The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-07-02
HOW TWAS DONE.
DIR. Mellow Tells on the Witness
Stand How Dawson Was
Murdered.

Charleston, s. c., June 26. DIR. Nc.
Dow was on the stand for two hours to.
day. He described with graphic minute
ness the murder of Capt. Dawson how BE-
met him at the door of his Office, invited
him in, shot him, tried to resuscitate him
dug grave under the stairway in a closet,
dragged his victims body there to hide it,
and failing in bis purpose, dragged it back
again, laid it out, wiped the blood of its
face and busted its clothes, and then, after
two or three hours, surrendered himself TO
Policeman Gordon. This story he told
twice, from first to last, to the counsel for
the defense, and then to the COUNSEL for the
state, without q look OF remorse or a
change Of countenance.
A more cold-blooded recital of brutal
crime has never been heard here. Mellow
said that on March IL Capt. Dawson came
to his house, rang the bell and was admit
ted by Mellow himself. Mellow said:
ale entered In a domineering manner"
He said, 'Dr. Mellow l have just been in
formed OF your ungentlemanly conduct to-
ward one OF my servants"
Witness replied to this, ''you have not
been informed of the truth"
Capt. Dawson said: "This servant is IN
der my protection, and if you speak to her
again will publish you in my paper"
Mellow rejoined, "and If you do, you in
fernal scoundrel.I will hold you personally
responsible. Leave my house."
al was Immediately struck Oh the head"
continued the witness, with his cane,
which was accompanied by a blow from
his left hand, which PROSTATE me on my
lounge. Then i attempted 10 get up"
The impression was made on witness
that the next blow would kill him. He
was in apprehension of his life. Witness
impulse was to save himself. Capt. Daw-
SON was over him. He had pistol on his
person. He rose and fired. His pistol
was in his hip pocket. Capt. Dawson was
ing aim. He had put his pistol in his
pocket. He carried one ha,Ilually. He
put this pistol in his pocket early in the
morning. Dawson said, in broken voice,
lyon have killed me-"
Witness said: "1ou tried to take my
life; now I've taken yours" He turned
pale, staggered and fell. Witness stood
dumfounded for a moment, and then tried
to resuscitate him. He found that he was
dying. Mellow said that he did not know
wha. he was doing. He threw Dswson's
hat and stick in the sink, and then tried to
hide the body in closet beneath the floor
ing after trying to dig a grave. In trying
to conceal the body he took off the closet
door, got Ratchet and removed soms
boards. He got a spade from the stable
and dug up some earth. He then took the
body under the arms and dragged 1t in the
closet.
"When / got it in the closet" said tht
foolish and altogether wrong. This oc
CURED to me as soon as got it In tn,
closet. L undertook then to remove It.
WIS exhausted, however, and went into tn
Office and rested. Then | went back ant
caught the body by the head, but it was to-
heavy, and / thought would go and &c
a candle, so that could see better to worl
with it. i found when | came back tina
the weight of the body forced the head
down and brought it in contact with som,
OF the boards. / finally succeeded in re
moving the body. could not describe th,
feeling which possessed me at this time
L was almost crazy. L wandered about tn,
house; walked up and down the room
pulling my hair. do not know what al
l did not do. / finally concluded to give
myself up to the authorities. | went out
and surrendered to Gordon"
On cross-examination Mellow said he
supposed the abrasions on the head which
he had heard about were produced by con.
tact with the boards when he was taking
the body out of the hole. They were moi
there before it was put in. In the interim
while the body was In the hole witness
went out and bought some apples. and can
dies. He lit candle, and after repeated
efforts he got the body out Witness
brushed ithe dirt from the clothes and
wiped the blood faOm the face. He put
the body back in the office in order to have
the benefit of the restitution. The body
was not concealed as it lay in the hole, but
il might have been by placing the plank
over il. Witness went to Capt. Dawson's
residence the evening of March II, after
the shooting, with the intention of giving
notice to the family. He asked for the
maid with the intention of breaking it
through her AS she was not there he
came away without saying anything.
DIR. Forrest was called as an expert to up
set tine evidence of DR.. Mitchell. He did
not succeed.
The state will return to the case to-mor-
row. Few persons think Mellow will be
convicted.