Submitted by Wayne Adcock

1883 C. E. Dixon assumes duty as Sheriff of Miller Co. Ar. 

1883-1884 
Sheriff Charles E Dixon

        

 1882 (written and published Wed. 7 March 1923 by Judge Weeks.)
          "That is all right, Dixon. For the sake of the respect and friendship I have for these gentlemen who have requested it, I will let matters rest where they are and be friendly with you again, but I do not promise to be your friend, because you are a coward and let me worn you if you ever repeat your offense to me again I shall take  my six shooter in my right hand... and shoot your left eye out, Do you understand me?   "Yes I understand you" was the reply. " I know just exactly what you mean Johnson, and I reciprocate your sentiments as expressed about these gentlemen, here, as it is for their sake that I am willing to let by gones be by gones. When you say that I am a coward, however, I want to tell you that you are fully mistaken... if you ever cross me again as you once did, I shall take my 45 colt in my right hand and shoot your left eye out".   The first speech was by Charlie Johnson, the second was by C. E. Dixon. both were professional gamblers. The time was about 1882. The two men were connected with rival gambling houses and differences had caused the rapture between them. Both were regarded as fearless and dangerious men and both were known to be dead shots. Like all gamblers, they always went heavely armed.  
          Forty years ago Texarkana was known as a frontier town.  Saloons, gambling establishments and bawdy houses were wide open Sundays as well as on week days. ( clipping torn here and part is missing) ............ between the two men as narrated by the beginning of the article. Dixon was elected Sheriff of Miller County...
          Immediately after the election, it was said, he disposed of his gambling interest on the Ark. side of town, but immediatly bought stock in one on the Texas side. One of  Dixon's first acts after being sworn in as Sheriff, in Nov. 1882, was to raid the John W Roman gambling house on the Ark. side and pile all the gaming tables, chairs, cards, chips etc out in the middle of the street, and make a bondfire of them. At the same time he declared with solemnity and emphasis that he was "here to enforce the law"  Dixon's act being as sudden as unexpected. It was the first time in the history of the new town that anyone had shown the slightest disposition to interfere  with gambling. Everybody wondered what would be the outcome. Johnson was one of the owners of the Roman establishment and when he learned what had  happened he became furious. The next afternoon he appeared on Broad Street in the town's busiest center and nailed to a telephone post a placard which read: " C. E. Dixon is a sneak, a thief and a coward", signed his name to it in a large round hand....... A few days after the incident, Johnson was indicted by the grand jury on a  charge of gambling, due, it was said, to the efforts of Dixon. He made bond after the arrest by one of Dixon's deputies.
            On the feteful day of March 7, 1882 Johnson was notified that his case had been set for 8:00 o'clock that afternoon in the circuit court, and promply at that hour he  went to the court house. Judge C. Elmore Mitchell was on the bench and court had just been called when Johnson, in faultless attire entered the crowded court room  and started down the isle. Just outside the bar railing he was seen?  by Dixon who drew his colt revolver and fired, the bullet striking Johnson in the left eye and came out the back of his head ....(again a torn part prevents reading some more here)..... pistol directly between the eyes sent another bullet through Johnson's brain. Dixon then walked back to where Judge Mitchell sat on the bench, a witness of all that had occured, and placed his pistol on the desk in front of the Judge, said "I surrender  to Your Honor." Charles E Bramble who was in the court room, on the order of the court, stood up and was sworn in as sheriff and took charge of Dixon who, Judge Mitchell said, would stand suspended pending a full investigation of the tragedy. Late that afternoon Dixon was given his liberty on a bond of 10,000 which he had no trouble in making as public sympathy was almost a unit in his favor due to the fact that reports had been industriously circulated that Johnson had cutrageously slanded Dixon's wife.
            Subsequently developments, however, tended to discount these reports and in after years they were entirely disreguarded, and the conviction became fixed that the killing was due to the bitter malice engendered by the personal differences between the rival gamblers.
            Dixon and his most active partisans insisted that he was entitled to an immediate trial and vindication and public sentiments being with them. They had their way. On the second day after the killing the grand Jury .......

August 19, 1884 - Dixon, Charles E.

          Everybody admits that Dixon has made a superb record as Sheriff, and yet, the Democrats are working with the will of desperation to defeat him.  Perhaps, because Hamilton, having been in office the past 8 or 10 years, can not brake the idea of being satisfied without, an official salary.  Let him retire awhile.  There are other as  good men in Miller County as he.

August 20, 1884 - Dixon, C. E.

          To a friend in Little Rock, ex-Sheriff, John G. Fletcher, remarked, as Dixon passed., "There goes the best little Sheriff in Arkansas  "Fletcher is a staunch Democrat"  Was nominated for governor fairly, but cheated by the trickery of an enemy in power.
          Soon after the elections, Dixon was a bully boy: homage done him was great and wide spread, but now on the eve of  the election the self same men who were his friends are moving heaven and earth to defeat him.

