The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-03-23
The UniOntown Tragedy.
THE MURDER OF CAPT. MUTT BY n. H.
DUKls-TEsTiMoNY OF WITNESSES
THE VERDICT OF the JURY
THE CIriZENS INDIGNANT.

The history of this affair is perhaps
The saddest, the people of Pennsylvania
have been called upon to read
prominent and respected citizen ia kill
ed, and his family suffer blight tha
may go with them throughout life Il
is impossible for US to give an extended
account. We give below o statemen,
of the case and the evidence of tn,
witnesses.
THE TESTIMONY.
A. ID. Boyd, Esq, opened for tn,
Commonwealth, outlining what they
expected to prove. lie began by
stating that some two weeks previous
to the "a of December, the day of the
MURDER N. l.. Dukes opened CORES
pondence with A. G. Mutt, then at Har.
burg, relative to some trouble. He said
the Commonwealth would claim yer.
dict OF murder in the first degree.
BRECKINRIDGEs STORY.
Frank G. Breckenridge, Cashier OF
the Peoples Bank and the nephew OF
the late Captain Mutt, was the first wit
ness sworn. He testified as follows
Capt. Mutt came to my room at the
Nc. Clelland Hotel at about Ga q. IN.
on Sunday, December path. He asked
me to go and see Dukes with reference
to an interview. Iwent over to the
Jennings Hotel where Dukes boarded,
entered the front hall door, and asked
the colored porter to show me to Dukes
room. lie led the way aud followed
him through the sitting room and up
stairs. On knocking at the door, Dukes
opened it, and | told him Mr.. Mutt
would like TO speak with him. Mr..
Mutt had by this time entered the other
front hall door and come up stairs.
said, "By the way, here is Mr.. Mutt
himself. He walked in and the door
was closed. stood on the outside,
and in short time heard the cry of
murder in swothered voice, and then
the voice of Mr.. Mutt crying, "Clark
Clark !" l opened the door and went
in: the two men were graphing, each
had hold of the other Both were bent
over. l jumped between them and tri-
ed TO separate them. Mr. Mutt said,
"Take hold of him" l got them sepa
rated. | went with Mr.. Mutt to the
back part Of the room when | heard a
pistol shot and saw Mr.. Mutt throw up
his hands and fall.
MR.. FEATHERS TESTIMONY.
l was living at the Jennings House
at the killing of Capt Mutt on the gath
OF December last. was at the hotel
the morning his life was taken. l first
saw him on the pavement outside of
the office about 10 o'clock on Sunday
| next saw him come in the
upper door, was then in the hall.
saw Capt. Mutt go upstairs and he
went into Mr.. Dukes room. saw Mr..
Breckenridge at the door of Mr. Dukes
room. The door was closed and Capt.
Mutt went iEto the room.
| heard scufiling in Mr.. Dukes room
after Capt. Mutt went in. l also heard
some person call "Clark, Clark" l
thought it was Capt. Nuts voice.
was standing two or three feet from
MIR. Dukes door at the time of the cry.
Upon hearing the scufiiing and cries l
to Mr.. Breckenridge, "what
is going on in there 2" Mr.. Breckin-
ridge went into the room first and
followed right after. saw Mr.. Dukes
and Mr.. Mutt scutfling at the foot of
the bed Mr. Mutt was the lower of
The two when in the scutfllng. Mr..
Breckenridge grabbed hold of Mr.. Mutt
and | put my arm betwee them and
them. Mr. Mutt then step
ped back to the mantle-piece and Mr..
Dukes toward the wall They got
apart l suppose about seven or eight
feet. After we got them separated l
to Mr.. Dukes:
"Mr. Dukes, what does all this mean ?"
MIR. DukeG said: ''He came here to
whip me-" | said, she can't whip You
now think he repeated his remark,
md in the meantime he was fumbling
around his clothes and drew out his re-
'olver, said I'll shoot you, jerked it up
and fired.
THE PoRTERs STORY.
Louis Williams was sworn Il was
at MIR. Jennings House at the
line Capt. Mutt lost his life. Mr.
Breckenridge came to me that morning
md asked where Mr. Dukes room was.
saw Capt. Mutt standing right at the
upper hall door next saw Capt. Mutt
1t the other hall door, l knocked at
Mr.. Dukes door myself, and Mr.. Dukes
opened the door. l stepped aside and
Mr.. Breckenridge said he did not want
o see MIR. Dukes but that Capt. Mutt
lid. Capt Mutt was then looking in
he door Mr.. Dukes said ''come in,"
hr. Mutt went in and think Mr. |
Dukes closed the door. | went down
wo steps and l heard scuifiing and
llso heard some one call ''Breckinridge"
hree times. Mr.. Feather got in the
'oom first. Mutt and Dukes were scuf
ling as though trying to throw each |
,ther down. Mr. Breckenridge caught
lold of Mr. Nuts coat and pulled him
back. Then Mr.. Mutt had his right
land upon the mantle piece.
DUKES ROOM NUTS HABITS,
Mrs. Henry Jennings sworn Il am |
wife Of the proprietor of the Jenning
House, | was at home the day Capt. |
Mutt was shot. Mr., Dukes had board |
ID with us about eight years. Isaw him
Ibout 0 o'clock on the morning of the
lilling ! met him in the hall that
morning and he requested that his room
De cleaned up. He had asked before
o have his room cleaned up
MIR. JENNINGS STORY.
The court reassembled promptly at 2
o'clock in the afternoon.
Mr.. Henry Jennings, proprietor of |
he Jennings House was sworn;-I saw |
capt. Mutt coming to the office door on
sunday December oath. Breckenridge
md the colored porter went through |
he sitting room, Breckenridge asked |
or Mr.. Dukes room and | told the col. |
'red man to show them up stairs, After
Nj the men had got upstairs | heard |
on the floor in Mr.. Dukes room.
suppose it commenced as soon as they |
got into Dukes room. My daughter