North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-03-29
From the Richmond Enquirer.

Z
SEES the one in California. the other in Mississippi
both fragrant in crime and infamy, both followed by
instant lightning like, awful retrbution From LETT
ter IN the New ors journal OF Commerce, written
at San Nevada, California, we make the following
thrilling extract
g Here is one instance of very common mode of
administering justice to criminals in our midst.
A drunken Englishman, named Divine, murdered
his wife under circumstances of unusual cruelty. Du
ring their whole residence in Georgetown, she had
supported him and their children by her own indus
try. He asked her one morning for some money to
gamble with, but she told him wait until he was
sober. He rushed across the room for pistol but
she anticipated him and threw it into bucket of wa
ter He then leaped into the street, snatched rifle
from the shoulder of standerby, returned and shot
ner through the heart.
1t was Sunday, and as usual the places of resort
Were filled by miners, who invariably spend that ho-
lday In town. The report of rifle IN the street was
nothing unusual, but the tale of horror flew as only
rumor canfy, and in five minutes the house was filled
In such country as ours, and under such circum-
stances these men act rather than speak. neigh
boring around Tent (our gambling houses are often
turned into Court Rooms account of their siZe)
selected as scene of trial. The prisoner was
led in, and then before word was spoken, another
party brought in the body of his wife, just she fell
with the dark blood oozing from her breast She
was gently laid large table near her husband.
This sight stung the people into frenzy. No one
! thought of wasting words in a trial. The pris-
oner seized, and hurried towards little emf
hence overlooking the village, where the moose of
larat swung Significantly from a Just at this
moment of great influence with the people in
that vicinity. attempted to persuade them opostpone
their design until Coropers inquest should be held
upon the body, and summary trial, but still trial,
had, after the verdict. With much difficulty he sue
ceeded, condition that the inquest and trial should
both be held on that day and as the Coroner at
Couma, four O'Clock was given as the last moment.
An express was sent to Columa, and to save time,
jury empaHelled to act instantly upon his arrival.
They sat together in the tent with the prisoner and
the body. The mob waited outside. but were not I'M
employed. deep pit dug at the foot of the tree
and all the solemn furniture of the grave prepared
AS four o'clock approached, the silence of the mob
was broken by deep whispers and hoarse murmurs
| Rifles pistols, and bowie-knives were freely dis
played. This did not escape the notice of the jury
and they began, not unnaurally, to fear their
safety. At last when the sun was low in the West,
the mob could wait no longer, but tore up the sides
of the tent and rushed in just in time the last
juTyman escaping by back way. They went at their
task without word At the head of long process
sion, the murderer marched to his gallows, and the
body of his wife was borne close behind him. The
children-thank Heaven were not there; but even
in that stern scene, they not forgotten. small
box. marked 8. For The Orphans,'' nailed to the
tree, and many poured into it from the
purses of those who followed the father to his death.
The body of the murdered woman was lowered
into wide pit, and while the wretched man
gazed upon it, and upon that empty but significant
box by his side, the cord suddenly frightened around
his neck and he swayed in the air. The mob sat on
the hill side and sternly watched him.
II
laid in the grave by the side OF his wife, In we
minutes, Georgetown was still as that lonely grave
upon the hill. Not man was to be in the
streets knew any thing of that lawess mob.
In the evening, the Coroner arrived, and upon hear
ing the story, summoned his jury for morning. They
met sunrise 1pon the hill, and stood around the
untitled grave, while the end of cut cord dangled
above their heads They exchanged few words, and
after laying slip of paper upon each of the bodies,
proceeded to fill up the grave Upon one of the slips
was written, I" Murdered by - Divine. her hus-
band,' and upon the other, Died according to the
will of God, by the justice of men,"
The Pauding Casper county. Miss Clarion has
the following blood-cnrdling sketch of one of the
most dreadful and atrocious crimes record. No
one can be surprised that summary vengeance was
resorted to:
Since the time when the midnight murder of Dr.
Longgon and family sent thrill OF horror through
the community, event has created deeper sorrow
ton, on Tuesday last. of Mrs. Mary Dixon, wife of
John Dixon and her infant child, at her residence.
in the neighborhood of William Bridges. Esq, by
Haley. negro loan belonging to Mr.. Zacharia
Thompson, {the lady's father.) Having been sum- |
moned the coroner's jury, went in person to
the of the horrible tragedy, saw the mutilated
body of the murdered woman, the severed throat of
her infant, and witnessed, without regret the summa-
ry and terrible, but still inadequate expiation of his |
triple and atrocious crime by the monster. The re-
voting facts are briefly these:
On Tuesday morning, Mr.. Dixon, unconscious |
of the awful doom impending over his family, start
ed from home in quest of cattle. His little son. an
artless child, few months years old,
ed fondiy after him, pursuing him some distance,
noticed by the father and undiscovered by the moth
er. Mrs. Dixon soon missed the boy, went after
him, and called TO him return. She was then APP
preached by the brutal villain, Haley, who at
offered such ndignities the virtue and pride of
civilized woman resents and ressts at the peril
of life. She repealed the advances of the bestia
monster, yielding neither threats nor disgusting
opportunities, when he felled her the earth. An
outrage too abhorrent for mention-an outrage that
stirs to unappeasable Indignation every manly and
sympathetic feeling in the human breast then
perperated upon the person of his victim by the in
carnate Demon She asked at the hands of the iend,
that she might prepare for her solitary
manning hope-a refuge for her crushed spirit in
the prayer of the wife, injured beyond reparation,
and beat her the head with pine limbs and stabb-
ed her until she died # The infant was found
about thirty steps from the mother, its throat cut
twice with long deep gashes. \
When Haley was arrested his clothes stain
ed with blood, and the wretch attempted and did
throw away his knife. After being severely whipp-
ed, he made the annexed confession. His impllca-
ton of the boy, Paul, is entirely discreded by the
citizens of the neighborhood, various circumstances
strongly tending to exculpaion of the latter. On
Thursday, about two hundred persons were assem-
bled, including many ladies'. The guilt of Haley
was too manifest for doubt; and while indignation
was at its height and the blood curded at the vivid
recollection of the unexampled atrocity, it pro-
posed that Haley be burned to death. TO this pro-
position there was not single dissentien if we ex-
cept the officers of the law, who, in compliance with
their sworn duty, protested against the illegally of
the act. All were eager for the instant and signal
nj han 10