The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-20

Opening the little door, which is painted O
fresh yellow color and grained after the la, nsua
yawns like the cataconibs. H. Is only about
three feet in width, and extends the whole
length of the hall, which is about eight feet
1t extends, also, under the first section OF the
1t Is not four feet.
The floor of this closet is not part of the
floor OF the hall. 1t is composed OF shor'
boards, roughly nailed TO the sleepers, Whlct
run North and South.
THE EVIDENCES OF THE GRAVE.
There are many facts which point indispu
tably to the conclusion that DR.. Mellow at
tempted to dig q grave for his victim under
the stairway in this little closet. The creates,
is that the floor of that part which Is under
the first section Is torn up, and was fonnc
loosely replaced by the gentleman who made
the Investigation Tuesday night. There Is 6
spade, which was found caked with Just the
kind of soil as that which is found beneath
this floor. There is in the closet under the flool
q hole which shows signs of having been re
Gently dug. II is not deep nor long; there
could not have been more than two or three
shovels full of earth taken from 1t, and these
had been thrown up on the side.
There Is faint trace OF blood on the faclne
Of the door, and some also on the handle OF the
spade. Some Of the gentlemen Of the coro
ner's jury claim to have found blood clotteC
with sand at the bottom OF the pit and ON the
sand cakcd on the spade.
THE TELLTALE wHITEwAsH.
Another strong proof that DIR. Mellow haG
been in that closet during the afternoon wa:
the fact that the crown Of his hat was slightly
crushed in and bore tangible evidence OF the
fact that it had been In contact with white
washed wall. The only piece of whltewash
ed wall In the basement, as stated before, |:
that on the under part of the second section
Of stairway.
Lafitte, when he walked out of his office short
ly after the shooting, which walk will be ex
planned further on In this account. He &C
costed him with remark calling his atten
thanked him, took off his hot, Strengthened il
and brushed the whitewash from 1t.
Another evidence IS the fact that Captair
dragged. The back Of the heels are rubbed
and on one of them Is quite an abrasion. Al
OF this seems to speak In clarion tones the
fact that an attempt was made to bury Cap
tain Dawson In the closet.
THE FOOT PRINT OF A WOMAN.
At the bottom of the pit there were found
foot prints OF a man and woman. Only ONE
foot of each had been put In the sand. The
measure Of each was carefully taken by the
coroner, who also secured clots OF what wat
supposed to be blood and sand. This seems
to point TO the fact that DR.. Mellow was &C
companled by woman. Whether she came
in while the grave was being dug or after
wards, cannot be told. She was hardly assist
ing him to drag the body from the office to the
closet, for two of them might have lifted the
body. The foot prints were most probably
made in replacing the boards over the little
pit. They were just In the position that such
tracks would DO made by person reaching
for and replacing boards In such close place
THE ALLEGED USE OF THE CLOSET.
1t is hardly probable that the body was evel
placed in the little pit dug for 1t. The blood
found there-if indeed it was blood-may bt
accounted for by the fact that the closet wal
som etimcs used to bury chips of fresh in aftel
a dissection. 1t is stated that the closet wal
used for that object.
The pit was not dug large enough to put s
man as large as the victim OF the shooting ir
it and replace the floor. The body was hardly
dragged any further than the door OF thu
closet.
Only one small piece Of plank was fount
with blood on 1t Of all the pieces taken from
the closet. and no stains were found either OIL
the floor OF the office, where the body fell
along the floor where it was dragged. nor a
the closet door, where 1t was rested. Tht
blood, therefore, on the spade and the doc
frame, as we'll as on the piece Of board, ar,
pieces OF flesh from dissection. They ali ap
pear to have been made by u bloody hand
The hinges of the door have lately been taker
off. The door was nailed back In It's place
Such, then, Is the apparent testimony Of tht
closet, given In full.
CAPTAIN DAwSON'S MISSING HAT.
While the examination was going on abou
the Office Tuesday night, a search was insti
tuted for Captain Dawson's hat, which wa!
missing. 1t not being found. Private Gordon
was sent TO the Jail to request the Doctor t
send his hat, thinking probably that he hac
put on Captain Dawson's. His hat remained
missing until yesterday, when Lieutenant
Heidi found 1t: II was at the bottom OF thu
vault In the back yard.
After finding II, Lieutenant Heidt rode ove
to the jail and asked DIR. Mellow what he hat
done with Captain Dawson's hat He unhesi
tatingly told the officer, and said II wal
thrown there In the excitement of the hour.
WHY lie WISHED TO HIDE THE BODY.
The question has been asked thousanC
times on the street: Why did DIR. Mellow ut
tempt TO hide the body, and this has done
more to prejudice his cause thar all the res
put together. The explanation Of this Is moi
hard TO find. IL Is the natural Impulse of 6
man when reason Is dethroned by sudden
shock. The doctor declined himself to make
any statements In regard to the matter.
VISIT To'DR. M'Dow.
A World reporter called on the doctor i'm
mediately after the facts stated above had
been ascertalned to be facts. but he declined
to talk. He was In one Of the common cages
In the jail, but there was q sofa In the cell
and everything was neatly kept. He rap-
peared to be laborlng under severe agitation
and was very nervous. He said he had put
himself entirely into the hands of his coun.
sci, and did not belong to himself He
thanked the World for the clear statement OF
his case, and the justice done him IN the re-
port Of yesterday. He begged the reporter
not to question him, as he would be bound To
say too much, and that would be Oil inJus.
tice to his counsel, to whom he belonged
Judge Magrath is the counsel retained by the
prisoner
had already said; that he had shot Captain
Dawson in self-defence, and because he
was attacked. He had no quarrel with Cap
tain Dawson and certainly would never
81, I,iK laA ,Nt ,In
him. He was small man physically, while
Captain Dawson was an athlete.
He showed the reporter bump on his
head which he said was made with Captain
Dawson's cane.
Captain Dawson's cane Is large malacca
cane, with an oxidzed silver head. 1t looks
as heavy as a policeman's club, but when
taken up is as light as If It We're made of pa
per; yet good lick could be hit with 1t.
Or. Nc Dow hoped that the public would at
least do him justice. He asked for no more,
feeling satisfied that he was justiflable In the
DIR. M'Dow BUYS CANDLES.
Chief Golden stated that after hearing the
pistol shot, he remained some time In that
neighborhood, and that presently DR.. Mellow
came out Of bis office and walked to the cor
ner shop on Rutledge street, near his house.
and purchased two candles and some apples,
and returned Immediately It was then that
Mr.. Lafltte accosted him with the remark
about his hat. 1t was later that Mrs. Mellow
came OuL Win Inc CnIlQ ana W6nC QOWn HuL-
ledge street. Miss Smith, 1t Is thought. came
out a few minutes before her, and went to
Mrs. Gaillard's.
1t is surmised that these ladies in the up.
per part Of the house, hearing the pistol shot.
rushed down to the office and found the doc.
tor and his victim.
Policeman Gordon said that, although he
was standing near the house. he was not GER
to certain that he heard the shot, for two
street cars were passing at the same time.
thaL IS why the neighbors were not alarmed.
OBsEoUIEs.
Before 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon the