Detroit evening times., 1945-12-23
The Case Of fhe Locomotive
Engineer Who Had Women at
Both Ends Of His Run. and
How He Tried TO Simplify
The Situation
By PETER LEVINS


our-lves, matters all too often have
- obstinate way of becoming only more compli-
cated-a statement which any trapped murderer
would readily endorse Take as an example, the
case of Richard r. Hawes, the locomotive en-
gineer who had women at both ends of his run
Hawes' problem was not an easy one since
there is hardly anything complicated in a
homogeneous society than leading a double life
So he made the fatal error Of trying 10 simplify
his involved situation in quick but drastic man
-ncr in order TO attain what he regarded as a
pleasanter level of existence Let us see just
what steps ne took TO reach MS cherished goal
In the fall OF 1888 Dick HaweS, then 42
operated locomotives on the Georgia e. Pacific
Railroad running between Birmingham, Ala, and
Columbus Miss. In Birmingham he maintained
a family consisting efa-wife, Emma, 81, and
three children, Mary, H. Irene, g. and William 3
In Columbus there Naye Story, a viyacious
and susceptible brunette.
Needless to say, Hawes spent considerable time
with his family in Birmingham But because OF
his job he also had to maintain lodgings in
Columbus. AS fate would have it, he stayed at
the boarding house Of Mrs. A. ]. Story the
mother OF eomely Maye
Even in those Victorian days, married man
sometimes became interested IN another woman
Dick Hawes not only became interested in Maye
Story-hc also woocd her. What's more ne
deceived the girl Confiding that he had been
married, ne told hCT he had been divorced and
at last was free a bird lie also mentioned l.
Willie, but said nothing about his daughter =
When finally he proposed marriage one No
vember day, Miss Story accepted with enthusi.
This might be described Complication
No 2, assuming that his falling in love with
Miss story was NO. l.
On Nov Is. 1Ss8, IIawes visited the Cline
Mattress Co. in Birmingham and bought mat.
tress, two pillows and a rug. IIe let drop tho
information that his wife had died and that ne
intended 10 remarry. That same day he rented
a room in the ncighborhood and made arrange.
ments 10 have the mattress, pillows and rug
shipped TO that address. He told the landlord
that he and his bride would occupy the room
after their marriage on Dec s.
Being infatuated and about 10 embark on the
uncertain Of matrimony Hawes no doubt
had some excuse for behaving erratically. Being
already we'd perhaps he had all the more reason
for acting peculiarly For instance
On Nov. 29, nc met l.. S. Suydan, Il coal
dealer, on a street in Avondale. suburb Of Bir-
mingham and said he would like TO borrow
80 cents as he had not eaten in several days.
As soon as Suydam had given him the 50
IL cents, Hawes pulled s. bill from his pocket
y and asked him if he could change IT,
"A Suydam regarded him rather fXcdly for a
moment before answering that he could not.
GM, Hawes then hoped street car for
Vf0N Aboard the trolley, he dropped quarter
W into the box and demanded and d.. 20 cents
were supposed to be deposited in the
; box On top of that, he asked that he
be let off the when it reached
I'M Columbus"
~ The conductor Robert Busby dc.
cided that two could play at this game,
when the reached Birmingham he
shouted Columbus" Hawes got off at once.
On the late afternoon of December q Hawcs
daughter Mary. The conductor, r. M. BrOv'n-
heard the child chatterng happily about Chr he
a little later they were on another car,
which went TO East Lake just outside of town.
Halves remarked to the conductor, F. A. Tanning,
that he and Mary going picnic.
Kinda late in the year for picnic" Tanning
In fhe Decd Of Niqhf They WEIGHTED fhe