The Little River news., 1916-11-18
JNO. HAWKINS, NEGRO, .CONFES- SED TO MURDER OF MRS. BEN DiLES AND CHILD
 AT SCENE OF CRIME
IS HURRIED TO PEN
Big Murder Mystery Run to Earth By Jas. c. SandprSOn and De. tectiye Y. D. Price, Thurs
 day Night.

Standing on the scene of the mur- der of Mrs Ben Diles and little daugh- ter, which occurred Nov 3, John Flaw kins, negro, and formerly section hand under Diles, confessed to the horrible crime of murdering Mrs. Diles and the innocent babe. The confession took place Thursday eve- ming at sundown and was made to Jas. G. Sanderson and detective T. D. Price, who had been at work on the case since the discovery of the crime. For fear of mob violence these two special officers brought Hawkins back to town, quietly summoned Esq. s. A. Maddox, Prosecuting Attorney, A. D. DuLaney and Fl. G. Sanderson, and held an examining trial. Flaw kins plead guilty and told the story of the crime again while it was wit messed and written. He was bound over without bail, and immediately ! uollcu III d Cdl lo 1eAdi haid, pldCSu cn the Sunshine Special, and placed in the state penitentiary before morn ing The town was not aware of the arrest until Friday morning. Haw- kins is well known here and is A or 25 years of age, ke was negro and had bad reputation.
 1t was made known that the special officers had suspected and shadowed Hawkins for ten days or two weeks before the arrest. He was never al- lowed to be out of their sight At the end of the time he had almost completely lost his nerve. Thursday evening Hawkins was sent alone to the murder scene in the dense woods. west of town, and told by the officers that they would meet him there to see if he could find the lost purse, which he had claimed to have discovered hi1 den. Alr. Sanderson and MT. Price met him there just at sundown. The negro produced the purse, was con- frcnted with the charge that he him. self had committed the murders and finally without promise or threats con- fessed and told the whole story.
 The Murder story.
 The story of the crime told by Haw,- kins in substance was IFS follows: He was a member of the Diles' section crew and knew that the lamily kept money in the house. Ne had been laying eff since Tuesday begore the crime Was committed on Fr;dq. He went to the D.les home at o'clock Friday afternoon. He found Mrs. Diles in front of the house playing with the ch Id. The child ran around the house toward the rear. Tac wo- man followed. The negro said he entered the front door just as she came in the back door. She dcman- dod what he wanted thc.C. He said: 'I came after money" She repre- him until s.lc set q chance to cath up the baby and ran througn the wooCs south. He found the Diles gun in the house picked 1t up and followed her. Wien he overlook re: he said that she told him that if he would not kill her she would re- turn to the house and give him $45 and not tell 1t. He said he knew she would tell it and shot the woman and knocked the child in the head with the stock of the gun After searching the body of Mrs. Diles and finding no money he returned to the house. He turned up the mattress of the bed and found the handbag In it was little purse containin Sl6 or little over. He took that. He returned and identified this purse in
 Tried in January.
 Hawkins will be tried here in Jan lary He will 'be punished MT. DuIIaney believes that the people will let the law take it's course. He has at his own expense brought special of 'icers here to help the regular officers in order that nothing may be left off to punish the guilty party and lift this cloud from our city. Sheriff