The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-26
DICKFRSON HELD
FOR WIFE MURDER
VERDICT OF CoRoNER'S JURY.
DYING STATEMENT OF MOTHER As
TOLD BY DAUGHTER.

Head with an Oven-LarEe Num-
Der of witnesses Testified at
investigation Held mt Police
Headquarters DicSersOn Re-
marked the Sooner His Wife Got
on the BETTER Pleased He Would
he.
I'VE ind that the deceased came to
her death from injuries inflicted on her
person by her husband, Benjamin
Dickerson, and in our opinion the
same is murder"
The coroner's jury returned this YER
dict shortly before clock yesterday
afternoon after hearing the testimony
of all of the important witnesses in
the investigation of the death of Mrs.
Elizabeth Dickerson.
The curious crowd that filled the
Police Court room stood with breath
less interest while the poorly clad rep
resentatives from the Black Ankle dis
trict testified in a case which has
aroused that section to a high degree
of indignation, and several beatle-eyed
coarsely CARRIED representatives were
present TO see just what was to be
done by the law.
Dickerson Was Unpopular.
From expressions heard on all sides
Dickerson was evidently not popular
in the neighborhood in which he lived.
He was said to be shiftless, lazy per-
son, depending on his wife and children
TO provide for the necessaries of life.
He treated his wife with great cruelty,
il is charged. frequently beating her,
and according TO one of the witnesses
the old woman. preferred death to liv-
ing with him.
The most pitfful incident of the in
vestigation was the 10-year-old son of
the dead woman, as he testified to the
last severe beating that his father ad-
ministered. He was ragged and bare
footed. His bare legs were purple with
cold that shook his small frame, and
a large wool hat, from beneath the
rims of which long struggling sandy
hair appeared. drew many plying
eyes to the youngster. He was small
for his years, but his eyes were as
bright as a lynx, and nothing escaped
his observation. He answered all ques-
tons put to him promptly and with
unexpected intelligence.
The unusual sight of children testi-
flying against father. accused of the
murder of their mother, had visible
effect on those present. So clearly
did it appear that the woman's inju-
ries were administered by her brutal
husband, and that her death was
caused by these, that it only took the
jury three minutes to make up a YER
dict.
Told of Mothers Death.
Miss Addie Diczerson. the oldest
child of the deceased, was the first wit
ness introduced. She was working at
the house of a neighbor for 81 a month
when her mother came to her last Mon
dav and told her that she was afraid
she was going to die, and said her hus-
band had just given her another severe
beating.
"She asked me-" stated the witness,
ito see about getting her a house else
where to live, that she did not want to
go back for fear father would kill her
l got her the house, and on Tuesday
she called me into the room and said
'Addie. 1 know / am going to die.
don't want you to let them put me UNI
der the ground until the coroner has
held an inquest. You father is the
cause of it all
''She had been complaining to me that
her back was hurting, and her should
ers. She said he hit her on the back
and when she turned around he kicked
her. She told me this as we were sit
ting at supper and she was lying near
OH a pallet. She said she did not want
to go back to him for he would beat
her and give her poison to get rid of
her.. He whipped her often, as well as
the children. and ! was afraid to live
at home.
story of the Eye Witness.
The next witness introduced was the
picturesque son of the dead woman.
He shivered as he climbed into the
chair to answer the interrogations of
the foreman of the jury. When asked
his name he answered promptly:
Leroy Dickerson, just turning TO-"
When asked to tell what he knew
about the case he hesitated.
Ask him questions suggested Dep
uty Sheriff Sweeny. The story was
then drawn from him by questions
from the foreman.
Did you see your papa beat your
mammal"
Eyes. sir"
How many times did he whip her
latelv?"
Once"
when was that?"
"A week gone Monday"
What did he whip her WITH"
Some kind of a switch"
Did you see him strike her with
his fist or kick herr"
mo, sir. 1 went away, for I was
afraid"
What did he say to you?"
"Said, Get away, you - s- little
-: if you don't I'll bust this
oven over your head
"What did he say that to you for?"
HE was mad at me because 1 would
not cook his dinner for him.
Where did he beat her, in the house
or on the bank of the canal?"
ION the bank
The boy said he did not see his
mother for some time after she was
beaten, and did not hear her say any
thing about il.
NeighbOr Saw Bruises.
Mrs. India Horning testified that
Mrs Dickerson had shown her the
bruises on her body and said that they
we're caused by a beating her husband
had given her.
Mrs. Sarah Dickerson, a sister-in-laN
OF the deceased, said that she had beer
present when the doctor examined the
body, and that it was black and blue
from the back of her neck to the waist
line. with a number of other bruises or
the neck and shoulders. She felt one 81
the ribs which the doctor said was
broken, and found that il felt different
" from the others, and appeared tC