The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-20
Horrible Outrage and Murder In Mississipp'
-Tha Murderer naxned.


From the Psulding (Aiss) Clarion, March IL
Since the Time when the midnigh, murder OF Df.
Longon and family sent thrill Of horror through
this community, no event has created deeper
assassination, on Tuesday last. Of Mrs M,ry Dixon,
wife OF John Dixon, and her infant child, at her
residence, in The neighborhood OF William Bridges,
Esq by Haley, negro man belonging to Mr.;
Zachariah Thompson Having been summoned
on the coroner's jury, we went In person to the
scene OF the horrible tragedy, saw the mutilated
body Of the murdered woman, the severed throat
of her infant, and witnessed, without regret, the
summary and terrible, but still inadequate, expa-
ton of his triple and atrocious crime by the mon
ster. The revolving facts are briefly these :
On Tuesday morning Mr.. Dixon, unconscious of
the awful doom impending over his family, started
from home in quest of cattle. His little son, an
artless child, few months over two years old,
started fondly after him, pursuing him some dis
lance unnoticed BY the father, and undiscovered
by the mother. Mrs. Dixon soon missed the boy,
went after him, and called to him to return. She
was then approached by the brutal villain, Haley,
who at once offered such ndigaities as the virtue
even at the reril of life. She repealed the advances
of the bes,al monster yielding neither to threats
nor disgusting opportunities, when he feled her to
the earth. An outrage too abhorrent to mention,
was then perpetrated on the person of his victim,
by the incarnate demon. Ref in moment of her
most precious jewel-forcibly despoled of her pu-
rity, by the villain slave of her own father-.ne
wretched lady doubtless felt that everything
valued in this world was lost; but she was mol
She asked, at the hands of the fend, life--life,
that she nigh. prepare for her sotary remaining
hope--a refuge for her crushed spirit in Heaven
But the ruifan Needed Ter not he spurned the
prayer of the wife injured beyond reparation, and
beat her on the head with pine limbs, and stabbed
her till she died. Bruised, mangled and de6led,
lay the corpse Of this lady, whom husband had
greeted gladly and un susPectngly few hours be-
fore, presenting spectacle too hideous, too repete
with horrible memories, for an unaverted eye. The
infant was found about thirty steps from the
mother, its throat cut twice, with long deep
gashes 1t 10 probable the little child was the las.
victim-and that the last aspiration of her unu. t.
terable agony fell appalllnely upon his infant ear,
before the cold knife of the monster assassin passed
over the throat OF the innocent creature.
The attendance OF the coroner was procured on
Wednesday, and the jury, after patient iEvest-
CATION, returned the following verdict -
"The said jurors do upon their oaths say That
the said Mary Dixon came to her death from blows
inflicted by a certain negro man slave named Ha-
ley, the property OF Zachariah Thompson, Of Jas
per county; that TO say, her skull was fractured
and also her lower jaw and cheek bone on the left
side her neck was dislocated, and also her left
shouds. the little finger was broken on the right
hand; her left wa badly mutated; she had also
three cuts on her neck, supposed TO be inflicted by
knife, one OF them entering into the wind pipe, ano
Their the jugular vein, and the other small cut
on the left side of the neck large cut was also
on the lower part Of the breast bone A cut was
also on her left arm, and some scratches and marks
OF VlOeRce on the IlSnt tn&n, WnlCn luucaicu the
purposes of the said slave Haley. The said Mary
Dixon came to her death, as follows by two
wounds inflicted by knife, one entering the wind
pipe, the other the carotid artery on the left sde
which wounds were inflicted by the said slave
Haley"
When Haley was arrested, his clothes were
stained with blood, and the wretch attempted and
did throw away his knife. After being severely
whipped, he made the annexed confession. His
implication of the boy Paul is entirely dscredited
by the citizens in the nelghborhood, various Cir
cumstances strongly tending to the exculpation of
the latter. On Thursday, about two hundred per-
sons assembled, 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 snexamped atroci-
", it proposed that Haley be burned to death.
To this proposition there was not single dissen
tiept. if we except the officers of the law, who, in
compliance with their duty, protested az alnst
the Illegally of the act. All were eager for the
instant and signal punishment of tie worse than
murderer. Accordingly, he was borne to tree,
chained TO it, and surrounded with light and other
wood. II Is worthy Of remark, that the slaves
present evlnced commendable adherence of the
crime and criminal, and assisted with alacrity in
his punishment