The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-20
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
DAWSON HOMICIDE.
Evidence of Attemps TO Bury the VIC
Tins BOdy-.-Thc Closet Under Inc
Stairs, and the Story IL "o"io
Seem 10 Tell-..Capt. DawsOns F"-
ncral Services.
augusta Chronlicat.

Seem 10 TeIl...Capt. Dawson's r"
neral Services.
augusta Chronicai
CHARLESTON, S. c., March H.-The inques
on the body of Captain Dawson was Ield 10
day. A drenching rain ana wlho seoin,
Which has prevailed since the nlSnC OF tn'
murder, prevented the gathering OIL a croWu
and nrobably saved the murderer from lynch
ing. He was brought out OF the Jall aoouI =
n. IN. and placed I'm police patrol Wagon. q
guard of four policemen and three SpecIt
deputy shcriffs accompanied him. Az ms re-
Quest, he was first driven TO the office Oh III:
counsel, Governor A. q. Margrath, the las
secession governor Of South Carolina. ~:
counsel however, did uos deGomRaHd 9G ndf develot
ANYTHING startling. Only three witnesses
We're Examined. The first was Policeman
Gordon, whose testimony was snostantiaiiS
as follows: He had been aetaileu " vail mI
walking about the western section OF the CITY
insulting ladies and girls by an exposure o
his person. On the afternoon OF the nlurGei
he was in the vicinity OF the scene VI III, ~,
murder. A negro hack driver told him thai
he had
HEARD A PISTOL SHOT
in McDow's office. He went there ana saw
Mrs. Mellow leaving her house, Win nel
child. Then he rang the ofhce peil, anu M.
Dow opened the door only iar enough ~ !,
enable him to see who was at the bell. Ht
asked Mellow If anything was the matter
and was ans wered in the negative. Mellow
shut and locked the door. and the Wlthes;
heard him moving something INSIDE the VI
flee This was about o'clock. ittle srs De
fore :, Mellow came out in his buggy and sur
rendered himself. During the time WheI
Mellow came out q white woman approacheC
the buggy and spoke with him iGra hn mioue wo,nr
who had been living in McDow's house. he
presence in the house is supposed 10 nave
been the cause Of Mr. McDow's leaving th'
house.
IIARPER'S TESTIMONY.
Moses Harper, the hack driver, who tolt
Gordon about the pistol shot, corroboraiet &c
the statement of the previous witness. H'
saw Dawson leave the street car ana ente
McDows otieentime M So SSo ?, p ~ heard the pisto
Kind Of groans. Then heard voice: 'lo'
said youd take my lite.' , l.,
Moses Johnson, McDow's diver, swore M ~
knew nothing about the matter, as ala aiss
Emma Drayton, McDow's cook, who, accord
ing to two witnesses, stood guard at tne eat'
while Mellow was trying to bury the pody Q
his victim. Mellow refused to make an!
statement. The jury returned the following
That deceased came to his death from gun
that Moses johnson the negro coachman) wa
accessory before the fact.
SUSPICIOUS OF POISON.
The prisoners were then remapded TO jail
| In explanation OF the verdict, II Is SAID ina
| there is evidence, not yet publlshei, whlcl
carry notes. II is now probable that the bod,
of the murdered man will be eXhumcd fo
the purpose of holding post mortem eXaml
nation. 1t is noted that the physician wht
examined the body did not make post NOR
TEN examination, but only probed for m
ball, which he failed to find. In view OF MI
bows statement that his victim lived 10
nearly three quarters of an hour after he hat
III hnt n
| trying to remove him, the theory is now ad
| vanccd that the wound might not nave beer
fatal, and that tho murderer. In order to sea
| the lips of his victim. might have admins
cred morphine or some other deadly drug.
MDOwS ONE SIN.
Mellow admits that his victim lived 70
over half an hour after he was shot and tha
he remained with him. with his victim S heat
| in his lap until lie died, while the murderet
mans wife and children were within tn
sound of his voice. 1t was not until he hat
failed in burying the body In his closet tina
| Inc gave himself up. Mellow in statemen
| to reporter Of II city paper admits that Iii
| fondness for women was his one SIN.
| The French maid, who was the moving
cause Of the tragedy. isat Captain Dawson
house. Her statement has not yet been givel
| to the police or the public. She was Droush
out from Lousanne, Switzerland, by Mrs
| Dawson several years ago, and Is said to b,
| the daughter Of Swiss parents, anu OF lire
| proachable character.
TRIED TO PERSUADE HER TO ELoPE.
| The story goes that Mellow made her nc
| quaintance and tried TO persuade her to elop'
With him. Mr.. &. ID. ,Ahrens. the father o
Mrs. Mellow, had lived with his daughter ant
| her husband until last Christmas, when ht
suddenly left and went to q hotel, where II,
has since resided. He refuses to speak abou
the matter. Mr. Ahrens IS rich mcrchan
at the grocery business he retired after hi:
daughters marriage. II is said that aftel
leaving his daughters house he had changed
his will, and had willed all his property tt
his daughter. reroking the provision which
made Mellow his executor.
Another Story of the Inquest.
CHARLESTON, S. c., March 1.-THE inquest IN
Capt Dawson's case began and concluded this
morning, Solicitor Jervey, OF the judicial cir
cult, assisting at the examination. The pro
ceedings, Notwithstanding the drenching
rain, attracted great crowd OF spectators
Four witnesses were examined. Policeman
Gorlen, to whom Mellow, the prisoner, sur.
rendered. testified TO that fact and related The
conversation with the prisoner EN- route tC
the station house. The only material state
ment is that the prisoner admitted killing
Capt. Dawson.
G.. w Harper, the colorcd hackman, testi,
fed that he was OH the opposite side of the
street, when Captain Dawson entered DR.. Nc
Dow'S Office, that alter shooting he heard the
words 'you said you would take my life, now
have taken yours" Harper testifes that a
colored woman, a vender of peanuts, was
peeping through the window and that Nc
Dow's cook, Emma Drayton, came 70 the gate
and ordered her away. Moses Johnson. Nc.
Dow's. coachman, testified and denied all
knowledge of the killing. He heard the shot
IN tie doctors office and was ordered by Dr.
McDoT'S wife to investigate the cause, out
swore he did MT go.
Emma Drayton, tho 2ook. also denied any
knowledge Of the affair, cxoept ns to hearing
the pistol shot, She denied a great sea! OF
Moses jchnsOn's testimony, also the testinG-
ny Of Policeman Gordon and the hack driver
Harper. A woman named Janc Mitchell was
ARRESTED OH suspicion q being the peanut