The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-07-04
Not Guilty.

Committee.
Not Guilty.
CHARLESTON, S. G., June 29.-This,
the last day of the Mellow trial, has been
one of intense excitement and interest.
Not even on the day that Captain Daw.
sons body Was found lying in the Office
of his murderer was the community so
worked up. The crowd in the court room
vas somewhat mixed in character.
Nearly all the clergymeu in the city, in.
Guiding Bishop Northrop, we're there and
leading citizens of all professions were
scattered around in the crowd, but the
court room is a comparatively confined
space and the interest extended far
beyond its limits. Men thronged the
streets and the universal topic of conver-
sation was the McDow trial and the
probable verdict of the jury. The clerks
in the telephone exchange were kept un-
usually busy answering calls from subscri-
bers who wanted to ask other subscribers
nearer the court house what progress they
were making in the trial.
Mellow came into court as usual and
sat through the argument and the charge
of the Judge With his usual confident
stare. He looked, however, a little less
clipper than he did during the examina-
tion Of Marie Burdey while she was telling
the story of her shame and disgrace, and
he did not smile quite 80 frequent. He
seemed to realize to the fullest extent the
words of his counsel, Mr.. Cohen, who, in
addressing the jury, told them that they
were the whole world to the prisoner.
They proved mighty good world to him,
too.
Mr., Michel's argument lasted only about
two and half hours.
Judge Kershaw then charged the jury,
who retired to their room at tabout one
o'clock. Judge Kershaw's charge was
short but to the point. The following
extracts will give fair idea of it.: After
defining the various grades of homicides,
he said, "I can find nothing in the law to
assert that mans home extends more
protection than his Office except that only
those having right can enter the house ;
but the Office being public, to certain
extent, any one may enter it. If the
young lady's connection with the Dawson
family was such as she describes it, it WAS
high duty for him to divert her from
wrong, and if he went into the Office as
her guardian, he is not to be regarded as
q trespasser. A man after legally enter
ing an Office may, by offensive conduct,
become trespasser. Angry words are
no excuse for homicide. The accused is
not the Judge of the necessity of taking
life, but the jury are judges on this
point"
Most of the crowd in the court house
left the room after the jury had gone out.
The negroes, however, and the other
friends Of Mellow, remained, the former
hanging around the court house and the
latter remaining inside.
Shortly after two o'clock it was announc.
ed that the jury had agreed upon a YER
dict. Judge Kershaw resumed his seat
and Mellow, who had been sitting with
his counsel during the trial, was placed in
the prisoners dock. He evidently had
the utmost confidence in his world" the
jury, for when they filed into their seats
he showed no more emotion than he did
all through the trial, even when he was
describing how he buried the body of his
victim. The verdict was not guilty, an
announcement that Was received With
applause by the negroes and McDow's
white friends. They had been prepared
for the verdict. They knew the negroes
1.-THE jury would never convict him and
the worst they apprehended Was mis-.
trial.
As soon as Judge McGrath had written
out the motion for the discharge of the
prisoner and Judge Kershaw had signed
| it the Sheriff removed his deputy from
beside the dock and told the prisoner he
could go free. Then his friends pressed
around him.
The first to shake his hand and speak
to him was G. D. Ahrens, his wife's
father. DR.. j. B. Colesen, dentist, was
next then Deputy Clerk of Court Wink.
ler, and W. u. Ahrens, a prominent Re-
publican politician. Two other white
men, names unknown, and his counsel
followed. The court room had been
cleared by this time and pr. McDow, es.
corted as above, left the room. Going
down stairs he passed through the lobby
out of the rear door. There grand re-
ception awaited him. About three hun.
dred negroes under the lead of John
Frazier, colored hackman, had assem-.
bled. AS the procession emerged and
Mellow entered the triumphal carriage
which awaited him, Frazier flung his hat
in the air and the dusky crowd responded
with repeated cheers. Then the carriage
drove of, and the black mob followed at
a trot and cheering until they were left
behind. Mellow, it is said, was driven to
his house on Rutledge Street.
His future movements are not known.
This evening the negroes are rejoicing in
an undisguised manner over the verdict.
They regard it as victory over the white
race snd G retaliation for Captain
Dawson's editorial on the Pickens lynch.
ers.