An 1887 murder rocked the 'Bridgertons of Islip.' Now, a town intern reconstructs the case for Living History Day
It should have been a happy time for Francis Asbury Hawkins. It was 1887 and the 22-year-old had announced his engagement to a woman he loved. But ...
It should have been a happy time for Francis Asbury Hawkins. It was 1887 and the 22-year-old had announced his engagement to a woman he loved. But the news led to tragedy. In early October, the day before the wedding, Hawkins shot his mother outside Oakwood Cemetery because she opposed the engagement. Hawkins was tried for murder and sentenced to death. There was great public interest in the case at the time, with multiple newspapers focused on Hawkins' trial and execution. 'They were the Bridgertons of Islip.