The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-25
A FLOR|D|tN
IS IN TROUBLE.
Government is Pushing Its
Case Against A. w.
Hawk.

The Chattanooga Star, in its issue
of Monday. says:
"A. w. Hawk. the young FlOridian
who is in the tolls of the law. charged
with Understanding a federal officer,
was arraigned this morning before
Federal Commiss oner Nathan Bach
man. After the Introduction of some
testimony the case was continued I'm
til Saturday by mutual consent. Hawk
was placed under $1,000 bond. His
attorney. w. G. NJ. Thomas, in asking
for a continuance. said that he wished
to secure additional testimony which
would tend to show the defendant in
nocent of the charges against him.
when the case was called before
the commissioner DR.. H. L. Herring.
manager of the Southern Drug COM
pany. of Atlanta, who made the first
COMPLAINT, was the first witness He
testified that Hawk had been employed
by him to dispose of pictures in GER
tain territories, upon a verbal con-
tract He stated that Hawk had rep
resented himself TO be an official of
the federal government. employed in
the secret service department. and
that this representation, with Hawks
supposed ability as salesman, led
him TO ship him the pictures accord
ing to verbal contract He said that
after shipping the pictures and wait
ing a reasonable time in which to hear
from Hawk. and failing to do so, he
called upon the postmaster of At
lanta and asked if Hawk was an en-
POye of the government. He was
referred by the postmaster to the
officer in charge of the Atlanta divi-
sion of the secret service department,
Capt. l.. NJ. Wright. Captain Wright
informed him that Hawk was not en-
ployed by the secret service depart
ment
Q-oss-EXamined.
Upon being crOSS-eXamined by Mr.
Thomas, DR.. Herring said that Hawk
had shown him no credentials from
the department, but had related sew
eral instances wherein he had figured
in running down train robbers in the
west and chasing counterfeiterS in the
mountains adjacent to Chattanooga.
He said that Hawk stated that he
was allowed thirty days vacation each
year, and that as he had not taken a
vacation the previous year, he would
be entitled to sixty days this year
1t was during this vacation that Hawk
was to sell the pictures. The wit
ness said he did not have any desire
to prosecute Hawk in the event that
he secured the goods without dam
age. But when it was stated by
yfaw'k's attorney that the pictures
were in the express office at the doc
tors disposal, Captain Wright in
formed the court that the government
would seze the pictures as evidence
against Hawk. DIR. Herring then stated
to the court that he had no desire to
prosecute Hawk, but it seemed that
the matter had gone beyond his per
sonal Jurisdiction.
The kilograms found upon Hawk
at the time of arrest alleged to have
been from the treasury department
and Chief Wilkie. OF the secret ser
vice, were produced as evidence by
the government.
Captain Wright was examined. and
stated that the government and not
DR.. Herring was prosecuting Hawk.
When approached by DR.. Herring TO
ascertain Hawks connection with the
department. he had gone over the rec
ords and found that he was not an
accredited empIoye of the government.
He had then been ordered by the de-
partment to proceed with the prOseCu-
ton of the alleged detective"