The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-02-19
WILL DICKERSON
SURROUNDED IN A HOUSE
And Forced to Surrender to Sheriff
And Posse.

Mr.. William Dickerson, ayoung
white man, against whom there is a
warrant for assault and attempt to
murder, and two warrants for as
sault and batrery,was captured near
Doraville, in DeKalb county, Ca,
on Wednesday of last week by Sher-
iff McLain, Constable Moon, City
Marshal Parks and Mr.. Miller
Walker, and brought to Marietta
Thursday morning and placed in
Jail.
Dickerson lived near the Marietta
Paper Mill, and one year ago he got
into difficulty, with man named
Nickerson whom he stabbed, in re-
sisting an assault made upon him
by Nickerson with an ak. A true
bill was found against him and he
fled to Alabama, where, it is said, he
was arrested and convicted for coun.
terfeiting ana was waiting the SEN
tence of the court, when he over
powered the jailer and made his es-
cape. He returned to his old haunts
in Cobb county. Those who lived
in the vicinity of the Paper Mill re-
ported to Sheriff McLain that Sick
erson had returned and was acting
a desperate in the community. He
went about armed with shot gun
and pistol aud defed arrest or mol
estation.
On one occasion he met a young
man in the road and at the muzzle
OF the gun made him get down on
his knees and pray, and then he
struck him over the head with his
gun and dismissed him. Similar
outrages are reported to have been
committed by him. Whether true
or not, we do not know, but it was
reported that he was a terror and
greatly feared in the community.
Sheriff McLain went out to arrest
him with posse. They found
him in a house, but he got the drop
on the sheriff with his shot gun and
! the sheriff had to retreat. MIR.
Moon, who was along, could have
killed Dickerson then, but he was
afraid if he fired that he might kill
a woman and some children in the
house. This gave Dickerson the
opportunity to run out the back
door and escape.
This emboldened Dickerson and
he made threats again the Sherif's
lite and several others in the COM
munity, whom he thought were aid
ing the Sheriff by furnishing infor-
nation as to his whereabouts.
Sheriff McLain made several Wis
its to the neighborhood at night to
effect Dickerson's capture, but some
one kept Dickerson posted and he
kept out of the way.
1t got most too uncomfortable for
Dickerson and he disappeared from
that community. information reach.
ed Sheriff McLain that Dickerson
was at Mr.. John Franklin's house,
b miles from Doraville, in DeKalb
county, about twenty-five miles FROM
Marietta. On Wednesday morning
Sheriff McLain, with his posse, left
in a carriage to bring Dickerson
back, dead or alive.
The sheriff and his posse arrived
near Franklin's house about three
o'clock in the afternoon. They had
the driver to stop his carriage in
the woods and then they cautiously
approached Franklin's house. The
house was frame one, situated in
a clearing, surrounded by woods.
They took position on a hill that
commanded good view of the house,
saw Dickerson out chopping wood,
but they knew to effect his capture
they must take him by surprise, and
that they must wait until he entered
the house.
1t was afterwards learned that
Franklin and his wife were gone to
Atlanta and only Dickerson and
Franklin's five children were at the
house, the oldest being a girl about
fourteen years old. Franklin for