          August 21, 1884 - Dixon, Charley

          Charley Dixon is as remarkable a man as he is Sheriff. Two years ago he had the temerity to offer for Sheriff, against the consent and in defiance of the managers of the Democratic Convention.  It looked like a desperate undertaking but Charlie had pluck and confidence in the independence of the people.  He Offered: He Won.  He has made a model officer, Again the machine is revoked to crush him; The Velpers are on his trail; they scent office; but the same pluck and energy that gave him the Victory before, Will uphold him now.  That he will be his own successor, no man familiar with the tendency of the canvass will doubt. A "fair election and an honest count" is the slogan of all his friends.  "No cheating allowed" will be the Watchword of Dixons friends.

Tues. 30 Sept. 1884

          A telegram on Sunday notified  Sheriff Dixon of the arrest of one of the escaped prisoners on the Little Missouri River by a deputy Sheriff of Nevada County.  Jailer Franks went up and returned last night with the prisoner, who proved to be Bill Winfield, black, charged with stealing a watch from a conductor several weeks Ago.  He was detected by a remark made at that place.  In talking with a crowd of men, he asked if they had heard of the jail delivery at Texarkana.  His appearance aroused           suspicion and he was arrested and held for the Sheriff of this county.  In answer to our inquiry, Bill stated he left Charlie Stable several miles east of town and made his way with the rest of the men to Homan.  There they waited until the  passenger had gone north and boarded the lst freight train going the same way.  If this is true, it seems wonderful that they were not suspected by persons looking out and arrested.

          Dixon, Capt.  C.E.  -  Wednesday 10 Oct. 1894 

DIXON KILLED

A few minutes before six o'clock last afternoon, in front of the Telephone Saloon Dick Johnson shot and instantly killed Capt.  C. E. Dixon.  A shotgun loaded with  buck shot was used, and the entire charge entered Dixon's head blowing a part of his brains out.  Stray balls flew in different directions one of which struck Marshall  Crenshaw in the arm near the shoulder, another Mr. J. B. Shepherd in the leg, both painful flesh wounds.  Bullets also landed in Ragland's book store and Sharpe & Brewers gents furnishing house.  Immediately after the shooting Johnson gave himself up to Marshall Crenshaw and was carried to the Miller County Jail.  The killing  was not unexpected as the two men had altercation shortly after noon, in which Dixon grossly abused Johnson, having drawn his pistol on him and applied the most opprobrious epithets upon him, also told him by six o'clock, unless he produced a letter before then.  Johnson told him said letter had been destroyed, but Dixon told him the letter had to come, else he would kill him.  Johnson went home and securing a shotgun, returned about the hour named, passed through the Telephone Saloon  by the State Line entrance, and finding Dixon just outside the saloon on Broad Street, fired upon him without saying a word, with the result heretofore stated.
          Public opinion exonerates Johnson's bloody deed, as an act of self defense.  Johnson, though a gambler in charge of the gambling house over the Telephone Saloon is looked upon as a quite peaceable man.  The coroner's jury will in all likelihood acquit him of any crime for the deed.
          Capt.  Dixon, at the time of his death, had very few true friends, as he was of a quarrelsome nature, and was looked upon by everybody as a dangerous, fighting character.  He constantly carried a pistol and has been a continuous menace to the peace and order of the city.  He was a gambler and had killed more than one man; like most men of his kind, he died with his boots on.  The wonder is that he was not sooner killed by someone.  Few will mourn his death.  Our youth and young men should learn a valuable lesson from his misspent life and sudden bloody end.  Little comment is needed to point out the pitfalls of his unenviable career.  Then avoid bad company, the gambling table, etc.
          Esquire J.P. Hudgins empanelled a Coroner's Jury of inquest in the absence of the coroner, and at 10:30 this morning, after having heard all the evidence a verdict of  "Justifiable homicide" was rendered.  This turns Johnson loose, acquitting him of any crime, and was in accordance with general expectation.  Remains will be interred  in State Line Cemetery at 4 o'clock this afternoon, under Masonic direction.
          Besides being a member of the Masonic fraternity, deceased belonged to two insurance orders, we learn, the Knights of the Gold Cross and Knights of Honor, in both  of which he held policies for $2000. dollars for the benefit of his wife.

  Dixon, Capt.  C. E.

