The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-03-21
EDITOR DAWSON.


ing Of Capt. +. W. Dawson, editor of
the Charleston NeWs and Courier, in
that city on the I2th inst, by DR.. +.
B. Mellow. The particulars Of his
death are revoltingly shocking indeed.
Capt. Dawson's prominence in the af
fairs Of, and his past services to, his
city, his State and his party, his brave,
courageous nature, and his high sense
Of honor, made him a CONSPICUOUS and
admired figure, and the death of no
man even though it should have come
to him in the ordinary way, allowing
him to pass away in peace and quiet
surrounded by his family and friends,
could have been more sincerely la.
mented and when the dread sum-
mons should come through the bullet
OF cold, cruel and pitiless assassin,
his violent taking off wrings an extra
and more intensified pang Of grief
from the hearts of those who knew and
loved him.
Capt. Dawson it seems had in his
service a Swiss maid who was nurse
and tutor to his children. While tray
cling in Europe year or two ago he
and his wife met her in Paris and
brought her home with them. Having
no other friends or relatives in this
country, they naturally felt response
BILE for the girls good conduct and
welfare, and when Capt. Dawson's
attention was called to certain things
that led him to suspect that she was
conducting herself in an improper
manner, it IS but natural that he should
have sought to acquaint himself with
the facts and give proper and immedi~
ate attention to the matter. Capt
Dawson bad good reason for suspecting
DR.. Mellow of improper relations with
the young girl and wishing to shield
her from fate worse than death he re-
solved to see Mellow and demonstrate
with him upon his conduct. He left
his Office at $3.50 O'Clock and on reach
ing the office Of DR.. Mellow, alighted
from the street car and entered. He
never returned alive. The whole truth
of the history of what really occurred
in that office of its few fateful moments
of tradgedy will be buried in the grave
OF the murdered man. Revelations
only partially made last week indicate
that the death of Capt. Dawson was
not only of brutally murderous ma.
ture, but that q futile effort had been
made to bury the body OF the victim
as a secret forever.
Mellow says Dawson told him he
must not speak to the girl again, and
upon his reply that he would not re.
gard his (Dawson's) commands until he
showed his authority for making such
Dawson struck HIM, he claims, with a
cane and he shot him. Notwithstand
ing the fact that Mellow pleads self
defence for the killing, he remained
locked in the room with his victim
three hours before he went out and
surrendered himself, and then not un
til he had made futile effort to bur,
the body in a portion of the same
building in the rear ofhis Office. Nc
Dow is married man Of loose mora
character, and his attentions to the
girl could not have been of pure anc
honorable nature.
The Richmond Times says this O.
Capt. Dawson:
The assassination of a gentleman who
was the very exemplar of all that coulc
claim admiration for usefulness and
, patriotism, was SO atrocious in the man
ner of his taking off, that the people
were too much startled at first to con
template the unfortunate vacancy tina,
Dawson's death leaves in the progress:
of Southern politics towards the happy
contamination that experienced anc
able men have SO long sought. 1t vii
be in vain that we look for a mar
whose personal attractions were 81
| charming as to be like the bright armo
of knight that reflected, as sunligh
on a mirror, the popular regard fol
good deeds. Having a right to tn,
regard of the Southern people, he threw
himself into the contest on the Demo
cratic side with the same courage tina
led him as a youth to enlist under tn,
f flag ofthe Confederacy, but his courage
had nothing of the mere physical sor
, in it but was dignified by the lofties1
moral fearlessness that takes its inspi
ration from noble purpose. His ambi
ton was purely patriotic, and he per
. sisten;ly declined to have anything t.
do with politics, except PROFESSIONAL,
as journalist, and by the high stant