The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-30
The Charleston Tragedy.

| me C6aTle5LOQ Tragedy
DR.. Mellow, the slayer Of Capt Dawson,
has been acquitted. The jury was composed
Of seven colored men and five white men
The verdict appeared to give great sstisfac-
ton TO the colored people OF Charleston. It
is reported that they cheered in all parts Of
the city when the news of the result of the
trial reached them The verdict viii hard
ly be considered anywhere otherwise than
an outrage on justice.
The colored people of the south have fire.
quently complained that it was easy to
hang colored man. but impossible to hang
a white man In future when they make
that remark they will be reminded that in
the Mellow case seven colored jurors had a
chance to show that the colored people are
in favor of furnishing white men for taking
human life unlawfully and that the use they
made of it was to give the white man his
liberty.
1t is difficult to see how the jury reached
the conclusion that DR.. Mellow was guilty
Of no crime whatever. 1t was admitted
that he killed Capt. Dawson, ard the de-
Tense was that he committed the deed in
self defense. Before a man is justifisble in
killing another in self defense he must have
good reason for thinking that his own
life is in immediate danger. 1t is true
that DR.. McDCw. in his statement before
the court, said that he believed be was IN
immediate danger of being killed by Capt
Dawson, but it must not be forgotten that
he was deeply interested party. and was
making his defense. What do the facts
n.
a deadly weapon. and he had in his hand
only light cane which weighed less than
six ounces What reason, therefore, had
DIR. Mellow for thinking his life was in
deadly peril
There is another point that must not be
overlooked, and that is that the weight of
testimony showed that Capt Dawson had
his back to Dr. Mellow when he was shot.
If that were tho case, DR.. Mellow, at the
time he fired the fatal shot, could not have
thought that his life was in danger.
DR.. McDow's actions after he had killed
Capt. Dawson were not those of a man who
felt that he lad done justifiable act. He
tried to conceal the body, and it was not
until he found that it was impossible to do
50 that he surrendered TO the authorities.
1t must be admitted that his defense was
most skillfully managed. The fact that
Capt Dawson had entered his Office on a
mission that was likely to provoke quarrel
was made the most of. Undoubtedly Capt.
Dawson acted rashly in going to DR..
McDow's Office, but the motive which led
him there was communicable one, and it
is probable that he did not for a moment
think that he would have any trouble.
Doubtless his idea was that DR.. Mellow
would promptly admit that he had been
guilty of wrong-doing in seeking the Swiss
servant girl, and would promise to let the
girl alone.
The defense could not have been managed
better. DIR. Mellow was not permitted to
give his story in connected narrative. 1t
was drawn out by cleverly put questions so
as TO make the greatest impression on the
jury. 1t was made to appear that DR..
Mellow did not treat Capt. Dawson other
wise than politely until he was Infatuated
by the latter's threats, and did not use his
pistol until he was assailed and believed
that he was in danger of being killed
The attempt to conceal the body of Capt.
Dawson was robbed of much of its guilt
bearing character by the very ingenious
way in whichit was presented to the jury.
DIR. Mellow was represented as being al
most out of his mind on account of his hor-
rible decd aud the scandal it would create,
and therefore was not responsible for what
he did.
1t is unfortunate that so many crimes of
violence 20 unpublished. 1t shows that so
far as crimes of this character are con-
cerned public sentiment in Charleston
is not in a healthy condition. Unless
UGH crimes are punished they will steadily
increase. Human life will be held so
cheaply that no man will feel safe in
insisting upon his rights or in protecting
those who are dependent upon him.