The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-20
CAPTAIN HAWKINS
 HAS NEVER FIRED GUN|NB|RM|NGHAM
But Once in Fort Payne, Single Handed, He Stopped a Mob and
 Killed a Dozen
By RICHARD F. LussiER

NA11A1N HUBERT Il. HAW- fk KINS is the most feared man of the police department.
 "Old Blue Steel" as he is known to the criminal world, is a terrible bugaboo to. the negro element as they. verify trenible at his approach. Negro women to quiet their children just whisper, "Old Blue Steel will get you shore," and the widest pickaninny is quickly reduced to extreme docility. \ And yet in the 15 years that he has been police officer in Birming- ham Captain Hawkins has never fired his pistol at any man. His record is unique in that respect.
 Birmingham even to its most op- timistic booster does not appear to be Sunday schoop town and it is a well known fact that the police of this city have more danger to contend with than any other city of similar size in the United States. In the old free, rough and ready" western days of Leadville and Cripple Creek human life was not cheaper or more wantonly taken than in the last IS years in Birmingham. Approximately every member of the police department has Killed one, two or more men in , pistol battles during that period. Still Captain Robert Hawkins, the most reared of the numerous brave men at ponce headquarters proudly boasts that he has never shot at anyone while a police officer in the city. He is just y proud of his record.
 His Grim Smile
 Aha yet why do bad men fear and respect Captain Hawkins? There arc many in Birmingham easily his match physically, as although he is exactly six rect tall he Is slightly built and is 55 ea,s or age. But this tall blue-eyed Tennessean, with grayish temples ana whlhsical smile, easily drawls his orders 10 subordinates or to persons under ar rest and somehow the impression of va st reserve power is conveyed and very few nave openly defied this elderly. good naeureo oHlcer. His smile alone disarns the most recalctrant of offenders as if IS the most terrible of smiles at ti,,es Tor as a negro desperado stated:
 Is tried ter git him, but sOId P,ua steel hes quickern'n a cat and he ies iaHs at me like an old debbil and hits me all over all at one time Yas. sirree man." 'ohe "nite
 No one knows not even f,an+a;r IT, hhs, Just how he acquired the niclxnama or Old Blue Steel" The first lime if we used to the knowledge of Captain Hawo Kins was about 10 years ago in "Ruz- Aafu hoost'-a notorious section for . nesro Foughnecks'-on First and Sec 7 ond avenues between Twentv-sixtb and Iwenty-seventh streets
 t was on Sunday night. Canta;n fiaWklns, then a patrolman and A nartner or Officer James Mullin was tationad at 'Buzzard's Roost." Hawkins had gone 10 supper about 6:30 o'clock and while he was absent a fight broke ont ia negro blind tiger'' and in attemntinar ta make an arrest Officer Mullin was shot ana Killed few minutes later Hawkins was told that his "buddie" had bean i. Killed in negro dive and hastened to say: negro Wal dar shorely be sumpin' doin' now. sJd Blue Steel am here and hits no flace for a good nigger"
 from that time Captain Hawkins states ne has been familiarity known as "Old Blue Steel,' but the origin of the nama IS unknown, although another version ne now the nickname first came into usa was that a negro told an officer +b.t :. mistake had been made in kiIlsoe ofs;oo, :. Mullln, as the murderer, the notor;ons Henry King, was after "Old Blue Steel"
 In Fort Payne
 But the most exciting adventure of Cav tam hawkins career happened while he was police officer at Fort Payne dur,ns boom days in the northwestern mari Of the state, about 20 years ago. For ms conduct in that adventure in which several negroes were killed Hawkins was appointed chief of police of Fort Pavna
 lhen there was in Ft Payne .oush negro settlement much on the