Old Joe Dawson
Old Joe Dawson, the bully of the town,
Oh, Lordy Lord.
Old Joe Dawson, the bully of the town
Rode through the Haywood, he got shot down,
Oh, Lordy me.
Here comes his wife with her child on her arm,
Oh, Lordy Lord.
Here comes his wife with her child on her arm,
“They killed my man and it’ll kill me,”
Oh, Lordy me.
Shot him in the neck and he fell on his side,
Oh, Lordy Lord.
Shot him in the neck and he fell on his side,
And that was the death Joe Dawson died,
Oh, Lordy me.
Maw Maw told me that an ordinance was passed in Newport (TN) that this song couldn’t be sung within the town limits. Joe Dawson was the sheriff, or, a sheriff in Newport at the end of the nineteenth century. She said he came into Haywood County, NC one night with a revenue agent looking for “Sandy” John Sutton’s still. Sandy John was Mae’s husband’s grandfather. When MawMaw was a girl, or, teenager, she stayed at Sandy John’s place as a hired girl for a time. Anyway, Sandy John was hid in the woods and saw them come around the mountain carrying tin lamps to see by. When they got to the still, instead of busting it up, they went to dividing the liquor. And Sandy John cracked down on the sheriff “and that was the death Joe Dawson died.”
Sandy John Sutton shot and killed Sheriff Joseph S. Dawson, 31, of Cocke County, Tennessee on Thursday, April 20, 1899. Dawson had come into Haywood County, NC illegally and went to Sandy John’s house looking for blockade whiskey. John wasn’t then at home and apparently Dawson pushed around Genetta, John’s wife. Sandy John came in afterwards and found out what happened and went to the woods where he spied Joe and the revenuer at his still where he shot him. He was never arrested for the crime, though it was widely known he had killed “Old Joe Dawson”. The song was composed shortly thereafter allegedly by a Mrs. Hicks. MawMaw Phillips said that her stepfather, Dugan Jenkins had been friends with Dawson and wouldn’t let the ballet be sung at his house. Mrs. Tilda Webb of Cosby sang this version of it.:
Death Of Joe Dawson
Sheriff Joe Dawson was the bully of the town,
Oh Lawdy law.
He rode through Haywood and got shot down,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He rode through the Haywood and got shot down.
He rode through Haywood robbing stills,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He rode through Haywood robbing stills,
He got shot down in Joe Phillips field,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He got shot down in Joe Phillips field.
He was shot in the neck and fell on his side,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He was shot in the neck and fell on his side
And that’s the death Joe Dawson died,
Oh, Lawdy law.
And that’s the death Joe Dawson died.
He came riding on his horses back,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He came riding on his horses back,
Little Charlie Roberts brought him back in a forty dollar hack,
Oh, Lawdy law.
Little Charlie Roberts brought him back in a forty dollar hack.
Tilda Webb is a distant cousin of mine through the Suttons and Jenkins and is related to Sandy John as well.
The late Jean Schilling (nee Costner) and her husband, Lee, ran a dulcimer shop at Cosby, near the entrance to the Park. They recorded a song called “Death of A Sheriff” based on a copy of the song that Jean had. In their version of the song, among others, were the lines: “Joe Dawson got shot at Carlton Springs as through the Haywood he went a riding”….”I dreamed last night and the night before that death walked by my open door”….”Iffen I live and I don’t get shot, I’ll make my liquor in a coffee pot.” I used to have a copy of Jeans version, but, alas, it’s vanished in the passing of time.
Old Joe Dawson, the bully of the town,
Oh, Lordy Lord.
Old Joe Dawson, the bully of the town
Rode through the Haywood, he got shot down,
Oh, Lordy me.
Here comes his wife with her child on her arm,
Oh, Lordy Lord.
Here comes his wife with her child on her arm,
“They killed my man and it’ll kill me,”
Oh, Lordy me.
Shot him in the neck and he fell on his side,
Oh, Lordy Lord.
Shot him in the neck and he fell on his side,
And that was the death Joe Dawson died,
Oh, Lordy me.
Maw Maw told me that an ordinance was passed in Newport (TN) that this song couldn’t be sung within the town limits. Joe Dawson was the sheriff, or, a sheriff in Newport at the end of the nineteenth century. She said he came into Haywood County, NC one night with a revenue agent looking for “Sandy” John Sutton’s still. Sandy John was Mae’s husband’s grandfather. When MawMaw was a girl, or, teenager, she stayed at Sandy John’s place as a hired girl for a time. Anyway, Sandy John was hid in the woods and saw them come around the mountain carrying tin lamps to see by. When they got to the still, instead of busting it up, they went to dividing the liquor. And Sandy John cracked down on the sheriff “and that was the death Joe Dawson died.”
Sandy John Sutton shot and killed Sheriff Joseph S. Dawson, 31, of Cocke County, Tennessee on Thursday, April 20, 1899. Dawson had come into Haywood County, NC illegally and went to Sandy John’s house looking for blockade whiskey. John wasn’t then at home and apparently Dawson pushed around Genetta, John’s wife. Sandy John came in afterwards and found out what happened and went to the woods where he spied Joe and the revenuer at his still where he shot him. He was never arrested for the crime, though it was widely known he had killed “Old Joe Dawson”. The song was composed shortly thereafter allegedly by a Mrs. Hicks. MawMaw Phillips said that her stepfather, Dugan Jenkins had been friends with Dawson and wouldn’t let the ballet be sung at his house. Mrs. Tilda Webb of Cosby sang this version of it.:
Death Of Joe Dawson
Sheriff Joe Dawson was the bully of the town,
Oh Lawdy law.
He rode through Haywood and got shot down,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He rode through the Haywood and got shot down.
He rode through Haywood robbing stills,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He rode through Haywood robbing stills,
He got shot down in Joe Phillips field,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He got shot down in Joe Phillips field.
He was shot in the neck and fell on his side,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He was shot in the neck and fell on his side
And that’s the death Joe Dawson died,
Oh, Lawdy law.
And that’s the death Joe Dawson died.
He came riding on his horses back,
Oh, Lawdy law.
He came riding on his horses back,
Little Charlie Roberts brought him back in a forty dollar hack,
Oh, Lawdy law.
Little Charlie Roberts brought him back in a forty dollar hack.
Tilda Webb is a distant cousin of mine through the Suttons and Jenkins and is related to Sandy John as well.
The late Jean Schilling (nee Costner) and her husband, Lee, ran a dulcimer shop at Cosby, near the entrance to the Park. They recorded a song called “Death of A Sheriff” based on a copy of the song that Jean had. In their version of the song, among others, were the lines: “Joe Dawson got shot at Carlton Springs as through the Haywood he went a riding”….”I dreamed last night and the night before that death walked by my open door”….”Iffen I live and I don’t get shot, I’ll make my liquor in a coffee pot.” I used to have a copy of Jeans version, but, alas, it’s vanished in the passing of time.