The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-27
STARTLING TRAGEDY.
shos Through tho Brain In His Room
fn a Hotel.
The 'ashier OF the Pennsylvania State 1res.
s"ry h,iied by Democratic Legislator
E'ect-rhc Affair Shroudcd in Mystery.

uniontowa. Penn. SUNDAY morning in
which Captain a. {. Mutt, cashier of the
Pennsylvania state Treasury. was shot and
Killed by y. l.. Dukes. a wcll-hnown mem
her Of the Fayctie county bar and Demo.
cratic member-clcct to the State Le.i,la-
tlrc:
"Captain Mutt, who Is q resident Of
tnjcniown, came home SATURDAY. evening
from Harrisburg 90 pay short visit 10 ms
family, The state Treasury being closed Tor
Christmas. lie transacted some business
saturday evening. and this morning he
went 10 the McClolland Hotel to see his NO
phew. L. {. Breckenridge, who is cashier
Of the Peoples Bank OF Fayctie County.
The two went into The bank together, and
after talking over little matter OF business
Captain Nut said to his nephew: Il have
some trouble on hand. and rs | wish
10 talS 10 some one about it. | may n well
make conlhilnt Of. YOU. | have lately re-
cciyod two infamous letters IRON y. T..
Dukes. which will show YOU. want TO
sec Dukes this morning and have an inter
yie,, with him. as | return to HARRISBURG
tomorrow. The two men then decided
10 20 10 Dukc>'S room, which was lust
across tho street from where they were in
the hank. breckenridge said he would 20
M and see II Dukes was in. The prouric-
tor ci the hotel instructed ,hc co,orcd por-
fer ~ conduct Mr.. Breckenridge UP 10 the
rooin. which j. on the second focr. The
rortcr and Breckenridge passed through
Inc .itling-room and up stairs, Captain
Nuit nj thc same time entering the hail bv
the front door and passing up the steps
after thea. Dukes answered Brcckcn-
ridae's zap "a the door with an inquiry ~
10 who WIS there; whereupOn Brccken-
RIDGE opcncd il and said he had brought
1,nt,jn suit UP. who wished 10 speak
with him. Nuti entered. and Breckcn-
RIDGE remaincd outside and stopped TO talk
with Jane, !. Feather, soa-iE-law oi the
proprietor.
A. thcy conycrscd in he hail near thc
door they heard heavy sculliing inside and
the voice of Mutt crying Cor Brcckeuride &c.
ON rushing into the room they found the
TWO men clinChed IN a terrible struggle.
They took hold Of them, and succeeded in
Getting them separated, no weapons being
visible. cXceu. that Mutt had in his hand
cane Whitewater he usually walked. Fea-
Tier pushed Dukes back into one corner OF
nlc room. and Breckenridge got Mutt oil
INFO another corner. From thi, point on
thc testimony i somewhat mixed, owing
10 the excited condition OF the par
while he stood holding Dukes, who
wa, then ten feet distant from Mutt. dukes
suddenly drew revolver from his pocket
and exclaimed. You came in here 10
whip NE. and so I'll shoot you'll at the
same time raising his revolver and firing at
his ANTAGONIST. The ball took effect Just
below The leir eve and penetrated ihe brain.
Crptain Mutt fell to the floor and never
.poke afterwards. Breckenridge gra,pod
the diving man in mis- arms and Feather en-
.-arci i'm q desperate struggle TO wrcSt
The revolver from Dukes. in which
he finally succeeded. Breckenridge and
Feather both testified that Mutt had
no revolver in bis hand and was making
no effort 10 get one. but that after Dukes
had fired Mutt reached into his pOckt and
when they pulled his hand out it was found
10 De holding 2 revolver in q death-sriP.
The colorcl porter testified that Mutt WAS
Standing with his right elbow resting on
the maBicl-piece, with n cane in his right
hand, ~ ii resting, when the shot was
fired. Mr.. Jennings, proprietor OF the To-
tel. was sitting in a room Just below, ana
heard q voice. which he supposed to be
that ~ Duke. say, stand back; am III
ecli-dcience': bat neither OF the three
who witnessed the shooting remember
hearing ihis.
Finding hl> shot was fatal, Dukes
walked down the steps, remarkinS to Mr..
Jennings. 4 am sorry. bat had - DO It
in sclf-deicnce.' lie then continued out
and down the back way ID the sheriff =
Office. and gave himself up. lie subse-
oucntlv made statement to his attorney to
the eject that Mutt came Into his room and
made an assault on him with cane: that
he wrosted the cane from Mutt, and the
latter was reaching Tor MS revolver, where
upon De pulled out his Own, and fred In
hi, own defence. Altcr hearing the evil
dcnce the cor0neT's Jury returned YER
diet that CAPTAIN Nut. came TO ms deaih
bya pistol ia The hands OF y. i. Dukes.
"Captain Nuts body was taken 20 his
home. where the scene ia the family Was
most heartrcnding. Mrs. Mutt was pros
iIaied and Is suffering from violent par
oxv.m.. while the children are frantic with
.Ti.f Cartain Mutt was CCyO,tdly AZ
tached TO bis family. and the shock Is lcl-
riblc.
THE cause OF this tragedy is wrapped
in quiet mystery. Mutt and Dukes were
never known 10 have had any quarrel, ana
aI tbr testimony taken before The coroner q
Jury threw not tbe slightest light on the
subject. Dukes was pay ing attention 10
tqlfaiU Nuts daughter. anu IT - Ni"N "
that The Cautain regarded this with MS
favor. An kinds OF stories are III circuia-
ton. some bitter correspondence must
have PASSED between the two men, ana Il
meeting was probably expected ~ lhein'
Only two or three days ago DuNes pui-
chased = smith & Wcsson revolver III
TUiontown. 81 calibrc, with which lie aiu
the shooting. and when he went down 10
breakfast this morning lac gave OIdcis 10
have bi. room cared FOR immediately ih"'-
cqtipg that he expected q visitor.
"Cm,tain Matt was lncinDeT oi i"0
Fayetie county bar and of the fehn,S :
wanna Historical Society. lie was Niuct
known rs "a man OF fine education anu nlA',
Iilerar, attainment. lie became cashier o.
the National Bank Of Fayette county III
1873. and was made cashier OF tue ot1'o
Treasury under General :. VI. b'nIe! uPG y,
the attcy's election a. state treasure II,
November. 1881. Since Captain N'il' VIZ VIZ.
70 Harrisburg be had purchased IN i ii,' ~
IN me Harrisburg Tcio9rdph, 10 "ilcn , ,o
cxpec,rd 10 devote his energies a'oi '"'
exnjraiiou Of General Bailey's term: Ia,
* l.. Dukes is native OF ono, 80
,.,,,1 10 tl,is county, where his moihe.
lives. in carly life. lie Is srau 's ''ood
Princeton College, and 4 lawyer Oh H"V',
Standing at the Fayctte county pal' ~
,he I,fc election he was chosen one o' Wy ~,
Deuoorafic rcprescnatiyes IRON iliN cou'i'i
fothe LEGISLATURE. and was prep"!is - - :.
10 "a Iisrrjsburg in a few days. lie Is 'h'f'l'
al