"BABE" HAWKINS
The Desperado Tried to Avenge the Death of His Brother
Shelbyville, Ind., June 11 - Late yesterday afternoon "Babe" HAWKINS,
the desperado, with a gang of thirty men, armed to the teeth, surprised the
town by appearing on the streets for the purpose of avenging the death of his
brother, Charles HAWKINS, who was lynched a year ago for shooting the city marshal.
He first met ex-Sheriff James McGILL, and informed him of his mission, and then
started on a hunt for ex-Sheriff McDOUGALL, whom he said he would kill on sight.
They met on a corner and each drew his pistol. McDOUGALL seized the desperado
and a desperate struggle ensued. McGILL rushed to the scene, and was felled
by HAWKINS who blew a whistle which brought his men to his rescue. A melee followed
and in the rush McDOUGALL'S leg was broken and several knife wounds were inflicted
on him. Citizens came out by hundreds and a general fight ensued.
Ex-Sheriff McGILL was stamped into unconsciousness, and is in a critical
condition. McDOUGALL held on to HAWKINS until he was disarmed and in the custody
of the officers.
"Babe" HAWKINS's wife also waded into the fight with a knife. Officers
hurried HAWKINS off to the city court. Justice CRAYCRAFT held an examination
and bound HAWKINS over to appear June 30th under $4,000 bonds. This he secured,
and guarded by his gang he drove off.
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TO-DAY'S ELECTRICAL VICTIM
Sing-Sing, N. Y., June 11 - John L. OSMUND will die in the electric chair to-morrow morning. His electrocution will take place some time between daybreak and noon. OSMUND passed a quiet Sunday he read his Bible most of the time, and was visited in the afternoon by his two brothers, who came up from New York to bid him a last farewell. He is perfectly calm and resigned to his fate. The prison officials say that he displays more nerve on the eve of electrocution than any man who has yet died in the chair at Sing Sing. Everything is ready for the electrocution, and the apparatus has been tested and found to be in perfect order.
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REFEREE DUFFY IS NOT DEAD
Columbus, Ohio, June 11 - Arthur DUFFY, cousin of Referee John DUFFY, was shown the dispatch reporting the latter's death. He says there's nothing in the story. Referee DUFFY is at Belle Brook Springs, near Dayton, Ohio.
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THE HOME RULE DEMOCRACY
Buffalo, N. Y., June 11 - Herbert P. BISSELL, has resigned as secretary of the new home sale Democracy and William A. WAREHOUSE has been elected in his stead. This change was made at a meeting held last night. Executive committee have been chosen for the six assembly districts to act with the general committee in any measures tending to advance the interests of home rule.
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A DENIAL FROM THE ERIE
Buffalo, N. Y. June 11 - A report that the Erie railroad is behind in the payment of its employes has called out a vigorous denial from Vice-President F. B. THOMAS. He said the present management of the Erie has never failed in its payment of the men and that the bay car will continue to go out on its usual time. The interest due on bonds on June 1st was paid and the interest due on July 1st is provided for. "The Erie is in as good condition to meet its obligations," says Mr. THOMAS. ??? as at any time in the five years the present management has been in charge."
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A NEW BEDFORD SUNDAY
Intense Public Interest in Miss Borden's CaseNew Bedford, Mass., June 11 - New Bedford is not only one of the most ancient and romantic, but is one of the most beautiful towns in New England. The heart of its resident district is a park of grand elms, gorgeous gardens and green lawns. To-day the flowers were open to their fullest splendor, the arching elms met a gothic ?nes over the shaded streets, and the robins, knowing it was Sunday, pre-empted the lawns before the great mansions of the retired whaler folk. None of these alluring beauties were for the mo? talked of woman in the town, for that woman is Miss Lizzie BORDEN. She was in her prison quarters scenting the aroma of the magnolias, perhaps, but enjoying nothing but her hope of eventual freedom and the book that was reading. In that book she follows the quiet and lovely life of Agnes and the guilty happiness of Little Emily, so soon to end in death.
At the prison office the lonely prisoner was reported to be in good health, because her appetite is all right, it was said, fo??one but her keepers had seen her. Have any friends called upon her? No. No one except her counsel, the officials said, since she had come from Taunton. Had any flowers been sent to her? Not until last night, it was reported, but then there came a package of them by post from a distance. And how about letters, for it was known that her lawyers were getting bales of letters every day? Well, she has received a few every day. Perhaps three or four a day. Anything particular about them? No. Except that they appeared to be from lady friends. The officials do not read missives to prisoners. They only open the envelopes to make sure that nothing contraband is sent in that way.
