New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-13
CAPT. Z. W. DAWSON KILLED
SHOT DOWN By A DIsREPUTABLE PHYsI-
CLAN
CHARLESTON STARTLED BY THE MURDER OF
THE EDITOR OF ''THE NEWS AND coURIERo
THE MURDERER sURRENDERs HIM.
SELF TO THE PoL1cE-DETAILs
OF THE TRAGEDY.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO TUE rhrBuxE.l

Il
assassination OF Captain f. w. Dawson, the
Editor of The Charleston News and Courier
The murderer is T. B. Mellow, young physician,
who is married and has several children The
evidence in the case Is meagre, but 10 has been
ieatned that Captain Dawson was murdered be-
cause OF an attempt on his part to save the honor
Oh servant girl in his employ The murder
was committed about as p. m, and was not
discovered for three hours afterward when
| the murderer surrendered himself. The body of
| the murdered man had in the meantime lain in
| the ofiee Of the murderer, not 100 yards from
| his own home,
| Captain Dawson left the News and Courier
| Office about 3: 80 p M, and was never seen
| alive again. It appears that he had suspected
that the servant who had charge Of his children
was not behaving herself properly Last week
he asked the Chief of Police to detail detective
to follow the girl, stating that if she was honor
ably codrted he wonld have nothing to say, but
that he did not desire his children intrusted
TO girl who was not strictly honest. The
detective accordingly shadowed the girl On
| Monday morning he saw her get ON a Rutledge-
| ave strect-car, where she was soon after joined
| by DR.. Mellow. The detective followed the
pair for several hours and submitted report
In writing TO the Chief OF Police, who commune
Gated It's details TO Captain Dawson this morning
| As stated above Captain Dawson left his Office
| at $3.50 D. m, aud was found murdered about
| 1890 in the Office OF DR.. Mellow. His face
was badly beaten, and . pistol bullet
wOs found lodged in his heart 1t is
| supposed that he went TO DR.. McDow's Office to
remonstrate with him-R married man and the
| father Of several chfldren-Hnd that Mellow shot
him after the two had come from words to blows
After the murder, Mellow disappeared until
about $3.50 y. m, when he appeared at the police
station and surrendered himself.
| Mellow is said 20 be the only physician IN the
| city who IS not a member Of the State Medical
| Society, and has an unSavory reputation. lie
| married some years ago the daughter of G. ID.
Ahrens, a rich, retired grocer and 1t is known
| that the police have been asked to shadow him
several times.
All the evidence addueed thus far shows that the
murder one Of the most diabolical in the an
| pals of crime. Captain Dawson was shot while
| sitting down. The shot was fatal one. After
numbering his victim, IL is said, DR.. Mellow left
him lying on the floor. locked his Office door and
went out 10 a corner grocery. There is evidence
that he tried TO bury the body Of his victim, but
that in the meantime suspicion OF foul play had
been aroused, and, finally, three hours after he
had killed his victim, he surrendered himself
70 tho police authorities. The murderer has the
sFepatation Of being rake and it is said that
he Is known in almost every disorderly house
in the city. Tonight the city is wrapped in
mpnrainG and the murder is the subject Of dis
GU tep on every quaSter Of the town. The body
or fhe murdered man has been taken 20 his
home, end the coroner after empaneltng jury,
has adjourned the inquest until tomorrow.
The murderer was hurried 10 the iail as soon as
he had surrendered himself, and for the present
Is safe from lynching, the jail is well-nigh
impregnabe. The entire community is incensed.
The City Council had just met tonight when the
news of the murder was made public; the Council
at once adjourned.
Captain F. W. Dawson a native Of England,
but he passed the greater part Of his life in the South
ern States Early In the war Commodore Robert
Il. Pegram OF the Confederate Navy, was in English
waters In command Of the Nashville. To him came
an intelligent Nnd welLmsnnercd young EnglShman |
with the request that hs DO given passage to the
Southern States as he wished to Join the Confcder-
ate Army. Commodore Pegram refused, saying that |
he could not think Of taking minor among strangers
to run the risks Of lie would not consent, even
II the boy obtained the consent OF
his guardian. W. L. YaneeT then In Lon |
den. and young Dawson, for he the youth who |
wanted TO cast his fortunes with tho Confederacy, |
sought him out and so worked upon his feelings |
that he wrote an earnest request to tho Commodore
to gvo tho hoy passage. The Commodore still re-
fused. About this time the Queen ordered tho Nash
villo aud Tuscarora to leave English wateFs. Com
modore Pegram did not Otcy the order, but went to
London 10 arrange for his stay. While he was away
some hands were shipped on the Nashville, and
among them tho Commodore atterwaFd found young |
Dawson Later ercums sances led him to appoint Daw.
son "A captains clerk and this appointment was con-
nred by tho Confederate Secretary Of the Navy when
the Nashville reported her return Soon after his
return, pegram was placed in command OF the James
River Squadron, and he took with him Dawson, to
whom no had become greatly attached. The James
River feet was for a long time inactive, to Dawsons
regret for he had come to fight One night splash
was heard alongside his ship, and soon a man was
seen swimming toward tho Federals. There was a
general discharge Of guns at him, but 10 was not
known whether he was ht At the roll call In the
morning young Dawson was missing few days
aferwad IL was learned that he had swan far enough
toward the Federas to escape the conmodores senti
nels aud had then reached Captain W. T. Pesram's
battery This battery was in few days In the
thiekest OF a fight and II Is Captain Pegam's esti-
ony that he had never witnessed such cool bravery
IN his life as was displayed by young Dawson He
was wounded and the Commodore had him taEen TO
Richmond While no was there an order was issued
for the examination OF men for the ordnance depart
mert The Commodore furnished Dawson with books,
and two or three times week be went to Richmond
and examined his young friend ne
Though not entirely recovered from his wound, he re-
porcd at once for duty, and before the war closed ne
had advanced to the first position In MS oaheh Oh inc
After the war Captain Dawson Joined the ranks Of tho
Southern iournalsts and IL Is as an editor mat ny
s hest hnostn In the North, For many years he had
been Editor OF The Charleston News ana Conrlefi
and in that position no supported ~ me DenocTaS
measures for obtaining control OK the government OF
South Carolina No native OF the Stste was more more
ardent or more actlve IN the work ol giving conroI
OF the state to the Democratic minority and his tGur
nal the most powerful I'm tho state put courage INTO
many DeTnocrafs who could not at first see their way
approylne the 9rssss Teiea ot u e'
fantaIn Dawson was active In promoting the material
weifsre Of the state and when Charleston ins saa Other
quaEss, he took q prominent part In raising rehef
funds In tho North.
WRECK on THE TEXAS AND PAoIfIo.
n Paso, Tex, March ia westoouhu texas anu
Pacific passenger train was wrecked SIX miles east