| Cassville Republican March 11, 1915, Thursday |
| Murder and Suicide: Bad Feeling Between Husband and Wife Leads to a Frightful Tragedy. Double Crime Committed Tuesday Night. Arthur Hawk Kills His Wife, Alla Hawk, and Puts a Bullet Through His Brain. |
| Arthur Hawk, engineer on the C. & W. Railroad and a son of J. W. Hawk of near town, shot and killed his wife, Alta Hawk; and immediately thereafter committed suicide, Tuesday night about 9:30 o'clock on a back street between their residence of J. J. Edens and J. H. Baird, in the south part of town. The double crime was committed shortly after the closing of the moving picture show at which entertainment both attended separately. She left the show alone and he followed overtaking her, it is thought, about where the incident occurred. Particulars concerning the immediate causes which led to the tragedy cannot be had as but the two were present and neither can tell the tale. However, it is known that trouble between them dates back several months. Some days ago a difficulty arose and she left his home and began to make her home in the J. C. Barcus property to which place she was going when the sad affair occurred. Before the horrible tragedy became known to but few, an inquest under the auspices of Justice of the Peace H. P. Sons, had been held. The following persons composed the jury that Arthur Hawk and his wife, Alta Hawk, had come to their deaths from three pistol shots fired by himself: Charles Ray, David Dingler, H. S. Montgomery, Carey Henry, W. M. Irwin and F. A. Meador. Witnesses, A. L. Brown, T. S. Frost, John Ray and Dr. D. L. Mitchell, gave testimony upon which the above verdict was reached by the jury. Mr. Brown testified that while he and Mrs. Brown were passing his father's home on Gravel Street in going home from the picture show he heard three pistol shots, the first two in immediate succession and third one about a minute and a half later. John Ray stated that while he and his wife were at that time near Bon Manley's residence he heard three shots and they were discharged at the intervals given by Mr. Brown. These parities in reaching the T. S. Frost home learned from Mr. Frost that he heard at the time of the shooting some say, "Oh, My God". Mr. Frost and Mr. Brown decided to go in the direction where the shots were fired and make an investigation. In leaving Mr. Frost's home they went east to the street on which the Presbyterian Church is located and then went north to where the back street between the residence of J. J. Edens and J. H. Baird, leads west to gravel street, and in going about twenty steps on the street they found their lifeless bodies laying beside the road. Mr. Turner, who lives near the scene, testified that he heard from his home three shots at about the same intervals as stated by the other witnesses but heard no talking. Dr. D. L. Mitchell after examining the bodies testified that the death of Alta Hawk was due to a pistol shot, the bullet having entered at the base of the brain on the right side of her head and ranged to the back part of the left eye. It was later learned that she received a bullet wound in her body. He also found that the death of Arthur Hawk was caused by a pistol shot, the bullet taking effect in his mouth and that both deaths came by his volition. The revolver was a 38 caliber and was found grasped in his right hand. Upon examination there was found one snapped shell. Its position in the magazine of the gun showed. It was the first one snapped but failed to fire, and three freshly emptied shells. This evidence is in favor of the three shots as heard by the witnesses. Her body was found lying face upward. His body was nearby with his head resting on her breast. Arthur Hawk was 29 years of age and lived in the vicinity of Cassville all his life. He was an industrious young man and was well liked. Besides a father he leaves a brother, a half-brother, and two sisters, Lennie, E. P. and Mrs. Zula James and Nora Hawk, all residing and about Cassville. Alta Hawk was a daughter of the late William and Lucy Burks and was 28 years of age. She was born and reared in Cassville where she enjoyed a large acquaintance. She is survived by a brother, two sisters and a half-sister. They are Oley Burks, Mrs. Fred Bennington and Ora Burks of this city and Mrs. Charles Butler of Tulsa, Okla. They were united in marriage in 1903. To this union three children were born, one of whom, a son five years old, survive. Double funeral services were conducted by Revs. E.W. Love and T. H. Hickman at the Presbyterian Church Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock and their bodies were laid to rest side by side in the Oak Hill Cemetery. The tragedy is indeed a sad one and the relatives have the heartfelt sympathy of the public. Research Note: There are a lot of Hawk Cemetery stones in Oak Hill Cemetery, among those is a stone for Lela Maud, born Sept 6, 1904, died July 8, 1906, daughter of Arthur and Alta Hawk; and it doesn't appear that the graves for Arthur and Alta are marked. In 1900 Arthur G. or Y. Hawk was living in Barry Co., MO, in Flat Creek Twp., with his father Jacob W. Hawk. Arthur was age 14 and born August 1886 in MO. Jacob W. Hawk was born May 1828 and was born in Tennessee, age 72. He did not report a wife, but there were children in the household besides Arthur. They were given as Sarah A., born in MO, July 1880, age 19; Sudie? M., age 16, born Feb 1882, age 18; and Jacob L., born Sept 1889, in MO, age 11. Jacob W. Hawk reported his father as an unknown place of birth and his mother as born in TN. Barry Co., MO, marriages record that Jacob W. Hawk married Sarah Elizabeth Porter, on 12 July 1857. |
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| Donna Cooper |
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