The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-21


Wages He Could When He Went
in.
Triton, Ga, May 2O-In April, 1896,
John Dixon, then living eight miles
west of Butler, Taylor county, was
tried and convicted of numbering his
father-in-law, MIR. j. P. Barfield, re-
siding in the same neighborhood, and
recommended to the mercy of the
court Judge Butts of the Columbus
Circuit sentencing him to the peniten-
tiary for life.
1t appeared from the accounts then
published in the papers that Dixon
and Barfield were both drunk, and be-
came involved in a difficulty at Dix
on's house. Barfield was the aggressor
in the fight, and was getting the best
of his opponent, when Mrs. Dixon, the
wife of Dixon, pulled him off. Dixon
then left His wife and two children
leaving previously for a neighbours
house to keep from being attacked by
the men, who were drunk, and who
they were afraid of. That night Bar
field was found lying dead on his
bed with twenty-eight cuts, either one
of twenty of which would have caus-
ed his death. At the coroner's inquest
the thirteen-year- daughter of Bar
Id was put on the stand as an eye
witnes, and swore that Dixon cut her
father, lying on the bed, and with
out any provocation. Upon this ext
dence Dixon was convicted and SEN
fenced for life. In ten days after the
crime was committed he had been
tried and was serving his sentence at
Parrot Lumber Company's camp at
Redwood, on the Georgia Southern
road.
During the seven years of incarcera-
ton, Miss Barfield, the main eyewit-
ness, grew up and married a farmer,
and resided in Taylor and Dooly coun-
ties. She frequently said to relatives
of Barfield that she swore the liberty
of Dixon away; that she was not pres
ent at the house when the difficulty
took place, and knew nothing about it,
and was forced to swear like she did
by uncles of hers (Barfields brothers).
Four lawyers were employed at differ
ent times, hearing of this, to work for
a pardon for Dixon, but were thwart
ed from securing the proper evidence
| to make the necessary showing. Last
| October Miss Barfield died, and then
reputable witnesses offered to aid in
securing a pardon by making affidavit
| of what the dead woman had related
to them concerning the murder.
Mr. Jim Dixon. an employee of the
Triton Cotton Mills, and a brother to
]. w. Dixon, and f. d. Byrd, Superin-
! tendent of the Fitzgerald Cotton Mills,
| and a brother-in-law of Dixon, have
worked untiringly for a pardon. In
| December last year they employed
! Col. John Murrow, one of Triton S
leading attorneys, to work for a par
don for Dixon. After taking the case
Col. Murrow Immediately began work
in earnest to secure the pardon. He
| visited Taylor. Dolly and Muscogee
counties, obtaining in each county a
| list of reputable witnesses among
whom were several relatives of Bar
| field the dead man, who made af
fidavits that the girl. on whose evil
dence he was convicted, told them
that she did not see Dixon cut her
father, and if she had to swear over.
she would not make such statement.
| This evidence, together with a petit
| ton of 500 leading citizens of Taylor
| county, hearing also the signatures of
the coroner's jury, the grand jury,
the solicitor general and Judge of the
superior court, was furnished Cover
nor Gambler and the Pardoning Board.
! Col. Murrow visited Atlanta three diff
| ferent times on this business.
The convicted mans wife has been
since her husbands Imprisonment
working in the knitting mills at Ma
con, and supporting her mother and
two children. She has stood by her
| husband all the way through, and
has saved much of her money to aid
| in his defense. Dixon has learned to
be an expert lumber inspector and for
| good behavior, secured a strong per-
sonal letter from Mr.. O'Neal, president
| of the company he is working for,
asking the governor if possible to par
| don him.
Col. Murrow received a telegram
from Gov. Gambler this morning, that
| Dixon had been pardoned. Later to-
day, he received the following message
| from Dixon. at Redwood: Pardon
received. VIII see you this. week. ].
| w. Dixon"
Dixon is expected in Triton to visit
his brother. Mr.. Jim Dixon, and from
there he will go to Macon, to see his
wife and children. 1t is stated that
| the Parrot Lumber Company has Of
| fered him a position as lumber inspec-
| tor at three dollars per day, and that
| he will continue with them. When he
was imprisoned, he was only an ordi-
nary farmer and not commanding 81
! per day wages.