Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-06
rHEHANG1,G OF DorsoN.
The Facts Of the Tragedy at WiBches-
ter-The People VIndieated from
Eln.AIoI..nfAor. In

Participation In IL.
To the Editors of the Union and American.
That Justice may be done much abused
people, it is proper that full and impair
tial statement of the hanging of Rolls
Dotson, at Winchester, should be given to
the public. -r.'
The deceased was as perfect specimen
Of desperate and outlaw, as perhaps
could be found in any community IN Ten
nessee. He was raised on Point Rock, in
Jackson county, Ala, and from early youth
evinced desperation and recklessness of
disposition, which clearly foreshadowed
the life which he led. Before the war, he
had taken the lives Of three or four men
without sufficient provocatiOn, and some in
cold blood. He joined the Confederate
ar1ny--decerted and joined the Federal
srmy-then deserted or left it and united
with band of marauders, who plundered
at will the inofensive citizens on both
sides, and since the war closed, has been
engaged mainly in robbing and stealing
Observation-Disclosures with two women
In the same room, one a lawful wife-ln fiet,
has been from time 10 time guilty OF nearly
all the crimes known to the decalogue. lie
killed in cold blood one or more men since
the war closed. Some two years since he
moved to Bedford county, and was at the
time of his death under indictments in that
county for various ofenses. He was taken
from the Jail of that county and on Sun
day, 29th November, placed in the Jail OF
Franklin county, for trial before the Cir
cult Court, then 10 session, upon three an
dictments for murder. Application was
made for change of venue, which was de-
nied-and The court was preparing to try
him when, on W ednesday night, December
2. between IL and ID o'clock, some fifteen
armed men in masks, went to the jail IN
Winchester and forcibly took him thence
and hanged him on limb Of .pne Of the
shade trees in. the courthouse yard.
Unknown 10 the citizens of the town
and in a few minutes after he
taken from the jail-the deed was done
and the armed men gone. From lOforma-
ton derived from direct source, and alter
4 careful and strict search into the cIrcum'
stances, it is safe to say that not a single
man living in or near Winchester and most
probably not a man residing in that coun-
ty had any thing to do with the trsnsae-
ton but il is rendered almost certain tha'
the deed was done by those 10 " HON Dot
son had rendered himself most obnoxious
and among whom he had been raised. The
three men for the killing of whom he wa,
indicted in Franklin county, Were' or had
been shortly before, with perhaps slngls
exception, residents Of the Point Rock
country, although the killing had beer
done in Franklin county. The people O.
Fraakliu county are as quiet, peaceful and
high-toned community as live IN Iennes'
zee or anywhere else. They show as much
respect and regard for the law, and not
withstanding this is true, they are repre-
sented by the political mendicarts OF the
day as being lawless, unruly population
"a base SANDER upon d good people
They regret the occurrence just detailed
as much as any people can, and 1t wa
done without their knowledge or approba
ton, and to this conclusion arrived the Ju'
dicial officers, Circuit Judge, Attorney
General and Coroner, all forced by th'
facts and circumstances surrounding th'
case, after full and careful investigator