The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-09-20
Mystery Surrounding the Death OF a
Girl Soen TO Be Cleared Up.
CREATED A SENSATION
Two Men, One Merchant and the
Other Physician, Said to be Impli-
Gated in the Gruesome and Horri-
BILE Death Of a Young Lady at.
Hendersonville.

Hendersonyille, the celebrated
North Carolina summer resort town,
has a first class sensation on hand.
All was excitement Sunday when it
became known that the dead body of
Miss Myrtle Hawkins, the 17-year-old
daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. ". H. Haw-
kins, had been found floating in Lake
Osceola, about three miles from Hen
dersonville, on the road to kanuga.
The girl had Leen absent from
her home since Thursday morning,
week ago and quiet. though deter
mined search had failed to locate hsr
or gain even the slightest clue. Her
mysterious disappearance had not be-
come generally known however, and
when word reached town that her
dead body had been found a mad run
was made for Lake Osceola.
The scene at the lake was one cal
culated to touch the hardest OF
hearts. Seven little boys throwing
rocks in the water were greatly
frightened when a dark object vas
seen slowly rising to the surface and
when one of their number sumnan-
ed up courage enough to Investigate,
he shrank In astonishment that the
object of his gaze was human oedy
and the face that he peered into vas
that of Myrtle Hawkins, one OF The
best known and most popular girls
of the younger set in HendersonTale.
The knowledge of his gruesme
find was impaired to his conrtdes
and they beat a hasty retreat tothe
nearest house to give the alarm. A
telephone message to town informed
the parents of the dead girl ardthe
coroner, and in short while the ex-
cited people were swarming at lake
Osceola. All was silent as the ody
was pulled into the bank and man an
eye was damp when the water-soaed
clothing was recognized as the ame
dainty little dress that she had 1orn
a number of times on the st-ees OF
the town, and which she wore yhen
last seen at II o'clock ThuDday
morning.
The stillnes was intensified asthe
beautiful head of hair, always dess-
ed in the latest style, now hag1ng
loose and tangled, came into sght,
and only heavy breathing coul be
heard as the pretty face. now GaWr'
and muscles tight, was turn toards
the staring friends and her idetlty
established beyond doubt. The
body was tenderly lifted from iva
terry grave and placed on thesoft
green turf to await the Investigation
of the coroner.
The young girl was last seen!ll
Thursday morning, September Iand
on Sunday morning following. her
body. badly decomposed, almos be-
yond recognition, was found in )sce-
ola lake, two miles from town. The
body was identified Sunday afteaoon
by brother Of the dead girl, al the
ONLY means of Identification we're
several gold pins and the cloilng.
The coroner's jury in briagingn
verdict decided that the cause her
death was unknown.
It now appears that the de.h OF
the young girl was the result ocrlm-
inal malpractice and the bodEmust
have been concealed in the ;oods
near the lake until Sunday mining
where it was taken by some unaoWn
parties. Last Thursday weel MISS
Hawkins was seen by several lrtles
in the company of young manjihose
name is withheld.
The unfortunate girl left nome
Thursday carrying with her long
cloak. When the body was ound,
badly decomposed, it was wraled IN
this long coat. The rost-morm ex-
animation developed the evidees OF
criminal operation but neother
marks were found on the bodpeath
NAV have resulted from the SICK, or
from the anasthetic.
The perpetrators possibly I'd not
intend murder, but when tn worst
happened they hid the bodpt the
Door girl until more co;enlent
time when it was placed N e lake
in the hope that the community
would call it suicide. 1t is {; awful
double crime and the peopEot the
county are determined to ad the
man or men who are responble.
1t IS now firmly establish that
Miss Myrtle Hawkins was 1rdered
an one