     Friday 12 October 1894
(An Account of the Past Life of C. E. Dixon)

          "No", said Martin Forster, of the well known Forster Restaurant, "I was not surprised to hear of his death".
          "I received a telegram from Texarkana stated that Dixon had been killed and I said at once that it was a just retribution, He was a reckless fellow and a drunkard and for years has kept Texarkana in a reign of terror and the people avoid him.  To my certain knowledge he murdered one man and assisted in the killing of at least 15  others, all gamblers".
          "Dixon lived in Little Rock at one time and is well known to the old time gamblers here.  For years he ran a keno game for Hornbrook and Townsend.  In 1874 he went to Texarkana and entered the town with a flourish and soon ruled the gambler with an iron hand. He ran a keno establishment and would not allow other gamblers to ply their vocation.  As soon as a gambler opened up a house, he was notified by Dixon that he would have to give him a certain percent of the receipts or leave town.  If the gambler refused to do either, he was gotten out of the way by Dixon's gang.  
          "A few years after his arrival in Texarkana he was elected Sheriff, but he continued to run big game.  In March 1883 a young man named Albert S. Johnson, age 22,  came to Texarkana He had plenty of money and made a big loan to two men to open up a gambling house.  Dixon soon heard of this and hunted up young Johnson  and told him to close his establishment.  Johnson refused and cursed Dixon.  Johnson would not be bluffed and challenged Dixon to a fight.  Dixon refused and said he was an officer of the law.  A few days after this, Johnson scattered cards all over town denouncing Dixon as a liar, coward and murderer.  Dixon arrested Johnson for libel, handcuffed and shackled, Johnson was led to Judge C .E. Mitchell courtroom and without a word Dixon shot and killed Johnson."
          "The Telephone Saloon, the scene of the killing of C. E. Dixon, is the largest saloon on the Arkansas side and the receipts were enormous, said a man that had worked there.
          "Dick Johnson has lived in Texarkana for 5 years.  He is a perfect gentleman and an exemplary citizen.  He never had any trouble until he met Dixon."

          Sheriff  Dixon   -   Mon. 20 Oct. 1884

          In the Dixon case it was in evidence at the trial, that when he and the deceased first met at the time of the rencontre, that the deceased threw his right hand behind him as if to draw a pistol, when Dixon shot him, and then the bad character of the deceased for turbulence and violence, the fact that he was much the better man  physically than the defendant, that he had threatened the life of Dixon many times, and that some of these threats had been communicated to defendant, that he had publicly on the streets of Texarkana posted Dixon as a coward and a thief. In addition to this that during the forenoon of that day that he had proclaimed to several, that Dixon's wife had been a lewd character, and that he proposed to tell Dixon the same thing in order to get a fight out of him.
          It was further testified that during the noon intermission of Court these slanders in reference to his wife were communicated to Dixon, and in a few moments  thereafter occurred that next meeting and its deadly result.

          A NEWSPAPER MAN

          "I would like to say a word to you" said a gentleman living in this city this morning, to a reporter of the press, "I knew Charley Dixon, who was killed at Texarkana yesterday by Johnson, very well indeed, I worked for him, in fact at one time, and while he was a man without fear, he was one of the kindest hearted men with his  employees I ever saw, and would die anytime for a friend if necessary.  In 1880 and 81, in connection with Allen who was recently killed by the county judge, he owned the Inter State News which he made a first class new paper.  In 1882 I think it was, when he was in the gambling business with J. W. Markham, on the Texas side of Texarkana there was also another gambler there by the name of Johnson.  At this time a change of heart took place in Dixon, and he joined the church and was elected sheriff, He notified Marre & Driscoll who were operating gambling houses on the Arkansas side, that they must close their business and also notified Johnson to the same effect.  Markham, his old partner, was not molested, as it was in another county and Dixon had no authority there.  All the gamblers, except Johnson, promptly obeyed.  Shortly after, Johnson posted Dixon on the streets of Texarkana, and in the notice also reflected on Dixon's wife, who was a most estimable woman, and has since died.  Dixon was sheriff at this time and a most difficult encounter almost took place between the two men.  He swore out papers against Johnson charging him with libel and other offenses and during the trial, shot and killed him in the court house."

          THE ARNOLD MURDER

          "While no arrests, as I recollect, were ever made for the killing of Arnold, who was at one time a close friend of Dixon, he was generally believed to know a great deal  about it.  Although he probably had no hand in it personally, it is said that the deed was done with a weapon owned by Dixon."

          IN A SLEEPING CAR

          As I, stated, Dixon was a man of the greatest courage, and was devoted to his wife.  While coming up to Little Rock one day, she asked the porter in the, sleeping car to render her some slight courtesy.  The porter did not comply, and she reported this to her husband.  He hunted the black man up and he replied impudently to Dixon who then drew his revolver and compelled the porter to jump off the train which was running about 30 miles per hour."

          TEXARKANA'S FIRST NEWSPAPER

          "Yes, I knew Dixon very well," said Mr. W. M. Shelby, a well known printer of this city.  "I think his first newspaper connection was with Jack Wooten, now  deceased, on the Texarkana Democrat.  He afterwards bought out the Evening Visitor from Shaw and Wooten, the latter a brother to Jack, on the Texas side.  It was  the first daily paper published in Texarkana.  Later, I believe he entered in partnership with the late W. J. Allen, who was also recently killed.  Both Allen and Dixon  were of iron nerves and had not the slightest fear of death.