Monday, December 18, 2017

Double Murder of Mr. and Mrs. John Dixon, Shelby, N.C., 1911

“Double Murder Committed,” from The Review, High Point, N.C., December 22, 1911

The Most Atrocious Crime in Annals of Cleveland County—A Farmer and Wife Victims

Shelby—A pretty little country home that was the scene of comfort and happiness and thrift and prosperity a few days ago was the scene of the most horrible crime in the annals of Cleveland county. Mr. and Mrs. John Dixon were brutally and horribly murdered before daylight in their new home, 10 miles above Shelby, just off the main road between Fallston and Lawndale, and Hack Ross and John Ross, two negro brothers, are held as suspects of the crime.

A thousand or more people stood about the desolate home as the coroner’s inquest proceeded, hoping that evidence would place the guilt on some party, so that they may avenge the crime. The sentiment is strong against Hack Ross and if the coroner’s jury fixes the blame on him, lynching may be expected. Sentiment is at fever heat, but the good citizens are determined to be sure of their move before they take the law in their hands. They know Hack Ross made a threat that there would be “somebody missing in the neighborhood” if they took his meat, and Mr. Dixon had a mortgage on Ross’ hog. Ross could not pay for the hog and brought it back to Mr. Dixon, but the sentiment seems to be that this seemingly friendly feeling was feigned to cover up the awful crime he had planned. And, too, Ross lives about a quarter of a mile from Mr. Dixon’s and tracks were found by Chief of Police Jetton and Deputy Nelson Lattimore that exactly correspond to the shoe Ross was wearing because of heavy tacks in the heels.

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