Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-16
TRAGIC HOMICIDE.
ni..sp os ,ur wa, rnun A nAso,

niL,sD Or pur WAY rRuu a DANuE,
John p,sor, u So,.n U",or.d us.p,rsdo OF
'ho Wei-n mountsi0r, slain by Ooo
OF hi' Companions.
This morning Charles Thomas, Lewis
Parker aud William Wilson three ooloied
men, OF Salisbury township, were lodged In
the county prison ou tho charge Of killing
John Dixon, n Welsh mountain colored
man. The facts oi the case as related 10y dif
feront persons. seem to show that the
killing was done In self defense. IL ap-
pears that on Saturday night the oolored
people II tho vicinity of the Gap held n
dance At the house Of George Woudburp.
jr. This house IN situated at the edge Of
u densey wooded tract, about one milo
northeast of Mount Vernon hotel, aud
three miles or more from tho Gap, on the
road leading from Limovillo to tho Phi,a
delphia and Lancaster turnpike.
story OF the Crime.
Dixon has the reputation OF u noted
rough, aud attended the dance in an in.
toxicated condition, Ho IL said to have
at once began To piok quarrel about n
girl named Lizzie Peters, with whom he
desired to dance. Lewis Parker, one of
the men under arrest, was playing the
fiddle for tho party. Some tima ago Par
ker was badly whipped by Dixon, and the
latter began tn tease him about this Park
or said that he knew Dixon could whip
him, and he did not desire To have any
moro trouble, Dixon was not satisfied with
this, aud began to curse tho wife of Parker
Tho latter asked him To desist, but Dixon
refused and offered To whip any one In the
house. Finding 1t was impossible to keep
him quiet Parker said he would 20 home
with his wife, as hc thought his presence
might lead to row.
wilson's rsiaI fIst BIow-.
| Parker aud his wife, WIN. Wilson,
| Charles Thomas ard several women then
started towards the pike ou their way
home. Dixon followed them aud asked
Wilson for u pistol to shoot Parker. Will
son said he would not give him q weapou
to iDjuro any person At this Dixon
became greatlyenragod aud ran lt Wilson,
! who retroatcd some distance. Dixon fol
lowed when Wilson turned aud threw him
down. While he was lying ON the ground
| Wilson struck him twice with his fist on
either side OF the head, and said Will
that settle 1t, J1hn?" Tue prostrate man
made no reply, ard Wilson aud Peter
Woodburu attempted to assiSt hun to his
feet. The latter lifted up the unconscious
man and carried him short distance. They
tbcu discovered, to their surprise and
horror, that Dixon was dead
They at once carried his body to tho
wagon shed OF the Mt. Vernon hotol aud
proceeded To tho Gap, arriving there about
three o'clock, They there aroused A.
Slaymaker, justice OF tho peace aud, after
giving u statement of their crime, which
agrees with the above, they surrendered
themselves.
Tue UurpusT- iIque't
Justice Slaypmkcr, in company with
DR.. A. q. y Parkr, proceeded to tho
scene of tho tragedy Ia the morning. AS
deputy coroner, Squire Slaymsker im
! pannoled the following gentlemen -
serve as jury, and an inquest WAS held
John Robinson, David NJ. SOudcTs Levi
Mclaughlin, VIM. II. Marsh, Amos
Townsend and jacob Templeton. The
verdict Of tho jury was that John Dixon
came to his death Ut the hands ol William
Wilson, IN company with Charles Thomas
and Lewis Parker"
\ Was u - PatpI Shot?
The body was then handed over to
y Frederick Jackson, brother in.aw of the
, deceased. Jackson Appeared before Justice
/, Slaymaker on Sunday Afternoon, aud
testified that in dressing the murdered
man Tor burial he discovered wound on
his right arm near the elbow, apparently
" committed the deed dec arc that no deadly
I weapon was used. Although Wilson /,
the man who struck Dixon, Thomas ant
Parker, both thought IL best tO give them
selves up, which they did, and made NJ
resistance to their removal To prison.
Tho Dead Msn's hI,tory.
y Tho man who was killed was about Al
I years OF age. .He had no permanent resi-
dence, but has boon roaming aronud fUI
!. some time. When in the nelghborhood h,
usually lived around the mountain. Hi
, reputation is said To have boon worry bad
Il and he was regarded as quarrelsome. IL,
a had been implicated in n number q
a crimes, aud served four years III tn,
/, county prison for breaking into tn,
- store of Howard l.. Townsend, at Smyrna
a He was also charged with brutllly assault
- ing an old woman on the Welsh mountain
- and another i'll Chester county Although
4 warrants for his arrest ou the first charg,
wore issued, aud two companions were ar
resto |, he Inauaged to make his escape
. | Warrants wore also issued for his arrest oi
). other charges, but he was hard to find. Tn
q officers state that he was a very hard Gus
= toner, and that he might have receive,
the bullet wound Ia hiB arm in a numbs
!" of ways, for he had often been shot at.
. Who tho Prisoners Are.
a, or tho prisoners, Thomas is a marrie
,s man about 30 years of age. aud farms tn,
"a place Of Clinton lIeiDes, in Salisbur
township. Wilson is about 23 years O
d age, and also married, and resides wit
~ Thomas. Parker lives in the tenant hous
- OF Squire Kennedy, near Rising Sun, aud
.. 30 years old. lie also has wife. Tn
, men are said TO have heretofore borne goo
"a characters.