Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-10-02

All 1ta forms had long been wit
the rule of action. The locality
the shadows of the Blue Ridg
talns, and is inhabited, with q
many honorable exceptions, b
llghtened, superstitious and utt
PRAYED men and women. So ID
We're many of the characters u
mere that it was considered dan
Tor strangers to visit alone this
OF lawless, vicious people. This
locality in which number of des
from the Confederate service sought
uge during the early part of our c.
war, and General Jackson found it ne.
cessary to send force of infantry with
a piece or two of artillery to dislodge
and arrest them.
Some years ago tin pedler with a
handcart and his wares entered this
dangerous region. He had the impru-
dence, after taking two or three drinks
of brandy, to show his money. He was
never heard of again. Suspicion attach
ed to some desperate character with
whom he had last been seen, but no ar
rest was made, nor will the manner of
the taking off" of the murdered pedler
ever be disclosed, perhaps. until the day
Of final reckoning.
This locality hangs right upon the
outer verge of section in which there
is probably as much refinement and in
telligence as are generally found in the
best portions of the country. Occupy
ing an area of about ten square miles, it
stretches from the base of the Blue
Ridge, in Rockingham county, to the
erstern base of the mountain in Greene
and Albemarle counties. The main
highway, a well graded turnpike, lead
ing from Harrisonburg in the Shenan-
doah Valley. to Stanardsville, Greene
county, passes through the heart of this
now wel!-known locality. 1t was upon
another public county wagon road, a
few hundred yards from this highway.
in the open light of day. about O'Clock
in the afternoon of the period already
indicated that David G.. Lawson, an in
dustrious and comparatively well to-do
and seemingly happy and eontented far
mer, residing in this region, was shot
dead whilst passing over the road, driv-
ing his team home form mill in the
vicinity. He was shot III the back with
musket or rifle, two balls taking effect
and killing him instantly. His team
stopped in the road when the gun crack
ed, and the lifeless body of the murder
ed man was shortly afterwards found
lying under the wagon or the heels of
his horses. He was shot from a thicket
of pine which lined the roadside. the
murderer quickly hiding himself in the
deepening shadows of woods and under
growth which covered his retreat.
The dead body of Lawson was carried
to his former home and cOroner's in
quest summoned, but this inquest failed
to elicit much direct information lead
ing to the detection of the person or per-
sons engaged in the killing. Suspicion.
however, began to point to parties who
might have had a motive to commit the
murder, and among the suspected ones
We're the wife, Louisa G.. Lawson now
the widow of the deceased; his brother
in-law, Mrs. Lawson's brother.) Silas
Morris Burris Williams, brother of the
WIFE OF Silas Morris, and man named
Anderson Shiffiett. These parties were
all shortly afterwards arrested and un-
derwent examination, but it was found
Impossible to identify them distinctly
with the murder, and they We're turned
loose.
The murder created intense excite
ment in the neighborhood, and the
friends and relatives of the murdered
man resolved to spare no efforts to bring
the guilty to punishment. Detectives
from abroad were employed and set up-
ON the track of the suspected parties,
but nolight seemed to dawn upon the
transaction until about year after the
murde1 when a pan named Samuel
HalI. Khf hNf oep On i9 \ts of Law
kS tsnes, the