Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1879-09-23
NOT A POLITICAL MURDER.
The Stcry Of al Eye Witness Of the Yazoo
Assass ination.
New York SUM-

A gentleman prominent In rail-
road circles in New York city, for
merly resident of Yazoo, Miss :,
was that city on the day of the
shooting of Henry NJ Dixon, Inde-
ppudent candidate for Sheriff of
Yaz1o county, by James FL. Barks-
dale, the Democratic candidate for
Chancery Clerk. This gentleman
has given u representative Of the
San the following:
III an we'll acquainted," he said,
with all the parties connected
with the shooting. The circum-
stances leading to the shooting had
nothing to do with politics. Per.
sonal matters CAUSED the whole
trouble.
Henry Dixon was friend of
mine, as the saying cues. knew
him as we'll as any man in YazOo.
He was, | think, a native of VIr-
giuia. He came to Yazoo during
the war as a sutier with the Unlon
army. After the war he M ,rried
lady who owned three plantations
and $50, 900 in money. When Dix
on died, aged 38, one Of these plan
tations was all tnat was left. This
had mortgage against it for all it
was worth.
"Henfy Dixon's business for
years was gambling. He dealt
faro in u bank at Yazoo. Like
most Southern towns, Yazoo has
to share of gambler, the residents
readily supporting the business [
i0n't think that Dixon run u skin
game for the reason that | d0u't
think he knew enough. He was
willing enough TO take advantage
Of his customers at any Kind of II
game, but he lacked the sinartness.
He had no ability except in reck-
less daring aud bravado. He had
always been "A loader in the Dsmo-
cratic party in Ytz,O county. No
one ever took more prominent
part In bull DOING negroes or III
tim dating white Republicans than
tie did. Three years ago the 5her-
1T Of the county was Republican,.
4 uum Der OF the gamblers IF Y 2 10
were indicted, among them DIXON
All of the Indicted parties but DIX
on went into another county. A
deputy sheriff named Mitchell
went af er the gamblers and arresi-
ii som of them. The Sheriff OF
fhe county aud Deputy Sheriff
Mitchell became very OOnox,ods to
Dixon and others, and they deter
ninrd to drive The off ;ers out of
the county or put them out OF the
way. AT political meeting held
At that time Mitchell was present.
The meeting was u hot one, and
Dixon was tile principal actor IN it,.
In the excitement Deputy Sheriff
Mitchell was shot dead. The CIR
:umstances under which he was
KILLED led to Dixon being accused
If his murder. Dixon never de-
MED 1t, and no one III Yazo0 be
deves that any one else killed
Mitchell.
"Dlxon and Barksdale were al
ways gopd friends. BarksdaIe was
member of Que Of the best fami
lies of Mississippi. He Is about
twenty-five years Old and lunar
ri-d His uncle, j. I. Birksdale, of
The firm Of Barksdale g. Smith, Is II
wealthy aud Influential citizen nj
Lie county, and Is widely aud f4v-
orably known in New York bust
aess circles. The reason that Dixon
became Candidate for Sheriff was
hat lie had lost - great deal of
property, and tho re- was heavily
-ncumbered. The office of Sheriff
nf Y.zto county is worth from
So 0OO to $1,000 u year. Although
Yazoo county is Republican, the
Il .publioans had no ticket in the
tield. No one i'll Yazoo county had
lone more to bring about the state
OF affairs that led the Republicans
% think IL was unsafe TO run a
ticket than Henry NJ. Dixon. But
he conceived the idea of getting { he
office, and he interested the negroes
IN his cause. He assured them
that he would stand by them. They
knew his reckless character, and
believing that he would do all he
promised, they made him their
ieaier. He desired the Office In or
Ter that the income from it might
help him in his financial troubles.
"At the beginning of the cam
paign 1t was James Barksdale's in.
IGNITION to try for the Democrat ic
nomination for Sheriff Dixon
went to him. jimmy he said,
you don't want to be candidate
against me. Go for something
else, and let me get Sheriff if cam
"Barksdale consented to with
draw his name as a candidate for
sheriff, aud accepted the nominal
ton OF Chancery Clerk. This office
Is almost as good as Sheriff. The
CANVASS opened, and everything
went peaceably for time Finally
It transpired that the presence of
Sarksdale on the Democratic ticket
vas strengthening that ticket
throughout. Then Dixon began
his tactics to weaken B4rksIale.
He set afloat many damaging sto
rles, and capped them all by cnarg-
ing Barksdale with maintaining
'ilicit relations with his own sister.
Fhls so enraged BarksdaIe that
he sent word TO Dixon that he must
rok cut for himself when they
met.
"On the day of the shooting
Barksdale was standing in the
principal street of Y 400. There il
nnly one business street, aud il
'uns clear through the place.
Barksd lie had shotgun, for he
was likely to meet d Kan atany
lime. He was taking to some
friends when DIXON came down tn.
street. When b. ksdaie saw him
he cried oal:
"Henry, defend yourself !"
"Henry Immediately drew his
evolver from his hip pocket
b kadale fired. Dixon ran to a
hallway on the opposite side OF the
-treet, Bnrksdaie fired his oih-i
barrel. Dixon returned the fir,
five times win his revolver. Barks-
iale's first shot had been The fatat