Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-11-15
HAWKINS
With MURDER OF
DOWDELL WOMAN
75-Year-Old Negro Victim Of
Lodge Dispute, 1t Is Now
Claimed

Mosey Lee Hawkins, negro, charg-
ed with the murder of Elizabeth
Dowdell, 75-year-old negro woman,
August l2, 1922, was arraigned be-
fore Judge Carter this morning, in
a commitment hearing. He was rep
resented by Attorney hollis Gort and
the states case was in the hands
of Judge j. A. Hixon and Attorney
Hilliard Williams.
The case presented many unusual
features and the state announced in
its opening to the court that it
would depend upon circumstantial
evidence in its effort to fasten the
crime on Hawkins.
Elizabeth Dowdell, an aged negro
woman, was found dying froAl blow
on the head about noon on August
II. The only person with her at
the time was her grandson, II years
of age 1t was shrouded with mys.
terry and presented many difficult
angles to the investigating officers.
The state attempted to set up by
its witnesses, that the Dowdells and
Hawkins families had fallen out, in
June last, over the election in a
negro lodge. That at the time of
the murder the families were not on
speaking terms.
1t further attempted to show that
Mosey Hawkins, who is an ardent
baseball fan, remained at home that
day when all other young negroes
went to Huntington.
With the testimony of a 15-year-
old negro boy, who was visiting at
the Hawkins home the day of the
murder the state set forth to connect
the missing links in their chain of
evidence. Judge Hixon stated to the
court that he would try to show that
this boy saw Mosey Hawkins just
before dinner, and that he was dress
ed in a white shirt, yellow pants and
leggins. That the boy went home
to dinner and returned in a few
minutes and Hawkins was gone.
Shortly afterwards the boy is said
to have seen Hawkins come from
the field in the direction of the Dow
dell home and he disappeared in the
house.
A little while after that, when
Noah Pickett came to get help for
the injured woman, the state claims
that it took him a long time to
arouse any one in the house, it be-
ing shut up tight and that when
Hawkins finally appeared he wore
only overalls and had on no shirt.
The most important link in the
states case appeared to be their
contention that the child witness was
twice threatened by Hawkins, once
on the day of the murder and once
about a month later, that if he told
any one about a conversation, which
it is was alleged he overheard, in
which the Dowdell woman's condi-
tion was discussed, some time pre-
vious to the arrival of Noah Pickett
with news of her injury, that Haw-
kins would FIX him, the witness, the
same as the Dowdell woman"
the state IN conclusion attempted
to set up as motive for the crime
the i'll feeling between the Hawkins
and Dowdell families prior to The
murder and it was evident that the
court would be asked to decide that
the woman was laying on bed in
the house where she was killed, wher
her assailant reached in the window
and struck her such blow that she
died within few minutes without
regaining consciousness.
The defense did not produce any
witnesses to be sworn although il
had plenty of them on hand. A score
of state witnesses were present tc
testify and the case was still in prog.
ress of trial this afternoon.