Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-27
MYSTERY HIDES
DEATH CAUSE IN
DIXON INQUEST
Did Companions Desert New Boston
City Marshal in Dying OOndi-
ton on Lonely Byr0ad2

New Boston city marshal, just prior
! to or at the time of his death be-
tween the hours OF 9:30 Monday
night and o'clock yesterday
morning?
What occurred during this time
that would account for the dishev-
eled appearance of the body as
| found sitting in his automobile on
the lonely byroad near Dog lake,
about two miles northwest of New
| Boston.
Were his watch, keys and pocket
| book placed by an unknown hand
in the hip pocket of the dead man,
where they were found upon
search of the clothing of the de-
ceased following discovery OF the
/ body?
What has become of the switch
/ key of the machine, which could
not be found in the car, on the per-
son of the deceased, or nearby in
the trampled weeds and high grass?
Was he placed in the machine
! either dead or dying and deserted
( by unknown companions?
What was the purpose of the Of
fcer in visiting this lonely spot at
late hour in the evening?
These are some Of the most i'm
portant among a multitude of qHes-
lions left unanswered by a cor
oner's jury in an inquest held over
the remains of Sharon H. Dixon at
the H. Frank Rabbit undertaking
rooms in New Boston yesterday
afternoon.
Testimony Conflicting.
Conflicting testimony was Of
fered on the witness stand. No evil
dence showing cause of death was
introduced Absolutely no marks
indicating violence were found
upon the body and following the
hearing officials admitted that the
apparent tragedy was as much a
mystery as ever. Coroner A. n.
Mackey was completely baffled and
favored postponing the inquest in
order that further investigation
might be made. The jury voted to
return a verdict, however, of death
due to unknown causes"
Theory of foul play is secuted by
the authorities due to lack of evil
dence as to motive and the I'M
married condition Of the remains.
Only Monday afternoon Dixon
returned from Clinton Iowa. where
he had been attending camp meet
ing with his wife and daughter,
Mrs. Jennie Dixon, and Mrs John
Meade. According % members of
the party he had for some days
complained of feeling i'll. Monday
he appeared better, however. and
81 -
about $50 that evening was ap-
parently in the best of health and
spirits.
His wife. and daughter remained
in Clinton and were unaware of the
news of his death until late yes
terday afternoon.
Last Seen Monday Evening.
AT approximately $50 Monday
evening the deceased was seen by
several people as he left the New
Boston barber shop and cranked his |
car. He had trouble getting it |
started and joked with bystanders
about its deficiencies. He drove of |
northward, in the direction of the !
road on which he was found yes |
terday morning. Later his tracks !
were traced leading from town, !
tending TO show that he came di- |
rectly to the spot where his body |
was later discovered.
witnesses who testified at the in |
quest were Ed and Amos Hodg- |
son. Ed Hayes, Willard Finch, d. |
Finch, E. Smith. Mrs. Frank King, |
Mrs. Louise King. Asa King, Elmer |
King and Mabel King.
aud con Asa /
were the first to find the body. Ac-
cording to the story related by !
each on the witness stand, they |
were driving the COWS to pasture, |
with the intention of proceeding on |
to the melon patch to pull" some !
melons, when they discovered the |
machine and its gruesome load al |
most directly in their path. Mrs. |
King said she went back to the |
house after dispatching her son
for aid.
Before young King returned,
however, Willard Finch of New
Boston happened along and found
the remains. He called neighbors. |
who identified the body as that of
Sharon H. Dixon. The marshal
was sitting in his automobile in
the seat adjacent to that of the
driver, his cap pulled low and head
resting sideways on the back up
holstery.
Clothes Disarranged.
His collar and tie were mussed
and out of place, his trousers torn
and muddy and the grass for a
space of from four to five feet on
one side of the car trampled and
beaten. A heavy dew covered the
top of the machine and dripped to
the running board, indicating that
the car had been there most of the
night. Dixon was cold when found
and it is estimated that life had
fed seven or eight hours previous.
The posture Of the body in the car
would indicate. placing by I'M
known hands. In front and on two
sides of the death car were found
the tracks of a buggy or light
wagon which had apparently cir
cled about the front end of the ma
chine. The wheel marks had
seemingly been freshly made.
It was brought out at the in
quest that the deceased was in the
habit of visiting the King farm
for milk at various hours of the
day and early evening, about twice
weekly. AS the Kings live but a
short distance along the road on
which the dead man was found, Il
this fact offers a somewhat Mans