Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-14
THE DAWSON MURDER
POPULAR INDIGNATION ErexrY
WROUGHT ur.
The Community Ready 10 Lynch the Assas-
sin-cireumssanoes Attending the
Crime.
Ipy toleeraph o .ao plspa,ch.l


Captain Dawson was the most brutal and
atrocious ever committed In Charleston
Popular indignation Is intense. All classes
in the community stand sghsst A. the nssas.
finstlon and would lynch the murderer ~
they could get bim out OF JAIL. The circum-
stances attending the murder are as fol-.
lows:
Captain Dawson left The News and Courier
Office At haii.pssi O'Clock. some time AGO
II had been brought to his attention that one
81 bis dones,ics. a stranger in America, and
one for whose eouduct being employed in
an educational aud fdaciary capacity, be
was responsible, was conducting herself
IN manner that demanded his i'm
mediate attention. Captain Dawson bad
the best reasons for calling on Or.
Mellow, which he did AT probably
shout twenty minutes 10 4 O'Clock yester-
dRy afternoon. Captain Dawson, on resch-
ing The Office o. pr. Mellow, alighted from
the street-car and entered. He never
returned alive. The whole truth Of the his
tory OF what really occurred Ia thst Office ana
IN the few fdtefnl movements o!tbe tragedy
will lie buried m the grave OF Captain Dsw-
son. Revelations only partially made last
night indicate that the dcstb OF Captain Daw-
son was not only c0mpassed In a bTntally
murccTOus manner. but that futile efforts
had been made TO bury the body OF the vic
tim as secret forever. Dr. Mellow. Cap
tain Dawson's assassin and murderer, was
called upon last night IN jail and asked 20 eN-
plain the circumstances 81 The tragedy.
lie at first declined 10 make any state
ment. but eventually said 4" Here n
e. in.s nutshell. Captain Dawson eu-
tered my office. used abusive language
and knocked Inc down with his csne. | cot
up, and ne wRs about 10 strike me again
-. .
on "a say that Captain Dawson was not
Lil'ed Instantly; that he rcmaned alive for
hail 10 three qusrers of an hour, during
which time he Or. Mellow remained 10 The
room with toe man. whose life was fast ebb.
ing away. making up his mind what 10 do.
But there Is the strongest aud most con.
Vincng proof that Mellow renamed m
the room 1T least an hour after the death
OF Captain Dawson planning how hf
might dispose OF ,he body. At a distance
Of a few feet from the back door of toe
Office al the end ~ the passage-way IS q
hsli.door open into a recess under the stair
way which leads TO the second story. As
was natural and to be expected from the
Coroner snd his Jury a thorough eXamina'
ton OF the premises was made with view
81 the fullest investigation. II - the beliel
thai Lieutenant Fordhsm made startling
discovery while this examination was IN
progress. ca the half-dOor above referred
10 there were noticed some spots OF fresh
blood. This Wss 81 course incentive 10
further inquiry, and the examination wos
extended % all parts OF the closet. Drops
a blood were found on the floor up 10 the
space where The flooring terminated, aud the
earth Of the foundation was exposed. Here
smother horrible and startling revelation
was made. The mould was noticed 10 be
freshly turned up and to q depth which was
ouly limited by the quantity al bricks and
other impassablc material 10 spade or what
ever instrument was used Ia the attempt to
dig agraye.
