The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-09
SHOWED FROM A CAR STEP
FRED DIXoN's AssAILANT A BELT
LINE CONDUCTOR.


Critical 49, Charles Williamson Ar
rested for the Assault and Held for
an Examination he Finding oil
Dixon-The Stories of Of1cer:Arnold
and Other Witnesses Difer-How
DIXON Appeared in olice Court.
The result Of the publication in the
MORNING News yesterday Of the facts Of
the arrest, and afterward discovered in
juries, Of the Ex-Lighthouse Keeper Fred
Dixon has brought out some startling de-
velopments Dixon was still lying uncon-
scious last night, and his assailant, Charles
Williamson, is in the barracks, and will be
brought before Justice Elsinger this morn
ing on a warrant sworn out by Eugene
Wilson charging williamson with assault
with intent TO murder.
II there was any systematic effort made
Yesterday by the authorities t. bring out
the facts it does not appear Thus far the
Investigations Of the MORNING NEWS and
the man Wilson seem to be all that has
been done except Sergeant Killourhy's in
vestigatiOn by interrogating Policeman
Arnold, whose statement Of the matter
does not at all conform with the facts as
they have been obtained from others by
the MORNING NEWS.
The FINDING or DIXoE
The facts as learned last night arc as fol
lows: Two white sailors, George Smith and
John McGugann, discovered Dixon, shortly
after night fall: Tuesday lying Bay
street, OF the foot OF Habersharn street. with
his feet near the track, and his body lying
10 pool Of blood. lie WIS unconscious,
and they Int match and looked at him,
and believed him to be dead. They picked
him up and carrying him across
Bay street laid him down on
grass plat. John Kely, a
longshoreman, better known as Australian
Kelly" who had seen Dixon from distance
fall from the car, anne up, and very soon
young white man and a colored man jon cd
the group Kelly lit a match and, holding
il close to the unconscious mans face
recognized Dixon, and told the colored man
that he ought to try and have him taken
TO his home.
Meantime the sailors who had carried
DIXON from the street 10 the grass plat
discovered signs OF life, and got Dixon up
in a half sitting posture, and Smith sug
gested that some one ought to telephone to
the barracks and have the injured man
taken t. a hospital
WHO SENT THE TELEPHONE MESSAGE.
The young white man whose name has
not been learned volunteered TO do the
telephOning, aud went Off, and it is pre-
su ed that it was he who did telephone,
resulting in Officer Arnold, the sallyport
sentinel, going down to look after Dixon.
The officers eport to Sergeant Killourhy
that he found Dixon lying with his head in
the gutter, where it had evidently been in
iured by falling and striking the curbing
and with blood on his coat sleeve, AMI that
a white man with a long black coat was
standing near by had said che is in bad
fix is only in part consistent with the
statement Of the sailors that the injured
man had been carried from the street and
laid out on the grass plat
Instead OF taking Dixon to the hospital
Arnold carried him to the barracks
lodged the charge Of drunkenness against
him, locked him up over night with a frac-
tured skull, and the mayor fined him the
next morning. The dazed condition of
prisoner was noticed no effort made to iu-
Vestigate his strange behavior, and he was
hurried off to jsll without surgical atten-
ton or an effort made to communicate with
his family.
BELT LINE CONDUCTOR ARRESTED.
What effort, if any, was made by the
city authorities 10 find the party who had
assaulted Dixon is not known, but what
ever was me, it amounted to nothing. The
only thing so far known is that when
Eugene Wilson traced the matter up aud
pointed out the assailaut TO Officer Floyd
at $50 o'clock last night, Williamson was
promptly arrested.
Wilson, who is a friend and brother
Mason and Odd Fellow of Dixon. tells an
interesting story II how he worked up the
case. He says that acting on the cue that
Kelly had given him that Dixon had fallen
OH, or had been pushed from a Belt Line
car, be started out to locate the car. He
visited the Belt Line stables and consulted
one II the force there, but got no infOrma-
ton from that quarter as tn what particu-
lar car left the stable at the
hour which the car must have left
from which Dixon was thrown He
learned finally from the sta bleman that it
was car No. B. and he went to the superin-
tendent for further information. The super
inteldent could not say, but Wilson says
that when he asked If It were not No 5, as
the stableman had said, he said that he be-
lieved 1t was He had heard something
whispered about man being put off the
ca, but had paid little attention to it.
THE CONDUCTORS ADMISSION.
With these facts In hand Wilson went
from one car to another until no found No
5. and James Burke, sexton of Christ
church being on board be asked Burke in
low tone TO listen to the conversation he
WAS 20 ug 10 nave with CONDUCTOR W Ill
hanson. Wilson is 80 bright that one would
mistake him for white man, and address,
ing himself 70 the conductor he said, las
was going down the Bay Tuesday night
saw you giving a negro -." To
this Wilson says that Williamson
replied, Eyes. don't allow any - -
- - - - of negro TO insult me
by telling me that ! steal aud curse In my
car, aud ] gave him a good beating
and Knocked him of the car" Wilson
made some commonplace remark, and after
having obtained the confession hs wanted,
had Officer Floyd arrest WILLIAMSON.
DlKous condition is quite critical. Yes
terday afternoon hs vOmted blood show
ing "a more alarming condition, and he only
had one semi-!ucid interv9i during the
afternoon, aud that for but moment or
two 1t was found improcticable 20 re-
move him to the hospital yesterday, and last
night at y o'clock he was unconscious and
Ia. r.., At.