New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1882-11-01
THE EXEMPLARY MR.. DUX.

so you quit us tomorrow morn
ing?''
Eyes, marin, I guess they're ago;n'
to hang me at 10 O'clock sharp
I opened wide eyes and ears as heard
moment l was standing on the thresh-
old of a cell. But such cell! 1t look
ed more like a clearinghouse parlor;
the windows were barred, it is true; the
walls were whitewashed, and the lock
of the door was ponderous; but on the
floor there 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 la
dies, in visiting costume, formed cir
Gle around gentleman. The latter was
in correct evening dress-white cam
brio 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 round
| ($10 day, meals not includedD.
F.; could not restrain q movement OF
surprise.
ats James Dux," he continued, TAX
ing no notice; ''he's under sentence OF
DEATH
! In the monotonous voice of a profess
sional guide he went on to tell me the
story of the man who was the focus OF
: so 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 fatal accident was his
ruin. The paper he found on banker,
the assassinated, turned out to be coun-
terfeit. James had killed a confrere by
mistake. Not being able to get togeth-
er money enough to make hislinnocence
clear, he was found guilty. He was go
ing to be sent aloft, when a comrade
starting in trade offered to buy the
fraudulent bank notes at q sacrifice. He
said he calculated he could pass them
on his customers out West. With the
sum thus realized James was able to
pursuade the Government of the State
to take disinterested view of his case,
and he was let off.
But Dux never got over the turn it
gave him. He became kinder stupid
lost his head. He took to robbing the
first that came to his road. One even
ing, in an out-of-the-way suburb, he
knocked out the brains of an old man
with a sledge hammer for the sake of a
miserable watch of no value.
'Caught in the act by young police
man, who thought he had chance of
distinguishing himself, James was
brought up to the assizes for the fifth
time. The evidence was overwhelm-
ing, the defense weak, the jury indif-
ferent. While the dozen in the box
were trying whisky cocktails, Judge
Blackstone rose in the middle of cloud
of cigar smoke and pronounced the
sentence of death, giving the poor fell
low only three months leisure to read
the Bible in. His time is up this after
noon.''
':And is that the prisoner" exclaim-
ed; 1.-THE man in the dress clothes?''
Eyes, that's Dux," ne answered.
''He's converted, you know. At pres
ent he is great object of interest Our
richest ladies pay his expenses. The
best families come round regular to
comfort him. He is going to die beau
tifully, he expects. You'll see that
James will make truly sanctifed end.''
Meantime the assassin. reconducting
one of his lady visitors to the door,
passed quite close to me. and I had the
opportunity of taking his likeness in
my mental camera.
He was a low-sized, thick-set, ill-built
man, with a face blotched with whisky
pimples, a low forehead, cold eye, and
limbs of long-armed ape. With a sim
lister and grotesque caricature, this bes-
tial wretch was tricked out in. the garb
of good society, his big bony toes max.
ing 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 few
appropriate words, emotion overcame
her and she swooned.
The condemned felon had taken the
flowers with careless air, shifted them
and jerked them over his shoulder to q
corner OF the room, where / perceived
e. n