The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-07-05

Charleston; anu, We may Sefely Ves%} ~
verdict ever created greater astonishment.
But few, If any, from the first, with oil the
exciting and conflicting reports current i'm
mediately after tho killing, believed that
MoDow would be found guilty Of murder;
but after reading the testimony and the,
very able speeches Of Counsel on both
sides, we doubt if another twelve men
could be found in the State whs would have
rendered q unanimous and unconditional
verdict Of "not guilty." Manslaughter or a
mistrial was confidently expected by every
body: But the old adags was fully verified
in that case :-"There's no counting on the
verdict of a Petit Jury"
Take McDow's own testimony as to the
killing, coupled with his statement to the
reporter Of one Of the city newspapers, that
he took the pistol from drawer on the other
side Of the room, but changed it afterward,
at the saggestion of. the reporter, by stating
that ho took the pistol from his hip. pocket
and what does that testimony disolossf
Why, either that the pistol Was the vsri-
table Irishman's gun that would shoot
round q corner, or that Dawson was shot
with his back towards Mellow, and at some
distance from his slayer, for there were no
marks of powder on his clothes, or any
thing else t. indicate that Dawson was
standing over him, in the act Of striking
him while lying on the lounge. McDow
says he shot Dawson while they were in
that position, which must have placed
Dawson squarely in front Of Mellow when
the latter fired but strange as il may ap-
pear the ball entered Dawson's body on
line with the side seam of his psntaloons,
and went directly inward. And what
makes McDows story still more improbable
is the fact that, shooting with his right hand,
he could not have shot Dawson on the right
side. There are other points in the testi-
mony fully as Inconsistent with the verdict
Of "not guilty." but we have not the room,
nor do We think it necessary to show them.
Our individual theory Of the killing Of
Capt. Dawson is that he went to McDow's
Office and unarmed threatened him with pub
pesure, and acted in n domineering manner
toward him, which caused MoDow to order
him out of the office, and when Dawson
turned TO leave Mellow ran to the drawer on
the other side ofthe room, took from it new
pistol and shot Dawson as he was nesr the
door, which would place the two men pre-
cisely in the position indicated by the range
Of the ball.
The Jury was composed Of five white
and seven colored men. From the begin
ming of the terrible affair there has been o
veil of mystery over almost every step
but the scene in the court room when the
verdict was announced, and the ovations
given Mellow by the negro republicans,
and their white allies Of Charleston after
ward, convinccs all that an outside pressure
1aSs sS
what influence or motive brought all the
FIVE white jurors to the feet of their seven
oolored colleagues is a mystery th,t may
never be known to the public. But "the
jurors upon their oaths do say, not guilty.
and the world bows in abjso: submission
to the oft-repcated judicial decree that hu
man life is cheap, and justice is dsthroned d
by envy, prejudice and vindictiveness.
There is more behind the murder of Capt.
Dawson than has been brought to light,
and We predict that tho crime will recoi
upon Charleston with terrible force in less
than two years.
But to US, one Of the saddest features il
this whole sad affair was the reported un.
sesmly eagerness Of a numberof Charleston
ladies to pay homage to DR.. Mellow after hi:
acquittal. lie is o married man, and tho law
full father of one child but his conduct to.
ward the Swiss servant Of Mrs. Dawson, and
his own confession that women was his be-
setting sin marked him as a dangerous libsr
tine who would sacrifice the honor of any
person or family to crafty his lustful pas-
5'Uu, auu wnsn expostulated with and
threatened with public exposure, he added
the crime Of murder to his catalogue
Of sins. And yet it appears that
numbers of white Ladies in Charles
ton We'd with the negroes Of that
city in their haste TO express to him their
delight at his escape from punishment.
Such ovations to such men, under such
circumstances, are not calculated to i'm
press the virtuous and good citizens of our
country with very high opinion Of the
standard Of moral conduct governing
Charleston ladies.
The verdict Of "not guilty" satisfied the
law, but it has not sat isfed the people and
it will take more than The congratulations
OF any number Of Charleston Ladi,s to
make four-6fths of the peop!e believe that
Mellow is not guilty.
Iocal Itema