The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-27
DoDSoN'S DIRE DEED,
AND THE OBJECT HE HAD IN VIEW.
u. Murdered the Negro la Hopes tn. Body
Woald Be Mistaken for His OWp. and 81. Life
Insurance Money Paid to Ills Wifs-Hs
CSOlI Gives the Whole SaAp Away

DANyILLE, Va, April 28.-The coroner's
inquest upon the body OF tho colored man
.. found in the burning dwelling OF W. T.
| Dodson on Monday morning was concluded
to-day, with the verdict that said body was
that OF James Read, who came to his death
by wound inflicted upon his head with
some blunt instrument supposed to be in
the hands Of w. T. Dodson.
When the north bound passenger train
on the Virginia Midland Rrailroad reached
Galveston station, about twenty.six miles
north OF Danville, Dodson got aboard and
was at once arrested by StationAgent Scott
and Conductor Gregg and by the former
brought back 10 Danville on the south
bound freight train. His arrest having
been telegraphed, his coming on the freight
arrived considerable crowd had collect
ed at the depot. The prisoner was taken
In charge by the Chief OF Police, hurried
into an omnibus, rapidly driven to the Jail,
and incarcerated. AS the omnibus passed
up Main street, tremendous crowd OF
people were gathered On the sidewalks, but
~ hGIG lllhut.
DoDsoS's CONFESSION.
After the prisoner was lodged in cell
Chief Of Police, attended by Policeman
Louvre and the jailer, went in to search
bis person and to see that he was safely
secured. With them Dodson entered into
conversation and voluntarily untolded the
details Of his horrid crime. He said he
had recently insured his life for $500,
which amount he desired his wife and
children to get. To that end he conceived
the scheme Of putting dead mans body
into his dwelling house, which he was oc-
cupying alone, having sent his wife and
children TO her fathers house, then setting
fre'to the house and vanishing himself 10
Texas. By thus leaving the dead body to
be mistaken for his remains, as II burned
in the house, he thought lie could secure
the payment of the insurance money 10 his
wife and children.
In furtherance OF his scheme he en-
ployed two hurley negro men, whom he
picked up on the street on Sunday, but
whose names he did not know, though he
would recognize one OF them were he TO see
him again, TO assist him. He bargained with
them to pay each $50 If they would on Sun
day night bring a dead body to his house
at y late hour; telling them he wanted the
body for dissection. He gave the key Of
the house to these negro men, and said he
would comein later and join them there.
1t happened that the weather on Sunday
night was the most tempestuous known in
this latitude for years, and just suited
for such All atrocious deed OF diabolism
as that here related. At one o'clock
that night he went home and found
the two men there, and with
them third negro man whom be did not
know. All three were sitting in his sleep.
ing room. When he came in the two ne
groes he had employed knocked the third
whom they had brought with them, in the
head, and he feir and died between the
table and the dressing stand, where pool
Of blood was found. BY his direction his
two negro assistants took the body up stairs
10 the hall story room above and laid it on
the floor. After they came down he paid
them $50 each and dismissed them, and
they left him alone in the house.
Ills METHOD OF SETTING THE HOUSE on FIRE.
Hethen, amid the howlings Of the still
raging tempest, proceeded to complete his
diabolical work. Taking some OF the cover
ing from his bed be went upstairs, with a
dim lantern in his hand, and covered the
body up in it. Upon it he poured gallon
Of kerosene. He then drew up the legs
and 80 arranged them as to hold lighted
candle between them. He placed half a
candle, six inches long, in position and
lighted 1t, and then went back down stairs
to his sleeping room. Here he saturated
his bed with kerosene and placed the other
half OF the candle in position, so that
when II burned down it would set the
bed Oh fire. At this point he remarked
that that was where he maize mistake,
for he should have used shorter piece OF
candle, which would have burned sooner,
and then the house would have burned
down before day break. Near his bed, he
said, he placed his watch and bunch OF
KEYS to confirm the belief that the body,
when found in the burned house, was his.
Having completed these arrangements he
left the house,th hour being2 o'clock, AN.
HIS wAHDERISGs AFTER THE CRIME.
He wandered about town an hour or so,
and then set out on foot upon the line OF
the Virginia Midland Railroad. On Mon
day lie walked to Chatham and spent the
night there; next morning he tried TO get
newspaper to ascertain the effect Of his
work in setting his house atlre, but he was
unable to obtain paper! He walked fur.
ther on along the line Of the railroad, and
at Galveston got aboad the train for the
purpose only Of procuring a newspaper,
Intending to get Oft at the next station. He
said he intended, II he found from the
newspaper that his scheme OF burning had
succeeded, TO jump the country, 60 10 Texas
and start lie anew under new name but
II It failed he thought he might as well give
himself up. On his person was found in
currency nearly $3.50.
The prisoners story as 10 his two alleged
negro accomplices excites intense interest,
but II is not believed by some. His dec.
laration that he does not know their names
and Is entirely unacquainted with them
seems TO preclude all Glew to their discov-
cry, but every effort will be made by the
authorities to discover the bottom facts in
this terrible story.
PIasterers' atriRe.
nn