The genius of Charles DICKENS was Lizzie BORDEN'S solace to-day, and under that generally cheery influence, she may be said to have been better off than in talking with visitors about the murders which she did or did not do. Moreover, the dignity of this old court and place is not conducive to those scenes of crowds of mawkish visitors, and cells full of flowers such as are matters of course elsewhere. Her sister Emma cannot seem to most persons to have been in a position altogether enviable, for she spent the day in the old family house of horrors at Fall River. She has been notified by the court that she need not attend every day, but must come when she is called. Under the rule she cannot sit in court with the sister, from whom she was all but inseparable all her life, and it is understood that she would not be allowed to see her sister if she called at the jail. The commonwealth has submitted a list of less than ninety witnesses upon any or all of whom it may call for evidence. It will not in all likelihood put more than forty-five or fifty on the stand. But in the meantime the rest must keep away from the court room and they include nearly every friend that Lizzie BORDEN had on earth.
Whether she will herself become a witness is not yet decided. It is publicly understood that she will not be called, but the truth is that the question is not decided and will not be yet awhile. It depends on the best judgment of her counsel, after a great deal more consideration. It depends also whether her previous testimony is admitted, and upon its effect. There lives to-day no man or woman who can say whether or no she will be a witness in her own behalf.
The testimony yet to come at the call of the government is, first of all, the expert testimony as to the motive of the murders; the relation of one murder to the other in point of time; the analysis of the various blood spots and the value of the deadly and gruesome exhibits as accessories or accompaniments of the crime.
The court room will not be a pleasant holiday place next week when the bloody garments of the victims, the battered skulls, the gory handkerchiefs, and all the other paraphernalia of this unique trial are put in evidence. There are at least six medical experts for the government, headed by Professor WOOD of Harvard, and including Dr. DOLAN, who acted in the case as an assistant to a coroner would in New York. Whoever knows how tedious and long-winded the average medical expert is, will form an idea of what is in store for the unfortunate jury this week. The experts will be particularly exasperating to the average patience, because their testimony bears but little on the vital question whether Lizzie did the murders or not. It being settled that the step-mother was killed first the jury will want satisfaction on only two other points. The first is, was the blood on Miss Lizzie's petticoat down by the hem the same as the blood of either victim. The second is, was there any blood on the hoodoo hatchet that has played such old hob with the government's case, and the standing of the Fall River police. The elaborate preparations for this expert testimony would not have been made by the government had it foreseen the status of the case at this end of the first week.
Next in importance is the evidence to be given by the relatives of the prisoner and her friends, all bearing upon her relations with her father and mother. They will show that Mrs. BORDEN had a sister married to a man in humble circumstances in Fall River, and that she not only got Mr. BORDEN to give this sister a house but she was continually helping his sister and giving her presents. It will be shown that this was displeasing to the BORDEN girls and particularly to Miss Lizzie, and that it was the cause of a quarrel five years ago when the prisoner ceased to call Mrs. BORDEN "mother." Under this classification is to come the testimony of the cloakmaker who heard Lizzie say she hated Mrs. BORDEN. Then there is the prussic acid incident. It is understood that three men will swear that the prisoner tried to buy prussic acid on the afternoon of Wednesday, the day before the murder. Unfortunately for the government, Bridget SULLIVAN walked into one of ex-Governor ROBINSON'S pitfalls and told him, while he was asking her about Lizzie's dress, that the prisoner wore her pink wrapper all Wednesday afternoon and stayed in the house. It is said that some of the lawyers think the evidence will be turned over to the jury at the close of this week, but a study of the situation appears to show that the trial must last at least until the middle of next week.
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SUNDAY'S GOSSIP
Fall River, Mass., June 11 - All day long talk has been plentiful on the subject of the BORDEN murders, and it is a general opinion about town that the prosecution thus far has a very weak case. This opinion is being strengthened by rumors current here, to the effect that Lizzie BORDEN's counsel will shortly explode a bombshell in the camp of the authorities. It is hinted that the defense will show conclusively that Lizzie BORDEN purchased some paint a few days before the murder, and that it was not an uncommon thing to burn dresses in the BORDEN household. The fact that the girl burned the dress in the daylight when officers surrounded the house, will also be related to show there was not the slightest attempt to disguised their joyful feeling because of the present status of the case, and the girl's friends here are jubilant. The hatchet incident, with its accompanying denials, is the source of much comfort, but while the prisoner's friends are buoyant, the spirits of the police authorities are by no means downcast. Officer MULLALAY'S strange, unexpected statement, about finding the handle is, they say, in keeping with the general tone of the testimony given by him before in courts. He has been known several times to take a position in less important cases, in defiance of the fact that five or six other officers and witnesses testified positively that he was wrong. One of the police authorities thinks so little of the circumstances that he says he will not advise the district attorney to contradict MULLALAY'S alleged erroneous statement.
The matter of wrapping up the hatchet, testified in two ways by MEDLEY and
DESMOND, can be easily explained. They say both men did wrap up the hatchet.
DESMOND wrapping it up first and passing it to MEDLEY, who afterward opened
it in the cellar to show another officer.
It is a frequent expressed opinion here that the defense has built a mine
under MEDLEY'S testimony and will set it off before the case is finally submitted.
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