Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-27
DEAD IN TEN mINUTEs.
Cashier Of Pennsylvania State
Treasury Killed by a Young
Lawyer.
Immediate Cause Of the Trouble
EnEhIOuded in Mystery.
Intense Excitement in the vi.
ciOiiy Of The Tragedy.
sp.eIal % cIneinnaa c~onnereial

tragedy cs the most distressing char
lcter was enacted here this morning.
the people were gathered for ser.
vice in the different churches they
were startled by the report that Capt.
q: Mutt, cashier of the State treas
ury, had been shot and killed in a
room in the Jennings Hotel BY N. i. ]
Dukes, n member of the Fayette
county bar and member elect of the
State Legislature. The most intense
excitement prevailed, and in a few
moments the rooms and halls Of the
hotel were thronged BY o crowd eaee-
to learn the particulars Of the fatal
ARRAY. The Coroner impaneled a Jury
at once, and the story as told by the
Witnesses is substantially as follows:
This morning Captain Mutt called
on his nephew, Clark Breckenridge,
cashier OF the Peoples Bank, Of Fay
cite county, stating that he wished to
transact some business ut the bank for
the sake of convenience, asking that
it might be done this morning. After
it bad been concluded he told Brock
enridge that he would make a conf.
dant OF him; that he had received two
Infamous letters from Dukes. aud de
sired an interview with him. He
asked his nephew to go to the hotel,
which is opposite the bank, and see if
Dukes was in his room. They both
crossed the street together, Breck.
enridge, when 10 the main entrance,
asked the porter to show him through
he sitting room and were Joined ly j.
7 Feather. sll three poing up stairs.
Breckenridge knocked at Dukes door.
who responded with Come in" He
opened the door, and told Dukes that
Captain Mutt wished TO see him.
Dukes replied, "Show him in" At
this moment Captain Mutt, who had
not waited for Breckenridge to return.
but had come in by the private en-.
fance and followed the party up
stairs. passed into the room ~closinp
he door after him, Breckenridge
Feather and the porter remaining on
the outside. The noise of a scufie
was heard Immediately alter.
Breckenridge and Feather rushed
into the room and found
the men blocked in a struggle
They threw themselves between them
Feather forcing Dukes into che corner
OF the room, while Captain Mutt and
Breckenridge we're near the fireplace.
While Feather still had hold of Dukes
he cried out, I'm shoot you" The
report Of a pistol followed, and Capt.
Mutt fell unconscious, dying in about
ten minutes.
Breckenridge caught his uncle as
he was falling, and they both went
down together. Mutt had his hand
upon his revolver with the grasp Of
death, but had not drawn it from hi.
pocket The ball entered tue outside
corner Of the left eye, passing to the
other side of the head through the
brain.
Dukes at onoe delivered himsel
into tho custody of the Sheriff. Hi
friends give the following account o
the affair:
Captain Mutt came to his room thiI
morning with Breckenridge. As sooI
as Mutt entered tho room he com
nenced an assault on him with hi
cane, knocking him over the head. A
struggle Immediately ensued, Duke
crying Murder" He wrested tn,
cane from Mutt, who withdrew a few
steps and made an ATTEMPT to draw hi
revolver. Dukes drew his and Gre,
Immediately with fatal effect.
From all the circumstances attend
ing the ARRAY it seems that both mel
were expecting and we're prepared 70
an encounter. The weapon used b
Dukes was a thirty. two calibe
Smith & Wesson. Captain Nut
was armed with a thirty.two oalibe
self cooking Colt. Both we're men 0
high social and political prominence
and the Ssfair has cast the deepes
gloom over the entire community
Dukes is unmarried and about thirty
three years old. He is a graduate I
Princeton College, of the class OF 1877:
He was admitted to the bar in 1877
and has since succeeded in buildin
up a fine practice. He is reported a
a young man Of very promising abili
ties, and the last election was a sue
cessful candidate for the Legislator,
Captain Mutt was also a member {
the bar, but never praoticed. II
served through the war, and for sew
eral years was Cashier of the Nations
Bank OF Fayette county. After tn
election Of George Bailey as Stat
Treasurer he resigned his position i
the bank aud accepted the appoint
ment as Cashier OF the Treasury. Fl
has always stood high in the commu
nifty, and was regarded as one of ou
most public spirited citizens He wa
about iorty-six years old and leaves
vile and seven children.
The C~oroner's jury rendered tn
; following verdict: THAT the sal
A. .. Mutt camet to bis death by a she
tired from a revolver in the hands q
N. l. Dukes"
+ Nothing was developed in the eyi
dence before the Coroner's jury show
D ing what causes led to the fatal meet
, ing, but il is current on the street tha
Captain Mutt was defending the homo
] Of his family,