Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-06-14

DIxOn's ExecuGIOm-A Dreadful
Death Met with Great FOrGI.
Iude.
Yesterday was the day appointed by
the Supreme Court tor tue execution Of
Vim. Dixon, convicted Of numbering
a. Bichman. The approaching death
OF the doomed man had been the locsl
topic for several days, and the subject
of newspaper comment, aud great inter-
est was manifested 10 the affair.
THE MURDER
for which DIXON paid the penalty OF
his life was cold. FLOODED. Ii occurred
q short distance fromlVicksburg, On the
steamboat Fair Play, on the night Of
December s, last. Dixon was said to
be stupe6ed by drink, and tor some
unknown cause killed an old man, q
jew peddler, while sitting asleep on
the deck OF the boAt--using that most
terrible of ell weapons, q heavy Ak, aud
dealing the old mar three powerful
blows across the top OF his head.
DIxoN's TRIAL
took place ct the January term of the
Circuit Court. Major l., w. Magru.
der was assigned to his defense, and
used every effort to seCure q lighter
punishment for the prisoner-endeavor.
ing to get the jury to fix imprisonment
for life sS the punishment. But his
case was a bad one, the law and the
evidence were against him, and not.
withdrawing his powerful and elo-
quent appeal, the jlry brought in the
death penalty. An appeal 10 the
Supreme Court was fruitless, and
efforts to induce Governor Stone to
commute the punishment were also
unavAiling. The following is q list Of
the jury by whom Dixon vas con-
victed:
Robt. Il. Wath, VIM. H. FORMER,
VIM. Meyer, Jas. Fender,
john Z. Hall, Jas. W. Goodman, Jr,
Duff G Goodman, V. 5. Showers,
VIM. Quine, Silas s. Fender,
Thos. II. Jett, Frank Mcfarland.
AT THE JAIL.
Three o'clock pm. was the hour sci
for the execution, but four or FIVE hours
earlier, a crowd began gathering, and
by 2 o'clock there wac q perfect jam In
front Of the jail door, aud the walls
we're covered with men and boys, who
appeared as thick a. bees, awaiting the
dread hour. A great number OF PEG.
pie were admitted within the Jail en-
closure, and there was still crowd
outside. To the newspaper reporter,
whose unpleasant duty calls him Ia
witness such terrible scenes, It seemed
strange that such q large number o.
people should be drawn TO see g pool
human being lose his life. The crowd
was composed of whites aud blacks--a
number OF women among the latter
aud was very orderly.
THE GALLows
was erected on the east side of the jail
It wa composed of two upright posts
with q cross.bar projecting ct onC
side, on which pulleys were arranged
for letting the rope run smoothly wheI
the heavy weight was dropped. Tht
, gallows was II feet high, platform
, feet, drop 5 feet, and the iron weight q
: the end Of the rope was 20S pounds
/, This was one OF the Eew. fashioneC
D scafEolds-the culprit is ierked up from
D the platform by the descent of thu
Q heavy weight at the other end of thl
b rope.
: TIL EXECUTION.
e AS the Courthouse clock struck 8
Q Dixon, accompanied by Father j. II
McManus, and Sheriff Flanagan, cam,
on the scstfold platform. He walked
e up the steps lightly and quickly, ant
when ct the top threw down a cigarette
e he had been smoking. Sheriff Flana
gan then made q short and impressivu
address, abiding to the solemnness o
the occasion aud requesting that goot
order BIO preserved. The prisoner thel
y knelt on the scafIold, and Father Nc
a Manus sprinkled him with holy water
Q and administered the last sacraments o
the Church. Before the moose was pu
n over Dixon's head, he kissed Il two O
% three times, and when Father McMAnu
"a nlaead a rOnaru Eouud hio nanb h