The Robesonian., 1918-02-04
DIXON MURDER TRIAL
Continued from page "


He asked Mr.. Proctor how his son
Dan was getting along, and told him
that Dan had gotten friendly with
him about his shooting his dog. Mr..
Proctor told me that Thomas says he
IS going to shoot you about his dog"
| asked him when Thomas told him
that he was going to shoot me about
his dog and he said today. / asked
Mr.. Proctor to wait where he was and
told him l would go and get Thomas
and straighten it out now. l went
to Thomas store and Thomas was
weighing some fish. / said, ALFRED,
when you get through want to see
you on some business" / went to
the door and Alfred came on and we
walked out together When we had
gotten about half way to the railroad
| called Mr.. Proctor. He did not an
swer. l then told Thomas that
wanted to explain to him that ! had
not shot his dog. Thomas then walk
ed in front Of ne with his-hands in
his side pockets and said, eyes, God
damn you, I'll kill you" Then l felt
something strike my head and
thought / had been shot. was stun
ned. then pulled my pistol out Of
my pocket and fired at Thomas as
fast as l could. l though my life was
at stake. ! felt hole in my head.
| then walked towards my home and
heard somebody ask, Where j. Dix
on" | answeredand said, Here !
ed the doorand saw that-I was bloody
and she said "Lord, Will, what's the
matter?" l told my wife Thomas had
shot me and 1 had shot Thomas.
then went to Thaggard's store. I met
Mr.. Marvin Paul and told himto
| phone for the sheriff and a doctor.
At this point the clothes which the
| witness said he was wearing on the
night Of the murder were displayed
| before the jury. The clothes were
| stained with blood, which the witness
| said came from the wound on his head
| After DR.. McClellanhad dressed my
| wound Sheriff Lewis told me to come
| with him. l was carried to the
Thompson hospital, where the wound
was re-dressed. l was carried Sun
day afternoon to the Jail, where
| have been since that time. The wit
ness said that he knew Thomas was
| high-strung andthought that he haC
| better takel1in before Mr.. Proctor
and explain that he had not shot his
dog so as to save trouble. I had NJ
thought of trouble that night.
thought that perhaps somebody hat
shot Thomas dog and that he Nigh
think I had shot the dog, as I triee
to shoot him at the same time l sho
Proctor's dog, but my gun would TO
! fire. | had said nothing in an il
feeling to Thomas before lie said Al
would kill ne. I had neyal had an,
trouble with Thomas except when my
self and Deputy Walter Smith ar
rested him one Sunday. Thomas KEEP
kicking Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Smith sai'
if did not stop Thomas from kickin!
him he was koing to shoot Thomas
Thomas said he would kill the Co
damned who put handouts o.
him. Thomas said to me, "Dixon,
have liked you up to now, but vii
kill you if I live" Thomas wa
brought to Jail, tried before Recorde
Britt and sentenced to 18 months O.
; the roads. He appealed to tho Su
fperior court and the judge reduce
the sentence months. Later l wa
presented with petition asking tha
!, Thomas be pardoned, which | refuse
to sign. Mr. R. H. Livermore tol
me that Thomas told him that whe
, he got hold Of the petition and sa'
that he (Dixon) had not signed i
he did not know how much hell
! put in him. A. H. Prevatt told m
that Thomas told him that he We
: going to kill me the first change h
+ got if it took 10 years to do it. wi
Hall told me that Thomas told hi
| if shot his dog / would have to shoe
, him. Mr.. Prevatt told me that ! ha
: better watch Thomas. [ had no ma
ace against Thomas. / knew his rel
: utation as dangerous man and kne
: that he had influence among the Ii
; dians. The witness denied tellin
I. Proctor he was going to kill Thomas
Struck With Some Sharp lnstrumen
. The witness said that he found OF
q after he reached the hospital that
was not shot, but that he was satl
;, fled that ne had been struck Wi
!. some sharp instrument. A lar&
]. screwdriver which the witness sa
" fell out of his clothing after he We
n to the Mccormick store the night a
ter the shooting,w as shown the jur
Dixon said he did not see the scre
o driver when it fell out Of his coat, b
's that there was hole in his coat tn
Il was not there before the shootin
T. which he supposed was made by t
screw driver. Thomas struck me b
g. fore I shot him. When | was stru
was dazed and there was gllmIn
Y over my eyes. never threatened
II do Thomas harm in the presence
:. Mr.. Proctor. I did all reasonable
!. keep on good side Of Thomas" VIII
asked why he had the pistol Wi
he shot Thomas, the defen
I. ant said he had two reasons. One W
% that he had been deputized by Rul
e Policeman w. w. Smith to ARE
d. a negro and the other reason was
cause he had heard threats and
80 ceived a letter threatening his Ii
" The letter was read before the ju!
Fl The letter was Of a very threaten
!n nature and was signed death FL
= mics" In the letter Dixon was wal
- cd to look after the affairs OF
town and let other peoples busin'
alone or he would wake up in hell
70 On cross examination the defer
ho ant acknowledged that he had 81
N one man who entered his room throu
eA r;pbf Inf did not