Connecticut western news., 1909-02-04
&&NOIaR-HawkinsMystery


 will come back on earth to see that you get your own proper punishment"
 The words were spoken by David Nolan. a farmer boy, to one who had pointed him out as q murderer David, while crossing a field, saw a man hur, 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 sheath knife, he told David that he would give it to him for his informa- tion. After that he darted away in 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 reat ned him their leader asked the one who had given the knife:
 "Is he the one?'
 Yes. saw him draw a knife from the body and come in this direction"
 Blood on his shirt sleeve!' exclaim- ed one
 And here's the knifer' cried anoth- CT. drawing the knife from Dav.l. s pocket.
 All right. Come along"
 David was charged with having kill nH xryh hn6 beside a road half a 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 a party who had discover ed the body. He told them that he had seen the murderer leave 1t and guided them to David. It was then that Da- vid said:
 If 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 Nolans execution Hawkins was approached by a negro who entered into a brief conversation with him. An hour later, when flaw kins was entering the house in which he lived he saw the negro looking at him. He made a dash for his shadow CT, 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 evil dently 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 a chain of evidence which had been sent to them anonymously It was originally a 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 shadowed 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 mur- 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 limited number of officials at such ceremonies. but in this case the doomed man saw some one else.
 ''The niggerr' he gasped Take him awayw
 At the moment the current was turned on, and the ceremony was ended.
 There has always been q double mystery in the matter of the Hawkins case. In the first place. the police .aver learned who had put them on the clew that resulted in obtaining the evidence on which Hawkins was con vittcd. Tn the sc0nd place. it 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 cnt 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 trocutcd it 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 q measure supported by the discovery that life is usually present in the body l long while after all appearance of ii has vanished. [hose doctors made ap. l,li, ation to be permitted to expert memt on an eIectrocuted body and were hatly refused by the sheriff. Ii is well known that Nolan's counsel was convinced of his innocence. It iS also a fact that the lawyer was on in innate terms with the sheriff. It has