Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-26

A FATHER OBJECTS TO HIS DAUGHTERS sUrToR,
AND Is KILLED AFTER BITTER CORRESPOND
ENcE-MYsrERY SURROUNDING THE CRIME
THE SLAYER IN CUSTODY.
Almost shocking tragedy was enacted In Union
town. Pa. at about 10 O'Clock Sunday morning.
Just as the Christmas church bells were calling
! the people to worship, the news was flashed
about the streets that Capt C. Mutt, cashier Of
the pennsylvania state treasury. had been shot
| and Killed In room at the jennings hotel by
Il. N. Dukes, well-known member Of the Fay
ette county bar. and member-elect OF the Penn
sylyania legislature The high social and politi-
Cal standing Of both men gave such startling
significance to the news that the hotel was at
| once surrounded with excited citizens from all
parts Of the town. A physician was called In
| immediately after the shooting, but he pro-
nounced the wound fatal. and In ten minutes
Capt. Mutt was dead. The coroner was notified
and a jury impaneled, the story of the tragedy
being told to it by several witnesses.
EVENTS BEFORE THE KILLING.
A special to the Philadelphia Press. from
uniontown Sunday, gives the following details:
Captain Mutt. who is resident of Uniontown.
came home Saturday evening from Harrisburg
TO pay short visit to his family, the state trea-
sury being closed for Christmas He transacted
some business Saturday evening, and this morn
ing he went to the McClelland hotel to see his
nephew, F. c. Breckinridge who is cashier Of
the Peoples Bank of Fayette county. The two
went into the bank together, and after talking
over little matter Of business, Capt Mutt
said to his nephew: II have some trouble on
hand, and as l wish to talk to some one about
it. l may as well make a confidant of You. |
haU 1ofn t.~r~,
| from N. l.. Dukes, which I will show you.
want to see Dukes this morning and have an in
terview with him, as return to Harrisburg to-
morrow" The two men then decided to 90 to
Dukes room, which was just across the street
from where they were I'm the bank. Brecken-
ridge said he would go up and see if Dukes was
| In The proprietor of the hotel instructed the
colored porter to conduct Mr.. Breckenridge up
| to the room, which is on the second floor The
porter and Breckenridge passed through the
sltting-roOm and up the stairs. Captain Mutt at
| the same time entering the hall by the front
door and passing up the steps after them.
Dukes answered Breckenridges rap at the door
with an inquiry as to who was there, where
upon Breckenridge opened 1t and said he had
brought Captain Mutt up, who wished to speak
| with him. Mutt entered and breckenridge re-
turned outside, and stopped to talk with James
Feather: son-in-law Of the proprietor.
A scUFFLE AND A FATAL SHOT.
| AS they conversed in the hall near the door
they heard heavy scufing inside, and the voice
| of Mutt crying tor Breckenridge. On rushing
| into the room they found the two men clinched
| In terrible struggle. They took hold Of them
and succeeded In getting them separated. no
weapons being visible except that Mutt had In
| his hand a cane with which he usually walked
| Feather pushed Dukes back into one corner of
| the room and Breckenridge got Mutt off into
another corner. From this point on the testi-
| mony Is somewhat mixed, owing to the excited
condition OF the parties present. Feather tes-
| tined that while he stood holding Dukes. who
was then ten feet distant from Mutt, Dukes
| suddenly drew revolver from his pocket
| and exclaimed: "YOu came i'm here to WHIP
| me. and SO I'll shoot you" at the
| same time raising his revolver and firing
| at his antagonist. The ball took effect lust
below the left eye and penetrated the brain.
Capt. Mutt fell to the floor and never spoke
afterward. Breckenridge grasped the diving
! man In his arms and Feather engaged i'm des-
perate struggle to wrest the revolver from
Dukes in which he finally succeeded. Brock
enrdge and Feather both testified that Mutt
had no revolver in his hand and was making no
effort to get one. but that after Dukes had fired
Mutt reached into his pocket, and when they
pulled his hand out it was found to be holding
revolver In a death grip. The cOlored porter
testlned that Mutt was standing with his right
elbow resting on the mantelpiece with q cane
in his right hand, as if resting, when the shot
was fired. Mr.. jennings proprietor Of the
hotel. was sitting in a room just below and
heard voice. which he supposed to be that Of
Dukes. cay: ''Stand back; | am In self-defense;"
but neither Of the three who witnessed the
shooting remember hearing this.
DUKES CLAIMS sELF-DEFENsE.
Finding his shot was fatal. Dukes walked
down the steps remarking to Mrs. Jennings
81 am sorry, but had to do it i'm self-defense"
He then continued out and down the back way
to. the sheriff's house and gave himself up. He
subsequently made statement to his attorney
to the effect that Mutt came into his room and
made an assault on him with cane that he
wrested the cane from Mutt, and the latter
was reaching for his revolver, whereupon he
pulled out his own and fired In his own de-
Tense. After hearing the evidence the coroner's
jury returned verdict that Capt. Mutt came
to his death by a pistol in the hands of n s.
Dukes.
Captain Nuts body was taken to his home,
where the scene in the family was most heart
rending: Mrs Mutt was Frustrated and is suf-
fering from violent parOxysms. while the child
rem are frantic with grief Captain Mutt was
devOtedly attached to his family and the shock
is terrible.
THE CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY.
The cause of this tragedy is wrapped in quiet
mystery. Mutt and Dukes were never known to
have had any quarrel. and all the testimony
taken before the coroners jury threw not the
slightest light on the subject. Some bitter cor
respondence must have passed between the two
men and meeting was probably expected by
them. Only two or three days ago Dukes pur-
chased a Smith & Wesson revolver in Union
town, thirty -twO caliber, with which he did the
shooting. Dukes has been infatuated with
Captain Nuts daughter, who is eighteen years
old, for some time and has been pressing his at
tentions on her in disregard Of the wishes of her
parents and, 1t is believed. Of the young lady
herself 1t is rumOred that he was plainly in
formed that he must cease making advances and
that this caused him to write the two letters
which Captain Mutt mentioned to his nephew
1t is also supposed that these letters contained
illusions derogatOry to the young lady's charac-
ter and that Captain Nuts visit was for the
purpose Of obtaining q retractiOn. No other
cause for the shooting is assigned. as Captain
Mutt and Dukes had been friends from boy
hood,
THE ACTORS IN n.
Captain Mutt was member Of the Fayette
county bar and Of the Pennsylvania Historical
society. He was widely known as man of