New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-19
A Tale Of Horror

Inc fdhsdthg (Aiss.) CLARION, OF March LIST
contains the following account Of tragedy 10 that
vicinity;
Since the time when tho midnight murder OF
DR.. Longgon and family sent a thrill of horror
through this community, no event has oreated a
deeper sorrow aud more pervading indignation
than the assassination, on Tuesday last, of Mrs..
Mary Dixon, wife Of John Dixon. and her intent
child az her residence in the neghborhood Of VIM.
Bridges ESQ by Haley negro man be ongisg
TO Mr. Zacharah Thompson. Having been sum-
moned on the Coroners Jury, we went ia persoa
10 the scene Of the horrible tragedy, saw the ma.
tilsted BODY of the murdered woman, the severed
throat of her infant, and witnessed without re-
greet, the summary and terrible. bat still made
0ua,e expistion Of his triple and atrocio1s crime
by the monster. The revolving facts are briefly
these:
On Tuesday c-nng, Mr. Dixon, unconscious
Of the awful ON impending over his family,
started from home in quest OF cattle. His little
son, an artess child, aiew months over two years
old, started iondly after him. pursuing him soma
distance, unnoticed by the father and whatsoever
ed by the mother. Mrs. Dixon soon missed tho
boy, went after him, and called him 10 return.
She was then approached by the brutal villain
Haley, who at once offered such indgnities az the
virtue and pride of civilized woman resents and
resists, even at the peril oflle. She repealed the
advances of the beastial monster, yielding neither
70 threats nor disgusting opportunities, when he
lelled her to the earth.
She asked, at the hands Of the fiend, life-life.
that she might prepare for her solitary remaining
hope-a refuge for her crushed spirit in Heaven
But the ruilian needed not he spurned the prayer
of the wife injured beyond repsrstion, and beat
her on the head with pine limbs, and stabbed her
till she died Bruised, maneled, and defled lay
the corpse of this lady, whom husband had greet
ed gladly and unsuspectingy few hours before.
presenting q spectacle too hideous, too repleto
,st - - m N %
infant was found about thirty steps from the
mother it's throat cut twice with long deep gashes
IL is probable the little child was the last victim
and that the last aspiration OF her unutterable
sgony fell appallingy upon bis infant ear, before
the cold knife of the monster assassin passed over
the throat Of tho innocent creature.
The attendance Of the Coroner was procured on
Wednesday, and the Jury, after patient investi-
cation, returned the following verdict;
"The said Jurors do upon their oeths say-that
the said Mary Dixon came TO her death irora
blows inflicted by certain negro man slave
named llsyg the psop " Yah -Sses
SOD, Of Jasper county, that s 10 say, her skull was
fractured, and also her lower jaw and check bone
on the left side her neck was dslocatod, ana also
her left shoulder-thd little finger was broken on
the right hand-her left ear was badly mutlsted-
she had also three cuts on her neck, supposed to
be inflicted by knife, one of them entering into
the wind pipe, another the jugular vein, and the
other q small cut on the lett SIDE OF tue NECK. n
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 violence on the right thigh,
which indicated the purpose of the said slave Ha-
lev The said ZachaTiah Dixon came to his death
as follows-by two wounds inflicted by knife
one entering the wind pipe. the other the carotid
artery on the left side, which 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 a contested. His implication
of the boy, Paul, is entirely discredited by the
citizens In the neighborhood various circum-
stances strongly tending TO the exculpation OF the
latter. On Thursday about two hundred persons
assembled including many ladies, The guilt OF
Haley was too manifest for doubt and while Ia.
dignation was ut its height, and the blood carded
at the vivid recollection Of the unexampled afro
city, it was proposed that Haley be burned to
death. To this proposition there was not single
dissentient, if we except the officers Of the law.
| who, in compliance with their sworn duty, pro.
tested against the illegaty of the act All were
eager for the instant and signal punishment Of the
worse than murderer Accordingly, he was borne
TO q tree chained TO il, and surrounded with light
and other wood. IL is worthy Of remark that the
slaves present evinced commendable adherence
Of the crime and the criminal, and assisted with
alacrity in his punishment.