Staunton Spectator

Terrible Occurrence.—On the morning of the 25th ult. Mr. John Dixon, a citizen of Paulding Miss., left home for the purpose of procuring some cattle. His little son, an artless child a few months over two years old, started fondly after him, pursuing him some distance, unnoticed by the father and undiscovered by the mother. Mrs. Dixon soon missed the boy, went after him, and on her return home, with her little boy, encountered a stout negro fellow, named Haley, belonging to Mr. Z. Thompson, who laid violent hands upon her, committed a heinous offence upon her person, and then knocked out her brains with a club! Not satisfied with violating and then murdering the mother, the black demon seized the innocent, helpless and unoffending little child, and cut its throat from ear to ear!

On returning in the evening, Mr. Dixon found his youngest child (an infant) lying in the bed, but his wife and oldest child were absent. Suspecting that something was wrong, he gave the alarm, and the neighbors immediately rallied and commenced search for Mrs. D. and her child.—About 12 o'clock that night, she was found about a quarter of a mile from home, horribly murdered in the manner already indicated. Circumstances led to the arrest of the murderer Haley, and when taken, his clothes were found to be stained with the blood of his innocent victims, and on his person was discovered the bloody knife with which he had cut the child's throat. After his arrest he made a full confession of his guilt, and implicated another negro in the foul deed; but it was generally believed that malice alone induced him to implicate his fellow servant. On Thursday the 27th ult., the citizens assembled in force, and determined that the murderer should expiate his offences in a manner befitting the enormity of his crimes. It was thereupon proposed, and carried by acclamation, that he should be burned to death on the spot where he committed the murders. Accordingly, he was borne to the spot—chained to a tree, surrounded by light and other wood, and burned to death! The account from which we gather these horrible details, goes on to say that those who participated in burning the negro, in point of respectability and character, would rank favorably with the same number of citizens in any community or State, and that the execution was witnessed by about two hundred ladies and gentlemen.