Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1879-09-09

the principals IN that unfortunate affair,
have not expected the Radical journals
of the North, who naturally sieze upon
this affair to make political capital, to do
him justice in commencing upon it,
And, in candor, they are entirely indif-
ferent to what they may say about IT,;
but as your paper is representative
southern journal, circulating largely in
this and other southern States, they
would be gratiicd to have his side of the
question appear before yoiF readers. !
judge that you would be willing to ac-
cord this, as you admit in the article re-
ferred to that "thcre are always two
sides to every question:"
THE TWO MEN.
Henry NJ. Dixon, the man who was
killed, has resided in Yazoo county since
the war. During all that time he has
been u professional gambler. He has
killed in private difficulties Il negro and
white man-NTr. Samuel Harrison; in
political affrays, white man-Dick
Mitchell, Republican; and he was the
leader of n squad called DiXon's Scouts,
who are said to have hung five or six
negroes during the riots Of 1879. From
one of these, Pattison, who had been a
member of the Legislature, he took
81 800 with the promise to send ii to Pat
tison's sisters who reside in Ohio; but
the money was never sent. In 1876 the
county treasury of YaZoo county was
robbed of 100000 This money Dixon
and his gang were believed by nearly
every citizen Of Yuzoo county to have
taken. No great efforts were ever made
to recover this money, or to discover
who the robber was. Samuel Harrison
n Democrat, undertook X, and charged
that Dixon was the robbcr; for doing so
Dixon killed him, without giving him \
chance for his life, A packed jury ac-
quilted Dixon, and no other person was
Willing to take the task upon himself, as
il was well understood that to make the
attempt was to invite assassination. 1t
Is not my purpose to say more of the
dead than is necessity for the defence Of
the living. The following extract from
the proceedings Of a meeting of citizens
Of Yazoo county will show IN what esti-
nation Dixon was held by his neighbours:
$40 sum up in brief our opinion and
OF the character of the man
Dixon, we declare rs oar deliberate
opinion that he Is murderer, gambler,
D bully, a tlicf, u man Of violence, of
blood, and of lies; a man who will pack
iurics, n low, unprincpled demagoguod
In politics aud an midcl in religion
lie mitcs in himself every quality re-
luired to make him The de;eatcd monster
hat he Is, and he wants every quai1cc-
ion necessary TO make him the gcnte-
man that he is not"
james A. Barksdl,e, WHO you say is
'lhe bearer of representative south
,rn name," was born IN Nazoo county,
md Is about twcnty-seycn years Of age,
lie Is a son of Hon. Harrison Barksdalc,
who died IN the Confederate service, n
brother Of the late General William
Barksdale. lie Is one Of the most popu-
AR young men In the county, never was
IN any manner "vild," and never be-
fore hnd difficulty of any kind. He
was recently nominated by the Demo-
cratic party for chancery clerk, the most
lucrative Office In the county. As such
nominee he entered the canvass, and did
not hesitate to express his opinion on the
stump that the Independents, of which
II. NJ. Dixon was the head and front,
should not be elected to office.
THE CAUSE or TuE AFFRAY.
Owing TO Barksdale's speeches, Dixon
vowed vengeance. He took every occa-
sion to denouncc Barksdale In the vilest
0ngu0gc. He stated openly, aud at all
lines, chat he (Dlxon) had been seek
ng an opportunity to kin Jim Barks-
lale, but that he (Barksdae) was such
d - coward 49, that he would never
rive him chance" This remark of
Dixon, made upon many different occa>
ions, was constantly repeated to Barks-
lale. presume no less than fifty per-
ons have heard Dixon make it. Upon
rial It will be proven that many persons,
itiZens of Yazoo county, and visitors TO
he place, strangers to both men, heard
Dixon say It, not only privately, but IN
,ubllc crowds upon the streets Of the
own. He was overheard by two prom
ncnt gentlemen planning to assasinate
}arksdale. These gentlemen gave their
lamcs to the Democratic County Exec
tive Committee, aud the fact was pub
lshed in the local papers. Finding
hat all this did not give him Dixon |
he opportunity he sought to Kill Barks-
ale, whom he had marked as the fourth
lcllm Of his deadly pistol, he turned
he venom Of his foul tongue upon
'arksdalc's female relatlves--upon his
mother and sisters, than whom
% more lovely women live in the South.
'f them he said all that q man lost to
II sense of honor or selGrespect could
ny. This will be proven IN the courts;
nd for this latter o1ense, aud not for
Is remarks about or threats against
himself, Dixon now dlls u
bloody grave,
THE PARTICULARS or THr AFFRAY.
Thus mattere stood upon the morning
{ the 10Th inst, Upon ihat day Dixon