Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-10-03

prepared, was handed oyer to his
brother, who carried citto his Former
home IN the mountains Of East Rocking.
ham for interment. 4! .ssy IN t pssu
Public sentiment lent here is, notwitA7
standing his .denials sof his connections
with the murder, thatShiaietf wasguilty
and justly suffered the extreme penalty
Of the law. 80 -.,s. -. mr. 81 20
History ofthe Murder no
On the 18th Of March. g1S75-mofe
than two years and six months siago-7a
startling and horrible murder wasii com.
mitted in the eastern part Of Rocking!
ham county, Va., near a, locality in
which lawlessness, violent dealing, and
vice in all its forms had long been with
many the rule of action. This locality
is within tue shadows ofthe Blue Ridge
mountains, and is inhabited, wath of
course many honorable exceptions, by
unenlightened, superstltious and utterly!
deprayed men and women 50 Sdssspearlr-11
ate were many Of the. characters 5resid-
thing here at twas, considered dangers
GUS for strangers to visit 'alope'ghis yrea
treat Of lawless, vicious people. This
is the locality in which 4 number. ,Iof1
deserters from the Confederate service
sought refuge during the. early part or
our civil war, and GeAeraf Jackson
found it necessary % send afSrce q, in
fantry witha piece or two ofartiuery To
dlslodge and arrest them. 4 Ss9miT ~
Some years. ago tyr, pedles with al
handcart and his wares Senterd this
dangerous region. He had the I'M
prudence, after taking two or tree
drinks Of brandy, to show bis money
He was never heard eof again. Sun,
picien attached to some desperatel
character with whom he had list been
seen, but no arrest was made, nor viii
the manner of the taking. offndof the
murdered pedler ever be disclosed:
perhaps, until the day Of final RECKONING.
This locality hangs right upon the
outer verge ola section in Which there
is probably as much refinement and
int Higence as are generally foundin
the best portions of the cotntry.i ~ cs
cupying an area nof about ten y square
miles, it stretches from the base Of the
Blue Ridge, in Rocking ham eounty TO-
the eastern base of the mountain in
Green and Albemarle counties. The
main highway, a well graded turnpike,
leading from Harrison burg O. in. the
Shenandoah Valley, 30 yStanardssille,l
Greene county, passes'th toagh, the heart
of this now well-known locality. !. II
was upon another public county wagon
road, a few hpndredi yards iirom4nthis
highway, In the open light of day kaboat
4 O'Clock in the afternoon of the period
already Indicated that David G. Law
son, an Industrious and comparatively
well-tosdo and seemingly happyiiand
contented farmer, residing in this tes
fgion, was shot dead whilst passing over
the road, driving his team home from q
mill in the vicinity. He was lshetc 4 in
the back with q musket or rifle, otwo
balls taking effect land killing him
instantly. HIS team stopped in tho
road when the gun cracked, ana the
lifeless body Of the, murdered, man was
shortly afterwards found lying under.
the wagon or the heels'of his hcrses.e He
was shot homa thicket Of pines which
lined the roadside, the murderer QUICK
ly hiding himself N the deepening shad-l
ows ofwoods and underground (which,
covered his retreat. -flzoE sesis ayist
The dead body Of LAWSON was,
carried to his former shome andit a
eoronerss inquest summeaed, but this
inquest failed to elicit much direct ilh9
formation leading to The detection Of The,
tperson orpersons engaged 10 the killing.
Suspicion, however, began to points6
parties who might hayethad Y motive
to commit the murder, and among the
suspected ones were the wife. LoSisA Ga
Lawson, now the widow of' the d.
ceased; his brother-in. lav, {Mfs 81 law
sons brcther,D silas Mortis;Ii Burriss,
Williams, (brother, Of the wife Of Silss
Norris anda man mednrAndsnon
IShi1aett. These parties were an .sAoftg
ny afterwards arrested and underwent
examination, built vas found npQssible
| to, identify them DISTINCTLY: rwithortAs'
murder, and they were turned loose. We
The murder created intense excite
ment in the lneighborho and the
| friends and relatives the nuTdered
man resolved to spare no efforts to
bring the guilty to punishment. -
Detectives from abroad were employed
and set upon the track Of the suspected