Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-06-22
THE EXEMPLARY MIX. DUX

SKETCH PICKED UP ABROAD.
so you quit US tomorrow morn
ing?"
eyes, Marin. I guess they're agoin'
to hang me at ten o'clock sharp"
| opened wide eyes and ears as I
heard this fragment of conversation.
AT the moment / was standing at the
threshold of a cell. But such a cell!
it looked more like boarding house
parlor; the windows were barred, it is
true; the walls were whiteWashed, and
the lock of the door was ponderous;
but on the floor was a soft carpet, and
against the walls were arranged chairs
and ottomans
In the middle of the room, some of
them seated, some standing, a dozen
ladies, in visiting costume, formed a
circle round gentleman. The latter
was in correct evening dress-white
cambria tie, swallow-tailed coat, white
kid gloves, and boots that reflected one
like polished shield.
That's the assassin whispered the
detective, who was showing me around,
no day, meals not included.
| could not restrain a movement of
surprise, notice; "he's under sentence
Of death"
In the mOnotOnOus voice of a pro-
fessional guide he went on to tell me
the story of the man who was the focus
Of 50 much attention.
"a criminal of the highest class. this
Dux. He began in an intelligent way
by only attacking respectable people
worth $4,000 or so. Four times he
has cheated the gallows. The first
time he bought off the witnesses; the
second time he bought off the jury
the third time he did business direct
with the judge. But q fatal accident
was his ruin. The paper he found on
a banker he assassinated turned out to
be counterfeit. James had killed a
confrere by mistake. Not being able to
get together money enough to make
his innocence clear, he was found
guilty. He was going to be sent aloft,
when comrade starting in trade Of
fered to buy the fraudulent bank notes
Mt sacrifice. He said he calculate
to pass them on his customers out
west. With the sum thus realized
James was able to persuade the COVER
nor of the state to take disinterested
view of this case, and he was let off.
But Dux never got over the turn il
gave him. He became kinder stupid
lost his head. He took to robbing the
first that came IN his road. One even
ing, in an out of-the-way suburb, be
knocked out the brains of an old man
with sledge-hammer for the sake Of
a miserable watch of no value"
Caught in the act by young police,
man, who thought he had a chance tc
distinguish himself, James was brought
up at the assizes for the fifth time. The
evidence was overwhelming, the de
fence weak, the jury Indifferent. While
the dozen in the box was trying whisky
cocktails, Judge Blackstone rose in the
middle of a cloud of cigar-smoke and
pronounced sentence of death, giving
the poor fellow only three months leis
ure to read the bible in. His time is up
this afternoon.
And that Is the prisoner" | exclaim.
ed; ''the man in the dress-clothes!"
Eyes, that is Dux," he answered
He's converted. you know. AT present
he's a great object of interest. Oul
AlShCSb ldu1CG pay oil Ills Ca DSlSSc. L lit
best families come round regular tC
comfort him. He is going to die beauti.
fully, we expect. 1t is great victory fol
the Hardshell Baptist church. You'll
see that James will make truly sancti
fed end"
Meantime the assassin, reconductine
one of his lady visitors to the door
passed quite close to me, and l had
the opportunity of taking his likeness
in my mental camera.
He was low sized, thick set,ill built
man, with face blotched with whisky
pimples, low forehead, cold eye,
and the limbs of long armed ape.
What a sinister and d grotesQue carica-
ture this bestial wretch was, tricRed
out in the garb of good society, his big
bony toes making humps on the patent
leather of his dandy pumps, and his
close cropped hair glistening with some
perfume, which could not kill the fetid
Odor that exuded from his vulgar body.
A lady advanced toward the assassin
and presented him with an immense
white bouquet-the symbol of purity
of soul. But as she tried to murmur a
few appropriate words, emotion over
came her and she swooned.
The condemned felon had taken the
flowers with a careless air, shifted them
and jerked them over to corner of
the room where perceived mass of
fragrance and bloom thrown in huddled
heaps like so much refuse.
''The poor creatures are nervous, do
you mind, said James compassionately.
"They should take horn of gin before
risking themselves here"
"Allow me to introduce to you my
only daughter, Miss Blackstone" said
a gentleman of judicial bearing, burst