Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-05-19
@Nolan-HawkinsMystefy
80, re- caJ. Of Rsss5cifafien,

CiatiVt-j
,rt, swing for this In your place.
a, come back on earth to see that you
ropr own proper punishment"
nm words were spoken by David
Ian n farmer boy, to one who had
.,ntad him out as murderer. David,
lille crossing field. saw man bur
zinc toward him. When he came up
n.r,d noticed that he was very much
tod He asked David how he could
.acb the nearest railroad station and
10 tho boy was telling him put his
- ON his arm Then, drawing
18th knife. he told David that he
sA ,n give It to him for his informa-
.,on After that he darted away in the
sirection the boy had pointed.
ualf an hour afterward, while Da-
III was cutting wheat. some half doz-
~ men and boys, among them the man
rho had given him the knife. came
..,rrvlner across the fields. They ad.
aarced straight toward David. and
,bep they reached him their leader
asted the one who had given the
knife;
as he the oneT
oye. saw him draw knife from
tho body and come in this direction"
aplood on his shirt sleeve.' exclaim-
ed one,
aAnd here's the knife" cried anoth-
- drawing the knife from David's
pocket.
aAIl right. Come along"
David was charged with having kill
al a man whose body had been found
beside n road half mile away. He
saw the trick the murderer had played
mon him. The man had meanwhile
washed his hands In a pond and while
irving TO reach the railroad had been
sccosted by party who had discover
ed the body. He told them that he hsd
seen the murderer leave 1t and guided
them to David. 1t 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 Nolan's execution
Hawkins was approached by negro
who entered into a brief conversation
with him. An hour later, when Haw-
klns was entering the house in which
be lived, be 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 EVIL
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 chain Of evidence which
had been sent to them anonymously.
1t was originally a clew. but they
made 1t 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
tine the threat of David Nolan oc-
cured to him. He shuddered.
Hawkins was convicted Of the MUIR
Ger 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
sumber OF officials at such ceremonies.
ou. In this case the doomed man saw
some one else
The niger" be gasped. Take
him awayw
AT The moment the current was
turned on, and the ceremony was
ended.
ihere has always been a double
mystery In the matter OF the Hawkins
Ease In the first place. the police
never learned who had put them on
sne eiew that resulted In obtaining the
e''dehce on which Hawkins was con-
s%ted. In the scond place, 1t has never
oeeh established whether Hawkins
'ea'ly saw negro present the mo-
uieut before he died or was so wrought
upon by bis approaching end as to see
u'~ IN Imagination. The officials de-
Jared that no permission to be pres.
ent was given to any negro. AN those
"uo We're there declared that there
"as no negro among them.
uere Is possible explanation.
, aoout tne time that Nolan was cleo
Veu'ed II was asserted by physicians
.uat such subjects do not die of cleo
uiVi'y' but under the knife at the sub
'equeht autopsy This opinion was In
measure supported by the discovery
.Ha' NE Is usually present In the body
,ons while after all appearance of it
s,1 s 'ahished. These doctors made APP