The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-10
The Late Homicide a, wilson, n. q.
CAMP 4RKGa, VIzsxA, Va =,
August T. 1851


August Z, 1851.
TO the Editors Of the Dtspdtch: In your
tssne of the Cd ms tant, under the heading OF
The late homicide, followed by an attempt
10 IN rder," fud an editorial, followed by =
letta purporting TO come from n gentleman
wht, received hts information from dIsintar-
ested eye witnesses, concerning the la:e mos
,amen table affair OF the mr-defipg Of Caps.
G. II. Axson, of Charleston, :. q By Arthur
H. Davis OF Georgia; and knowing many OF
tho.e statements to be erroneous end some OF
them utterly false, and being an eve witness
Of the whole affair. from Alpha TO Omega 4,
| feel myself in duty bound TO correct some
OF those statements by telling the plain
though l can find other men Of undonbted
veracity who will confirm what l say
our correspondent admits that Davis " dld
cut or more melons" belonging to Capt.
Arson, and SAYS that when taxed for so
doing, apolcg.zed, stating that he supposed
them TO bo tor sale" The truth IL, ne cur
six, and remarked while he was at the cutting.
that " these are priyateering tImes, ana ii
privateer some TO night" and when remoL
strated with by the gen t!enaniy conductor,
lie bluntly requested him 10 attend to his
own business, IF the conductor, anu sure
Will testify. After he had cut ana Waslea
SIX of them. he went cut OF the car that con =
tanned them, remarxipg, that when the owner
wanted pay tor them, he could pay for
HEM" as he had ga brace OF sriehdl1 pls'ois
and an Arkansas tooth-picE mat ne coald
hapreped between King 5vilie, g., and VIII
mington, n. G.. After arriving At Whining
ton Capt. Arson went to DAVIS and politely
asked him II he was the man Who cut his
melons, a. the same time remaIXing That ne
rrized them highly, they wee iyr lady
friend in Virginia Both AAsCn ard Davis
were sober AZ that time, and after trying to
make several excuses, Davis finally excused
himself by saying that he was drunk when
he cid it, and that he wou!d see Capt. Arson
al the hotel and they said no more concern
ing the affair at that Time. Capt. Arson
then, with several CT his men, went cut and
took several drinks together, and before we
left Wilinlr gtOn, ! no tlCed ina Capt. b2SoE
was considerably intoxicated, | SAW no more
OF DAVIS until We Were On the way from " n
mllgtcu to Weldon. There DAVIS again APP
preached Capt. Arson, tncw s-beT,1 ana told
him thd. he would MAKE any apology
that was necessary. Arson begged Davis u
say no more about the affair, as he was on
tirey satisfied ard asked nm, further. to
take a drink with him. Davis said Ne would
not do so uEiesE Arson would forgive him -
rs freely a. ever he old any thing III
his lite, they shook hands, toos Il drink, anu
subsequently they took several, and were
apparently as friendly As ever l saw two
men. Daring the forenoon ! 4aN them sat
some melons together that Dayi. hao bought.
Your correspondent says that "a dispute
afterwards arose, during whi> CtFt. AS III
held Davis to The floor, choking am, ana
"on being release DAVIS left tue car. and rc3-
Now, the idea about the dlsp1te ID erroneous
III part, RS there was no dispute only III a
friendly manner; ana rs 70 E><on ChOklng
Davis, that is literally false, ~ DAVIS only
iaId ms head on Arson, W no WAS u IhE down,
and Arson stroked it gently, ct the ZANE Tune
begging him to go to sleep as ne Anew he must
be sleepy, for he had been up the night before.
l think Axson's remark about sl'e p was con-
strued by Davis as limiting on the ehatr about
he waterIne lous, and he sprarg mp and rush
ed out of the car, Remaining as he Went,
Wait till ger my pistols" lie went out
and ] thought was gone 10 stay, AZ lie had
been running to and fro il the cars, nrandish =
ing his knife ali day, very annoying to all
and especially the ladies i'll the Cars to the
tear OF the car he had just lett, which tac |
any lady will testify who was along in the
cars At the time. de returned to the car
which /, many others, and Capt.. Arson was
IN. When he entered the door CT our car he
had q pistol in his right hand ald mis- ''Ar
kansas tooth pick'' in his left, with the point
LGrEed down towards his elbow. &nd 81 he
catered he said that he would teach men
Row to meuit him" He advanced toward
Capt. Azsoa with his pistol and knife il the
position referred TO. When IN about tour
paCes of Capt. Arson, Capt. Axsoc arose ana
advanced toward him, having NOT theremotest
idea that Davis would shoot, IL my opinion,
as his &C lions did not indicate any Signs OF
fear, and he even went toward Davis with !
smile on his Countenauce, no ootb, pellev!I {
Davis was only bullying, as usual. some one,
4
carelesSly remar ked some iEcOAerent senten-
ceS and went on toward Davis. When IL
about three feet of AxsJD, Davis leyeiled his
pistol, and putting ii asaiLst Axson's b. east
hTed, the tall entering, Think, the lower
third OF his heart. Arson teal, uIs left arm
striking NJ right knee. l Immediately took
.lold OF MIN and. examined lle wound, indi0g,
as before stated, that the ball had entered
The heart. He only hreathed tn .ca, UaE ~ spoke
again, and died Without single gasp OF s;rug-
ll.r tirz ina.
in my hearing, expressed a single regret, and l
saw him occasionally until We reached Wei
don; and before ne LETT w ilson I heard him
say often in bOastiEg manner, that he wa
the man that shOL MIN, and lie dad ho regret t;
that he would Go so again l, Il Wa - DO of ar.
! was a stranger to both parties Iever having
seen either until We got on the ears at Kings
VILE together. | have here given plain, IN
vanished account OF the whole a'<Gir, rs il
occurred 20 NE, an eye witness, and am
snre l have done SO impa7tidliY, and feel
sure that other gentlemen will testify
nearly oeTjdtirn TO the same. l car, il nece.-
Sary, enter more mlnutely into Iae details.
but think aaye mentioned all the prominent
points OF the sad affair. As 10 the relations
Of either, we tn ink it should have no bearing
Oh the case; but truth and justice should de
termine its issue, aad q mans justice sGopid
got be hemIned III by State Hnts. If kiln Z
Il man, after time 10 reflect, and without pro-
vocation, is cold blooded murder, then That
was rs foul q one as man ever committed; for
he went deliberately 10 another Car and got
his pistol and knew 1T the same time that
Capt. Arson was unarIned, because Capt.
Arson told him, and showed him TO his 81 is
faction and that of I'll present, that he was
not armed; and l examined him myself as
soon as he was hopelessly dead, .nd there wa.
not sign OF arms on him Of any kind
whatever.
My reasons for thus entering into the details
are at once apparent to ali, TOR ang man could
see that yonr correspondent OF the "a was de-
cided'y i'll tavor of screening Davis. as to
Davis, / know nothing OF him since l saw
him leave the cars at Weldon.
Hoping you will publish this in behalf OF
Justice, VIII close by saying, l can be- found
with Company j, Sd Reg't :. Z. v, now at
Vienna, Va.
Yours, most respectfully,
ELIAU ToLAsp, ID ID.