The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-21
(By y. NJ.

11cilutIS OlNiIIe, N. -, May 10
Languishing within the Henderson
county Jail are three men and three
women while without is another sus-
pect on $4,000 bond, all charged
with having criminal knowledge of
the murder of Miss Myrtle Hawkins.
Standing in a somber stiffness Of
Oakdale Cemetery is a tombstone,
supposedly marking the resting place
of Myrtle Hawkins, whose almost I'M
recognizable body because OF putre-
faction) was supposed toEnave been
taken from the placid water of Lake
Osceola, near HendersonVilie, on the
morning Of September 10, the corpse
bearing marks Of fouI play.
Both Sides Ready.
The four men and three women
suspected of having criminal knoWl-
edge or his alleged foul play are
ready for trial. The State is ready.
A Venire OF 500 has been
ed from which to select a jury to hear
this caSe-the most battling in the
criminal annals Of this section Of the
State, II not the South.
Claim She Is Alive.
The case is to be re-opened Monday
With the defense in possession Of wit
nesses who will swear that Myrtle
Hawkins is living. The prosecution
claims to be equally prepared to show
that the HendersOnyllle girl was muir
dered eight months ago.
The States Strong Case.
Link by link, it is said, the State
has forged a strong chain of evidence
against the parties held for the alleg-
an - ~ ~
contend that there is no evil
dence upon which conviction can be
had 1t is to be a great legal battle
between a splendid array of legal
talent.
Securing OF Jury Will Be Slow. and
Why.
owing TO the wide publicity given
this case. it is believed that consider
able trouble will be experienced in
getting a jury composed Of men com
petent IN every way to serve. AS each
defendant will have twenty-three per-
emptory challenges while the State
VIII nave Tour more in each instance,
there IS a possibility Of 1S9 peremp-
tory challenges to say nothing Of the
large number for cause While in or
binary murder cases men attend
court from the remote Businesses OF
the mountains and say they never
heard of the matter whatever, in the
Hawkins mystery it is believed tina,
such will not be the case, for during
the last eight months all
circulating in this section have car
rled news stories with reference &c
this case.
Conspiracy is One of the Counts.
AS the case now stands all the de-
PENDANTS are indicted in one bill
Which contains our counts, the sever
suspects being charged with the e
count alleging conspiracy. Whether
or not the defense will be willing fol
the defendants to be tried together
or not is a matter which has not beer
made known to the public As the
matter now stands the cases Will be
l consolidated and counsel for the de.
Tense say that it is highly probable
: that nc request will be made for sep.
arate trials for the seven defendants
New nesSe Before Grand jury
The public is unaware of the vol.
ume Of evidence to be ir
the possession of the officials. Befors
the present grand jury seventeen wit.
nesses were examined, some Of whor
= are new and had never at any of ~
previous hearings figured publicly y
this case.
1t is officially stated that much NV
, evidence was brought out befora ~
grand jury this week and Sol;cito-
= y ~ n