The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-03-14
ARRESTS IN HAWKINS CASE.
Four Indicted in Connection with
Hendersonville Girls Death.

Hendersonville, March S.-The
curtain of mystery enshrouding the
the death of Myrtle Hawkins, whose
dreadfully decomposed body was
found in Lake Osceola on September
10 last, is slowly ascending. The
Henderson county grand jury to-day
returned a true bill charging George
Bradley, and Abner Mccall and his
wife, with the murder of the young
girl. Bonny Bradley is charged with
beingan accessory before the fact, and
Daniel Mccall, the father of Abner
McCall's wife, is charged with being
an accessory after the fact. Capiases
were Immediately issued and within
half an hour all were in the county
jail, which is surrounded by mob,
of morbid curiosity seekers.
Three Held Without Bail.
Daniel Mccall late tonight was re-
leased in $4,000 bond, the bond be-
ing signed by three bank officials
and many prominent business men.
His daughter, Mrs. Abner Mccall,
and the two Bradleys, will not be al
lowed to give bond. A special term
of, court in May has been ordered to
try this case All the parties indict-
ed bear excellent regulations, Daniel
Mccall being a man of considerable
property.
The grand jury deliberated on the
case from Wednesday morning until
this evening. About forty witnesses
were examined, all of them with but
two exceptions having appeared at
the two coroner's inquests previously
held over the remains of the girl.
The State has retained eminent legal
talent to assist the solicitor, A. Hall
Johnson. The accused have employ
ed the best lawyers here.
Body Found in Lake.
1t will be remembered that Myrtle
Hawkins, the young daughter of W.
H. Hawkins, a wealthy jeweler here,
disappeared from her home on the
morning of September I, and was
seen no more until her dreadfully
decomposed body was taken from the
waters of Lake Osceola the following
Sunday. Two inquests were held,
and while the people now in custody
were then suspected, no arrests were
made until to-day. 1t is the theory of
that State that the illegal operation,
which caused the girls death, was
performed in the home of George
Bradley and of Abner Mccall, which
they shared in common, that the fatal
result made concealment imperative,
and that the body, after being hid
in the stable of Daniel Mccall, was
later taken to the lake and there
thrown in. All evidence produced
is along this line.
Identified by Doctors.
One of the most important witness
es before the grand jury to-day was
DR.. John Hey Williams, of Asheville,
who testified that Myrtle Hawkins
and Bonny Bradley had called upon
him seeking medicine to produce an
abortion. He declined to render such
aid, of course, and positively identi-
fed Bradley and the dead girl from
a photograph. An unknown person
named in the true bill is supposed to
be woman, who actually performed
the operation which resulted fatally
Mrs. Mccall, now in Jail, and the
dead girl were life long friends.
Myrtle spent almost as much of her
time at Mrs McCall's home as at her
own. According to the States con-
tention, the young girl came to her
death at the hands of her friends,
while under the roof of these same
friends.