Not Included
Not Included
Constable Albert Hawkins was stabbed to death while questioning a father and son suspected of violating local liquor laws.
When the men were confronted on the street in front of the C.W. Alfont grocery store in Ingalls, the son pulled a knife as an argument ensued.
He stabbed Constable Hawkins in the right side of his neck, who died within minutes as the men fled on foot from the scene.
Three weeks earlier, the father became upset after Constable Hawkins had arrested an employee for bootlegging at a hotel that he operated and held a grudge.
The men surrendered to the sheriff a few hours later claiming self-defense and were both charged with first-degree murder.
In separate trials, the 59-year-old father was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 2 to 21 years in prison in a change of venue to Grant County, while his 27-year-old son was later acquitted.
Constable Hawkins, from Anderson, was the Anderson Township constable elected to a four-year term in office. He was survived by his daughter, father, brother, two sisters and fiancée.
Historical Note Constables were created during the Indiana Territory and continued to exist after statehood in 1816. Depending on the time period, they were either appointed or elected to their positions at the township level with one- or four-year terms in office. Constables had police powers to make arrests with countywide jurisdiction. Since 2004, constables are only authorized by state law in Marion County townships having a small claims court where they are elected to four-year terms in office. |
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