Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-07-25
An Outside yiew OF tho Murder.
Correspondence Nos York wosla.l

4 y
when two years ago she came from her
mountains, with her pretty face, her
great eyes and not-to-be-forgotten
figure, had no inkling of what weight
her charms and her folly might have
upon the law and order Of South
Carolina. The blood of Editor Daw-
son is crying yet, crying for personal
vengeance, crying for better state
of things. The interest in the case
did not cease with the acquittal of
Mellow. Every day brings some
new echo of The crime. There are
talks of duels and what not, and it
is hard to beliye that another life
will not be taken in this miserable,
cause before a moon has waned.
When, two weeks ago, the jury,
after two hours dclibcration and one
ballot returned Thomas Rullard Nc
Dow not guilty Of Dawson's death,
outraged sentiment in South Caro-
lima held its peace. The paper of
which Dawson had been creator and
staunch editor was silent, TOO. Men
i'll Charleston who had loved Daw.
son and whom he had befriended
might say nothing. But the coun-
try at large stigmatized the speedy
acquittal and pronounced the trial a
farce. A'Charleston woman, few
hours after the verdict, said to the
World correspondents: 81 am proud
at this minute that am not q ma
tive of South Carolina. She has
been bathcd in blood from the first
dawn of her history, and there is no
justice in her borders" A member
of one of the best of "the families"
said to me an hour later in the corri-
doris of the Charleston Hotel: "Why
sir, it was preposterous to hope for
the punishment of Mellow. A
white man cannot be hanged in
South Carolina. | could shoot you
down as you stand here, and with
the slightest pretext of MI excuse go
scot free, more certainly because you
are a Northern man."
These are only specimens. The
code duello is under the ban of the
law III South Carolina now, thanks
to Dawson, whose life paid the for
felt of n higher if less bombastic
chivalry. But hearts will ache and
break here yet, as they have done
hitherto, over murders which the
law declines to punish. The law is
against killing, but the spirit that
prompts pistol vengeance pervades
the whole atmosphere of this State.
Juries will not frown on it; years
will not dispel it. Men weigh their
words here against the bullets of
their ncighbors. When Dawson
died humanity proclaimed against
his murder. The State echoed with
cries for justice upon his slayer. In
the three months that interycncd to
the trial the prejudiccs of race, of
custom, Of personal antagonism be-
gan to group themselves to grant
Mellow immunity from his act. 1t
was dangerous busincss-which you
at the North can not understand for
a man to speak aloud in Charleston
on the night of the acquittal, his
i'll opinion of Mellow or his distrust
of the jury that had set him free.
No one who was not in Charleston
throughout the trial, who did not
walk among Charleston folk of all
sorts and conditions, the night after
the acquittal, can know the signifi-
cance of that proceeding.
"This lets down The bars to blood
she'd"
"South Carolina is set back to
where she was ten years before the
war;"
Such were the things you heard.
But there were louder notes of iubi-
lation. "rhat'll teach this Goldfish
aristocracy they can't come into
poor peoples houses and pound 'cm
with canes" The unlettered nc
groes on the street corners, wild with
delight that seven of their race had
shared in the days deed, cried: 81
must see Mellow tomorrow % The
richest man in Charleston can't call
me tniggcr' now. Ii he does I'll
know what to do"
Lust had received it's license from
law. Mellow laughed. But it will
be even chances for Sodom, Gomor-
rah and Charleston in the day of
Judgment, if some avcnging earth.
quake does not shake the secession
city into proper state Of repentance
or of nothingncss before that time.
Now the first hush Of resentment