The Yale expositor., 1909-02-26
Observation-Disclosures
Wa IA q Case 81 Resaleifafion2


get your own proper punishment"
The words were spoken by David
Nolan. a farmer boy. to one who had
pointed him out as murderer David.
while crossing Il field. saw man bur
rying toward him. When he came up
David noticed that he was very much
excited. He asked David how he could
reach the nearest railroad station and
while the boy was telling him put his
hand on his arm Then. drawing Il
sheath knife. he told David that he
would give II to him for his informa
non. After that he darted away i'm the
direction the boy had pointed.
Half an hour afterward, while Da-
vid was cutting wheat, some half doz-
en- men and boys, among them the man
who had given him the knife. came
hurrying across the fields. They ad
vanced straight toward David. and
when they reached him their leader
asked the one who had given the
knife:
us he the one?"
the body and come in this direction"
BLOOD on his shirt sleeveY exclaim-
ed one.
"And here's the knife!" cried anoth-
err, drawing the knife from Davids
pocket.
"Al right. Come along"
David WIS charged with having kill
hod
beside a road half mile away. He
saw the trick the murderer had played
upon him. The man had meanwhile
washed his hands in pond and while
trying to reach the railroad had been
accosted by party who had discover
ed the body. He told them that he hGd
seen the murderer leave 1t and guided
them to David. 1t was then that Da-
vid said:
"If l swing for this in your place.
will come back to earth to see that you
get your proper punishment"
David did not swing for the crime.
He was electrocuted and mainly on
the testimony of Newton Hawkins, the
man who had left blood on his arm
and given him the knife.
Some time after Nolan's execution
Hawkins was approached by negro
who entered into brief conversation
with him. An hour later. when IIaW-
kins was entering the house in which
he lived. he saw the negro looking at
him. He made dash for his shadow
er, but the boy slipped into an alley.
and Hawkins lost him.
Hawkins saw no more OF the negro,
but heard of him. The negro was owl
IDENTIFY making inquiries concerning
him. Hawkins. who had guilt ON his
conscience. was intending to slip away
when he was arrested on charge
made by the police of having commit
ted the murder for which David Nolan
had been executed. When his case
came up he found the police In pos
session OF q chain of evidence which
had been sent to them anonymously.
1t was originally clew. but they
made it evidence.
During the trial the prisoner while
casting his eye over those sitting as
spectators in the courtroom saw the
negro who had Swallowed him. The
negro was looking straight at him and
continued his gaze. Then for the first
time the threat of David Nolan oc-
CURED to him. He shuddered.
Hawkins was convicted Of the muir
der and sentenced to death When
seated In the electric chair he cast his
eyes over those standing about to wit
ness his execution. There is a limited
number of officials at such ceremonies,
but In this case the doomed man saw
some one else.
''The niggerP' he gasped. take
him awayw
At the moment the current was
turned on. and the ceremony was
ended.
There has always been double
mystery In the matter Of the Hawkins
case. In the first place, the police
never learned who had put them on
the clew that resulted In obtaining the
evidence on which Hawkins was con-
victed. In the scond place, 1t has never
been established whether Hawkins
really saw negro present the mo-
ment before he died or was so wrought
upon by his approaching end as to see
him in imagination. The officials de-
clared that no permission to be pres
ent was given to any negro. All those
who were there declared that there
was no negro among them.
There is possible explanation.
About the time that Nolan was cleo
trocuted 1t was asserted by physicians
that such subjects do not die of cleo
tricity. but under the knife at the sub !
sequent autopsy. This opinion was In
measure supported by the discovery
that life is usually present In the body
q long while after all appearance Of 1t
has vanished. These doctors made APP
plication to be permitted to expert
ment on an eIectrocuted body und
were fatty refused by the sheriff. II
is well known that Nolans counsel
was convinced of his innocence. II is