The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-12
= TERRIBLE DEED OF BLOOD.


4 TERRIBLE DEED OF BLOOD.
RrutaI Butchery Of q White Man by
N.ero-The Victim Slashed In Sever
places-Remarkabie Nonchalance o
tho Murderer-Indignatto in tn
Community.
About nine o'clock last Saturday evening
was committed one Of the most brutal ant
bloody murders that has disgraced the annai
of this CITY for many years. The victim wa
Mr.. John T. Mcdowell, a white man, who re
sided on the southeast corner OF Shepherd
and King streets, and his murderer was
burly negro known as Cain Simons. Th'
scene of the tragedy was Mr.. McDowelPs resi-
dence, and the cause OF the afrray, which ha'
resulted in the horrible death OF one Oh 'ls
participants, and must be visited Win sWil
and terrible relrlbulion upon the o.hsr, ap
pears 10 have been merely an attempt by the
unfortunate victim to repel an unWarranted
Intrusion upon his premises. The residence
was occupied coDjointly by the deceased and
q Mrs. Baxter, a white woman, and on Saiur
day evening Mr.. Mcdowell. who was In his
room In the front of the house, was attracted
to the door by the noise of an angry alterca
ton in the yard. He found the negro simon'
and the woman Baxter engaged In dispute
about dog belonging to the latter, which the
negro had taken away from The premises tha
afternoon and had either lost or made away
with. On seeing Mr.. Mcdowell, the woman
appealed to him to put Simons, who was
becoming violent and abusive, out OF hel
house, and Mcdowell, responding 10 the call,
seized hold Of t,e negro, and led, or partially
forced, him into the yard. There the
latter drew, from a sheath which he
had concealed In his pocket, large
and murderous-looking knife, and made
a desperate lunge at Mcdowell who, however,
was too quick for him, and telled him to the
ground with piece OF wood which he picked
up. Except this rude and clumsy weapon,
Mcdowell was completely unarmed, and he
retreated Into the kitchen, wlther he was pur-
sued by the infuriated negro, who, cursing
and shouting that he would have his revenge,
seized loaded gun which stood 10 a corner
and rushed upon Mcdowell. The latter closed
with him, and the fierce death struggle began.
Mcdowell succeeded In wrenchiug the gun
from his antagonists grasp, but at that mo-
ment the latter, getting his right arm free,
brought his dagger down with fatal force,
plungng 1t up to the hllt in McDoweil's left
shoulder, near the neck, and penetrating into
the cavity of the lung. Mrs. Baxter and
colored woman were standing by and wit,
messed Cne sickening Tragedy, auu Lhey
rushed Into the yard screaming "Mur-
dern and ''Help," but no help was at
hand. !ieanwhlle the two powerful men were
still clenched In the deadly strife. Both were
powerful men, and they rolled over and over
on the ground while fate seemed trembling In
sshe balance. The silent dagger of the negro,
however, was dreadfully busy, aud In few
minutes more Mcdowell lay dying In pool OF
his own blood, slasbed with no less than seven
wounds. The murderer then dragged the still
quivering body into the yard and fled the pre-
misses, but, impelled by some strange freak OF
fate, he went directly to the upper Guardhouse
and told Lieutenant Webb that great row
was going on at the corner OF Shepherd street
and Rutedge avenue. Lieutenant Webb told
him to pilot squad of police men to the spot.
While the policemen were preparing to go, he
deliberately washed the blood from his hands
at the pump IN the Guardhouse yard. After
going short distance with the policemen he
managed to get away from them, but was ar
rested short time later, In grocery store at
the corner of Line and st. Philip streets. by
two colored men, William Darrill and Frank
Mason, and taken back to the Guardhouse.
Yesterday morning he pretended to be totally
Ignorant of the murder.
Coroner Taft impanelled jury OF inquest
yesterday, which adjourned until ten o'clock
this morning, without taking any evidence.
A post-mortem examination was made yester
day by DR.. ]. Somers Bulst, which developed
the fact that death was Immediately produced
by the severance of the sub.clavian artery
[wound on the front Of the left shoulder]
although death would have resulted from
the other wounds on the back, which reached
in the cavity of the lungs. The coroner deemed
1t prudent to let the prisoner remain yester-:
day at the Guardhouse, as many persons, both
white and colored, expressed desire to lynch
him.