Evening star., 1948-12-21
Jury ytoGetCase
Of Man Tried for
Staying Mother
Accused BriekIoyer
Fails to Take Stund
As Defense Closes

A District Court jury this after
noon was to get the case of James
w. Hawkins, jr.. %, a bricklayer
who is charged with second degree
murder in the knife Staying of his
44-year-old mother, Mrs. Evelyn E.
Hawkins.
The defense closed before the
lunch recess. Hawkins, who told
police his mother had lunged at
him with a knife, did not take
the stand. He faces a sentence of
20 years to life if convicted.
Mrs. Hawkins body, with a knife
blade in the neck, was found at 4
am, July 20, on sofa in the living
room of the Hawkins house, COS
Sheridan street NV. Hawkins lived
there with his wife Myrene, his
mother and his father, who also is
a bricklayer.
Family Quarrel Described.
Testimony has brought out that
the family had quarrel about 9
pm. before the mother was slain.
After the quarrel, the defendants
wife went to neighborhood tavern
and the father retired. Young Haw-
kins' wife returned about 4 am.
when the body was discovered.
The defendants father, James w.
Hawkins, sr., testified today that his
wife was "a real drunk" and had
often gone after their son with a
knife. She also had attacked him,
he said. He showed the jury a scar
on his left hand and told them he
got it taking knife from her.
He said his wife was intoxicated
when he and his son got home from
work July 10. He testified that he
went upstairs to bed about 10 pm.
after the family quarrel.
Richard E. Nostrand, 4419 Georgia
avenue NV, a driver for a dry
cleaning establishment and friend
Of the defendant, testified that he
had often heard the mother threat
'en her son in their former home in
Danville, Va, and that once she had
gone after her husband with knife
Set Blanket Afire.
Another time, he said, she poured
gasoline on a blanket on the floor
and set it af1re saying she was go
ing to burn up the whole house, and
everybody in it." She was con-
stantly intoxicated after he got out
of the Navy in May. 1947, and had
lived with the family in Danville for
several months, he said.
According to testimony, four emp
ty whiskey bottles were found in
the home the night the mother was
slain.
Detective Sergt. Harold c. Huff
man of the homicide squad yester-
day told of a statement the de-
fendant had made to him a few
hours after the woman's death.
Says Story Changed.
"At first he said he didn't know
anything about it," Sergt. Huffman
said. He said he fell asleep in
the chair and some one must have
come in and killed his mother. He
later changed his story
The statement then was read to
the jury. 1t told how young Haw-
kins got into a quarrel with his
father, whom he suspected OF pay
ing attention to his wife during the
evening of heavy drinking. The
general family melee developed and
police were called.
The statement said that when the
police had left, young Hawkins wife
had gone to the tavern and his
father had retired. the defendant
and his mother talked of his leav-
ing for Texas. She forbade him to
go, the statement said, and another
argument developed during which
she lunged at him with knife. 1t
was in this fight that she was
stabbed.
The son then went outside, tried
to hitch-hike a ride out of town.
but failing to do so, returned and
fell asleep in chair not far from
his mothers body. He was asleep
when his wife returned.
Richard M. Roberts, Assistant
United States Attorney, is prose-
cutting the case. The defense at
foypev is Cho rIee Ford