The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-09-19
TWO MEN AWAITING
THEIR EXECUTION
JAMES AND BARROW cANTRELL
WILL HANG WEEK FROM TO
DAY FOR MURDER.

Cantrell and his younger brother Bar
tow Cantrell are occupying the death
cell" in the Gainesville Jail and, I'M
less some unforeseen and unexpected |
contingencies should arise that would
cause the governor of the state to inter
fere with the execution of the sentence, |
the two prisoners will be executed |
by hanging a week from today. The |
two Cantrells were tried several
months ago and after having been
found guilty of the murder of Arthur
Hawkins, were sentenced to be hanged
on September 26. Mrs. Sylvia Haw-
kins, the widow of the victim of the
crime, who was tried for completely
in the crime, is now serving a life
sentence for her share in the brutal
murder
The history of the crime which, at
the time, created great sensation and
tremendous indignation throughout the
state, clearly reflects the passionate
and wanton nature of the woman in the
case and the power which she exercis-
ed over James Cantrell, her lover, and
Barlow, the younger brother Of James,
who seemed to be equally devoted to
the woman.
Arthur Hawkins, his wife and their
four children lived in Gainesville, but
in March of this year removed to a
| farm near Belltoa. Their neighbors
were James Cantrell. widower with
two children. his mother and sisters
and Barlow Cantrell, young man Of
sixteen or seventeen years. Soon after
the Hawkins family came into the
neighborhood James Cantrell contract
ed the mumps and Mrs. Hawkins went
to his house to see him.
Cantrell and Mrs. HawKins became
infatuated one with the other almost
at their first meeting and, it appeared
from the evidence at the trial, within
two weeks after their first meeting
they were seen to kiss each other
They saw each other nearly every day,
and numerous letters passed between
them, letters in which she called him
her Sweet boy" told him she loved
him and had no pleasure except in his
company, that she thought more of him
than of any other man in the world
and that she would rather give up her
baby than him.
In her later letters she suggested to
Cantrell that he kill Arthur" and put
his body on the railroad track. She
said that in the event of his death they
would get lot of money and would be
able to marry In another letter Mrs
Hawkins said she would go with Can
trell and they would follow Arthur
out to some secluded place where they
could kill him and nobody would evei
know it. Then she would live with hin
and take care of his children.
Mrs. Hawkins, according to the ties
timony, purchased shells from hard
ware store in Lulu and with Cantrell's
aid unloaded the shot. melted then
into a Nug, and together loaded the
gun with which Hawkins was killed
> The murder itself was committed b,
young Barlow Cantrell, who seemed t.
be the willing slave of Mrs. Hawkins
Avmed with a pistol and shotgun
> Barlow Cantrell stationed himself be
hind a barn and when Hawkins passes
by, he fred the slug into him, causini
his instant death.
The evidence further showed tina
. James Cantrell, at the instance Of Mrs
l Hawkins had tried to buy strychnin
in a Gainesville drugstore, with whicl
to poison her husband but the druggis
9 refused to sell the poison.
+ While Mrs. Hawkins and the tw
; Cantrells were prisoners in the Hal
J. county Jail note was passed by Mrs
: Hawkins to James in which she sal
s. she would stick to them" and tina
e they would never hang if they woul
"stick to her." that while they were i
j. trouble and might be sentenced, the
l. would never be hanged This was b.
fore the cases came to trial
j. At the trial both James and his brot
y err turned states evidence against Mr.
s. Hawkins, and their mother and the
l. sister corroborated their testimon
D. which showed that Mrs Hawkins ha
y been the real instigator of the Grim
In her own defense Mrs. Hawkins d
clared that she had nothing to do Wi
the murder and that the Cantrel
killed her husband because he ha
threatened to report them for makir
moonshine whiskey. The Jury recct
1 -. 1~a~x L., har aoun