Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-08-29
JlnclnnaLI OOMmtIC laI.
Mississippi Murder.

vate letter to gentleman in this city from
YazOO City," takes the following dying
declaration of q. NJ. Dixon:
81 was walking down street, near House
marie's saloon, and the first thing knew
was that I was shot. Wheeling round I
saw guns pointing at me from every diree-
ton, and turned and nan up a stairway,
when Jim Barksdale shot me in the back,
having already broken my wrist. Preached
the stairs and fell. I then drew my pistol
and with one hand holding to the STEPS,
fired nv pistol with the hand that had the
broken wrist and broken finger. The at
tack was entirely unproyoked on my part.
I denounee as a base lie that ] had plotted
the assassination of Barksdale. l wish
Jim Barksdale was here to see how a brave
man can die.
Our readers will be good enough to OBJ
serve that Dixon was shot without warn
ing, and that this shooting was done with
such care as to disable his pistol hand
OF course this was the work of deliberate
assassin. There was no personal difficulty
or encounter about it, none of the aecus-
toned excuses for political assassination in
the South. The victim, who had presumed
to oppose the Democratic party, hearing a
gun discharged and finding his wrist brok-
en-, looking around saw guns pointing at
him from all directions. This was simply
Democratic meeting applying the usual
remedy for an attempt to disturb the solid
ity of the South
The Yazoo correspondent of the Memphis
Avalanche further states:
'.Dixon was shot five times in the back,
not bullet in the front. There are thir-
teen shotgun bullet holes in the back of his
coat. Dixon lived from o'clock in the
morning until 4:30 in the evening. He
leaves wife and six helpless little children.
II he had fair showing be would have left
his mark, but his enemies feared this and
did not wish him to live until the meeting
Of the Independents the next day. The
Democrats openly boast that Barksdale will
be acquitted from any blame in the shoot
ing Of Dixon. A plot was made to kill
Flanagan the night previous, but he cir
eumvented it by going home a different
route than that usually by him."
This account is from a Southern man.
Dixon's only crime was in raising opposi-
tion to the Democratic party. Being a
man of known courage, he was disabled by
a shot in the wrist, and then riddled with
buckshot as he tried to gain shelter. He
was not allowed fair show. His murder
er is already at large, enjoying the internal
applause of the ruling class of the commun-
ity in which be lives. This is a state of So
ciety worse than Sicily, and truly barba-
rous. A few days before he was shot Dix
on was interviewed by the Commercial re-
porter of Vicksburg, with the following re-
suit:
"R.-Mr. Dixon, understand that you
have Withdrawn from the canvass for the
Sherifalty Of Yazoo county. Is this so?
"H. DIT is not true. was forced to
sign document to that effect a few days
since in order to keep my family and friends
from being murdered by an excited mob.
But do not, nor do my friends consider
it binding or valid under the circumstances,
inasmuch as II did not express my senti-
ments or desires, and it was never nv in
tention to abide by it, and am now free
to say that am still candidate, and will
continue to be; and if elected, which I full
ly expect to be, will take charge of the
Office upon the filing of my bond and oath
of Office, or test my rights under the laws
of the land.
"R.-What has caused this movement
against you?
''H. D.-I really do not know. have
heard of it for some time, but gave it no
attention, as l had given no cause for it,
and thought could take care of myself.
But they were too many fer me when they
began to crowd my family, and one Of my
children was quite sick"
The Jackson Clarion, edited by an I'M
Gle of the murderer, contains what is called
in this case 'the other side" as follows:
''This morning about $50, James A.
Bsrksdale stepped into the middle of the
street with a dOuble-barrel shot-gan, and
called to H. NJ. Dixon as he was passing up
the street. Dixon drew his pistol, and the
firing is said by some to have been instan-
taneous; by others, that Dixon fired first,
and turned and retreated into hallway
anu up ulSub Ol SIdlFS. AT any rate,
Dixon was shot in the back. He fired three
or four shots from the hallway. Barksdale
remained standing in the middle of the
street. When the smoke cleared away he
fired a second time, but the load went into
the door facing Of the hallway"
This is the self-evident lying in which
the murder was first communicated to the
country by telegraph. 1t only confirms
Dixon's dying declaration.
The murder of Dixon is an incident
which illuminates the political situation.
1t displays to the whole country the pro-
cess by which the South is made solid for
the Democratic party. This Solid South
has no reference to principles. 1t repre-
sents the spirit of vengeance and aggres-
sive policy Of the South.
The Democratic party North is now the
servile instrument of the Solid South.
Those who vote the Democratic ticket in
Ohio should understand that they are sim
ply placing themselves in position to regis
ter the DEGREES of the Mississippi murder
ers. We suppose this may be called very
plain talk. We profoundly believe in its
perfect truth.