Suct certainly is the conviction Of all those
who saw the ubtuTned earth aud the bloody
srois on the floor and door. This closet
door was found NAKED NJ last night, al
though 10 bad evidently toTmcry been laid
ND against the opening into the closet. II is
therefore almost absolutely certain that the
assassin cudcayored during his long Oc-
cupancy Of the room with the murdered man
q dig his grave. and thus forever bury all
proof OF Ms crime with hls victim, Certain
IL is, however. that Or. NcOOv, sitter fndn,
his efforts futile, on account Of the sOl just
noted, determined 10 set up the plea Of self
defence, and went out and delivered himself
upto Private Gordon. II was stated thst
before being taken 10 the Central station be
was permitted 10 visit one or two lawyers
DR.. Mellow stated that he was standing
no When be- fred the fatal shot and CAPTAIN
Dawson WAS about 10 strike him the second
time With his cane. Three things are, there
fore, quite remarkable one. that Captain
Dawson could have been shot IN the spot
where the bullet entered; second, that II
Dr. Mellow had been knocked down be can
exhibit no marks OF such implied violence ;
AVID thirdly. u it were 10 self-deience. why
the tcll-tale grave beneath tue stsirsy pr-
Mellow reached Central station nj 6.5l 4. NJ
aud surrendered 70 Lieutenant Hedt. IL
was immediately transferred 10 the county
fail. Coroner Deycraux WAS promptly noti'
fed and went up aud viewed the body, on
which bOsfmOrieDt examination was held
by DR.. Middleton Michel
Coroner Deversux Immediately cmpa-
nclIed Jury. Of which Mr.. George w. VII
Hams Is foreman. aud which having viewed
the body. adjourned until tomorrow morn
ing at 10 O'clock.
The funeral will be held at the Ca'hedra
At4 O'Clock thi, afternoon. All the civic
and social bodies with which Captain Daw'
son was connected will attend. BishoI
NOrthrop Will conduct the funeral services
DR.. Dow, when seen last night in iail
bore all the evidences OF a man ahighled By
The consciousness OF crime without nm eX
cuse. lie was ashen pale; trembled Vslbly
and the Precipitation was thick upon bi
forehead and face. Among other things h'
desired It stated that he had killed Captain
Dawson IN self-deience. Captain Golden
chef Of police, said to reporter Tor th'
News and Courier last night that the first in
formation that he had received Of the muir
der Of Captain Dawson was about $3.50 i. NJ
Being asked II he knew anything that miga
account for the murder, Captain Goldei
4 FE.u Il.
correct to publish in advance OF the inques
what he knew about the matter, but huAlll
De made the following statement:
"Ou Friday, OF last week." said be
"Captan Dawson asked me 10 come 10 HI
office. saving that he desired 10 ask my adj
vice and assistance. | went 70 see him and
be then told me that be hsd a French Ol
swiss maidseryant and that he had hearC
that sno ind been detected in disreputsbl'
rompspv. He asked me 10 deisil man 4
shadow her aud lind out II the reports wer'
true or false. saying thai he did not desire
servant about his household who was not
honest and upright. ! accordingly detailed
Sergeant Dunn, who under my instrue
lions went ont yesterday (Nlonday
morning. Sergeant Damn reported m
writing that the maid had taken 81
Uu-,oHn ear at Rutedge street, and thai
be had followed her; that Or. mellow hat
also boarded the car aud bad ridden with hel
% the upper terminus; that the two Ia,
rot out of the car there aud had stroued
around unirequeuted streets IN the north
western section Of the city. All the detaiii
were submitted by me to Captain Dawson
this morning, also told bin that he mus
De careful. that DR.. McDow's reputation wa
BOT the best, and that IT would be perhaps a
well To take 20 notice OF him. THIS Is all
know of the case This afternoon about
O'Clock, or . little Ailer, while was rid'ns
the rounds, policeman on duty IN the ives
end of the city told me that somebody ha'
heard toe report OF pistokthot IN Rutledg'
street near Bull street. IL occurred TO m'
that perhaps something was wrong. AIT
i rode around. rang the bell OF DR.. Mellow
residence, and asked II ANYTHING was IN
matter | was told that there was pothlnl
the matter, and then went OF. Thinkinl
that there Was something wrong. rod
down 10 the Office of the News aud Coufie
10 see Cap.sin Dawson. Then found tba
he had left for home shortly after I. NJ.
= Al. 81. 20. tale a