then took him
home in 1908. but after coming back
TO the place where he lost his mother.
sisters and brother. ETC.. etc. and
again II preyed upon his mind. and SO
under competent advice ! sent him
westward again.
understand that his life has been
checkered. sometimes all right. and
sometimes all wrong. Sometimes writ
ing for newspapers and magasines.
sometimes doing clerical work. and
sometimes even performing manual la
Dor. am satisfied that with the
bringing up the boy had In a good
christian community. and born of a
good respectable family. as I claim
to be. being now the mayor of my
city for the second time. the boy
would not do anything wrong or dis
graceful II his mind was all right.
have spent fortune on the young
man, and very naturally It grieves
me to think that I must be disgraced.
n II comes to that. In my advancing
years. but feel satisfied that the
young man would never do anything
wrong unless he was. at least tenn
porarily. insane.
suggest that commission and
good respectable physicians examine |
che boy and II II should turn out that
be was temporarily insane. as I be