The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-13

on december 1Slu-NOSS Mdue
Confession and Said He Struck
Dixon With an Axe-He Said
Frank GLADDEN., White, Killed
Mrs. Dixon-Gladden Acquitted.
Electrocution Will Be Between
Ten and Eleven O'clc :.
FRIDAY, February 10th, between
|th,. hours of ten and eleven. the cleo
|tric chair 1t the State penitcntiary
lNill claim its eleventh victim in the
|bruti murder Of Mr.. and Mrs John
EIINun. respected citizens Of Cleveland
IcoInty
Ross, together with Frank GLADDEN.,
iVhtr, was tried at a special term
III Cleveland court, which began jan
uary 18Th. and duly convicted by the
iuIy "f murder in the first degree. At
&thc trlal he implicated GLADDEN. when
h. made a confession, but GLADDEN.
was acquitted. Ross confessed that
he struck John Dixon on the head
with IN axe.
a
der Yellow negro with thick lips.
S.i;iGht nose and prominent cheek
bones. lie has always been a Suspi-
|CiouS negro. During the trial the mi
|ltia VAS on duty at the jail to pre-
|Nent any serious trouble, at times it
biuE bought that there would be a
lyrvhinE.
The Crime.
Tho following account of the crime
n.y. p2hlished in The News and OBJ
e'fSer IF January 1th:
Mr.. Dixon and his wife were most
hrutuly murdered. The crime oc-
Cured at their home, ten miles north
OF Shelby on the morning of Deem
Der 18th. The killing was done with
an axe. Mr.. Dixon was called out
during the night and murdered in his
barn ward. and his wife being killed
later III bed. Mr.. Dixon's head was
crushed with the blunt side of the
axe. and Mrs Dixon was hit with
both the back and blade Of the axe
bloody axe was found on the place
with hair on it. corresponding with
that Of Mr.. DixOn'S. Their only child
q little child OF fourteen months old
was unframed. She was in bed with
her mother. who was breathing hcl
last when found
AT tho CorOner's inquest the frs
evidence was that OF John Ross ant
Major Stroud. two negro wood chop
pers who passed the Dixon home
about daybreak. John Ross is a sus
picious character and had gone t,
Stroud's house earlier in the morning
~ sharpen his axe.
John Ross said: Mrs. Dixon cam
20 the window and called to us an,
said something was the matter to g.
Tor help: and that she was holding
h"r head in her hands and that tn
blood was running from q wound il
the side OF her face He said tina
MRS Dixon said that two men ha
called Mr.. Dixon out ostensibly TO &c
mule out OF ditch.
ftoSS started to Thomas Dixon:
father Of Mr.. John Dixon, half Il mil
away, and that Major Stroud st;trte
70 flllstoWn, four miles away. for
doctor
Ross says he went through the bar
anu saw two strange white men. Tn
NrSt one asked him where he was &C
AhG- tie replied that he was going
chop wood, and asked where job
Dixon was, and he told him that h
dld rot know. And the second ma
s~pped out OF the barn and departe
WIN the other through the wood
i'oSS passed within nine yards
whore John Dixon lav. and woul
nave stepped over him if he had gol
straight ahead
Major Stroud. who has been Il r,
Srectrd old necro in the communit
HtyS most Of John RossS story is III
true.
he story told by the negro Jol
loss was found to be untrue and
III" confession cleared the tale Of II
Nv" white men. That was his w
ol trying to get out Of the affair
M"ther'lf you're Very good, Edit
d! take You to the circus"
Little Girl-"Do You really mean
mother. or is it just 4 promise 49,
Life.