Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-09-03

The deed was committed about 10 a. H.,
July 4th. Chattanooga, for weeks previ-
ously, had been industriously preparing a
suitable decoration of the day. The whole
vicinity had been wrought up to the proper
degree of excitement, and on the day in
question the surrounding country was almost
deserted, giving thieves, burglars and men
of Lawson's ilk free license. James Don
aldson, the father of the victim, rents a
farm about three miles south of the city.
His farm is poor and demands constant at
tention and cultivation to afford even poor
livelihood, and on the day in question the
p-ovident farmer forbore participating in
the pleasures of the day, and induced his
industrious daughters to remain at home
and assist. The supposition is that Lawson,
who had formerly been employed by Mr..
Donaldson, imagined that he had
gone to the city and left his
house unprotected and a prey to
burglars, and intent on this purpose he pro-
ceeded cautiously toward the dwelling,
when he espied Miss Nancy busily engaged
at her labor on the farm, being employed in
plowing small field some distance from the
house, and from where the rest of the fam
lily were at work Lawson at once saw his
opportunity to perpetrate hellish deed and
satiate his lustful passion. AS the young
lady approached clump of bushes, where
Lawson lay concealed, like beast in wait
ing he sprang forward and before she could
scream, gagged her by throwing her clothes
over her head. She fought fiercely, but he
soon overcame this by tying her hands with
hickory thongs, and dragged her into the
heart of the woods and proceeded to exc
cute his design. The victim still struggled
4 10 OF how {ha
brute slashed and cut her across the face,
body and legs with razor IN the most hor-
rible manner, inficting dreadful wounds
from which the blood flowed copiously, and
in this poo of gore he ruined her, compell-
ing her to keep silent by threatening to
kill her.
As soon as he disappeared she freed her
hands by gnawing the thongs, and her
screams attracted her 1atner, 10 Wnom sne
related the terrible tale.
force was at once organized to hunt
down the wretch, but on account of the
multitude in the city the search proved un-
successful. but he was found at his home in
bed the following night. When he saw
the officer, he attempted to escape, where
upon the officer fired upon him, the bullet
glancing off and inficting only slight
wound In his coat was found the razor
with which he mutiliated the lady, the
marks of blood being fresh upon it. The
committing magistrate sent him to jail
without the benefit of bail. He was tried
by the circuit court July 27, the jury con-
siIsting of white men, and after a fair and
impartial trial. the defendant being repre-
sented by able counsel, appointed by the
Judge to represent him, the verdict rendered
by the jury the next morning after the
trial was guilty, and without any recon-
mendations, and on the following day he
was sentenced by the judge to be hanged
September 2.
Lawson heard his sentence pronounced
without any visible emotion. His Life in
Jail since the sentence has been deyeid of
anything of interest. About two weeks
after his doom was sealed he declared he
had religion. He appeared at all times