The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-13
SLAIN By A DOCTOR.
CaDtail DaVSOlO Charles
ton Cold in Death.
The Ruin Of a Servant Girl
the Cause Of the Crime.

II Tha Captain Denouncing the Woman's
Betrayer When the Fatal Shot Was
Fired - His Body Lying for Three
Hours in the Office of the Murderer
without Discovery-The Murderer
Finally Voluntarily Surrenders -
Intense Excitement and Indignation
in the City.
CHARLESTON, S. c., March 12.-The city
1 tonight is in terrible state of excitement
i over the assassination of Capt. F. w. Daw-
son. the editor of the Meas and Courier.
The murderer is named F. D. Mellow,
Young physician, who is married and has
several children. The evidence in the case
is very meager, but it has been learned that
/ Can't. Dawson was murdered because of an
attempt on his part to save the honor of
servant girl in his employ. The murder, it
is said was committed about 3:45 O'clock
this afternoon, but was not discovered for
three hours afterward, when the murderer
4 surrendered himself.
SCENE OF THE CRIME.
4 The body Of the murdered man had in
h the meantime lain in the office of the muir
H derer not 100 yards from his own residence.
h Capt Dawson left the NelOS and Courier
office about $3.50 O'Clock and was never seen
alive again. 1t appears that he had sus
picious that ise maid servant, who had
L charge of his children, was not behaving
herself properly. Last week he asked the
Il chief of police to detail a detective to
shadow the girl, stating that if she was
honorably courted he would have nothing
to say, but that he did not desire his child
sren to be intrusted to girl who was not
strictly honest. The detective accordingly
4 shadowed the girl.
JOINED BY M'Dow.
On Monday morning he saw her get on
Rutledge avenue street car, where she was
soon after Joined by McDow the murderer.
The detective followed tho pair for several
hours and submitted a report in writing to
the chief of police, who communicated its
4 details to Capt. Dawson this morning. As
j stated above, Capt. Dawson left his Office
at $3.50 o'clock this afternoon. and was
found murdered about $50 o'clock tonight
in tue office of Mellow. His face was badly
beaten and pistol bullet was found lodged
4 In his heart.
THEORY OF THE MURDER.
1t is supposed that he went to McDow's
Office to demonstrate with him, a married
man and the father Of several children,
against seducing his maid servant aud that
DR.. Mellow shot him after the two had
been engaged in scrimmage. After the
murder DR.. Mellow disappeared until about
$50 o'clock, when he appeared
at the police station and sur
rendered himself. Mellow is said to be
the only doctor in the city who is not a
member Of the state medical society. He
married some years ago the daughter Of G.
D. Ahrens. rich retired grocer, and it is
known that the police have been asked to
shadow him several times. The city is in
terrible state Of excitement.
SHOT WHILE SITTING DOWN.
All the evidence adduced thus far shows
that the murder was one of the most tiia-
bohcal in the annals of crime. Capt. DAw-
son was shot while sitting down. The shot
was fatal one. After numbering his vic
tim, 1t Is said Mellow left him lying on the
floor, locked his office door aud went out to
corner grocery shop. There is evidence
that ne tried to bury the corpse of his vic
tim, but in the meantime suspicious had
got out, and finally, three hours after he
nad Killed his victim, he surrendered him
sell to the police authorities.
ABAD REPUTATION.
The murderer has the reputation of being
Arake, and 1t is said that he is known in
almost every bawdy house in the city. To-
nlght the city is wrapped in mourning and
tne murder is the subject of discussion in
Every quarter of the town. The body of
tne murdered man has been taken to his
residence, and the coroner, after empanel-
ing jury, has adjourned the inquest
until tomorrow. The murderer was hur-
RED to the jail as soon as he had
surrendered himself, and for the present is
ale from lynching, as the jail is well nigh
lnpregnable. The entire community is in
eensed. The city council had lust met to-
1lguI when the news of the murder was
eiephoned, upon which the council at once
adjourned.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Capt. Dawson was native of England,
y yuO NE passed the greater part of his life in
we Sout6 eI1l states Early in the war Com
a,ouore robert N. Pegram of the confeder-
ave navy was In English waters in COM
slauu u Oh The Nashville. To him came an in
aoceut and well-mannered young English
@ ulan with request that he be given
t,Nsage % the southern states, as he wished
D. JON the confederate army. Commodore
~ sam refused, saying that he could not
10 S,'r,n rn,, 81 IA taking minor among strangers
oo.I w Iun the risks of the war. He would not
'oat Nusent' even If the boy obtained the oon-
Was u. ms guardian. w. l.. Yancey
rs tnen in London and young
vvamSon, for he was the youth who
fsdaeeu fdaeeu TO cast his fortunes with the con-
nro,, %tcy' sought him out and SO worked
Ill Ill ms feelings that he wrote an earnest
,oquest to the commodore to give the boy
trb9eage. The commodore still refused
VuV Ihls time the queen ordered the
asuyiile and Tuscorara to leave English
,baer ,gaers; Commodore Pegram did not obey
Tor his stay. " '''"'A0
DAwsoN's PERSEVERANCE.
:, hile he was away some hands were
baPpeu on the Nashville, and among them
Go commodore afterward found Young
'son o The latter circumstance led him
Jol appoint Dawson as CAPTAINS
onS,, 'S, and this appointment was
N afs,ii'ined by the confederate secretary
ser slo navy when the Nashville reported on
modoslu ,o.urn. n Soon after his return, Com
Ma IT, . Iegram was placed in command Of
ir, v 'aines river squadron and he took with
CON- youhg Dawson, TO whom be had be-
Soot greatly attached. The James river
baw."oaasS "aS Tor a long time inactive, TO young
One OsGn IONS regret, for he had come to fight.
6in ns9t splash was heard alongside his
town. enu :, soon man was seen swimming
Ttard the federals
At ~ was general discharge of guns.
WA