The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-03-22
THE DuKEs YERnrcr

THE DUKES VERDICT
Chicago Tribune: The verdict re-
turned in the case of Nicholas L. Dukes,
the murderer OF Capt. A. c. Nutt, al
Uniontown, Pa, was as astonishing as
1t was shocking. It must go upon the
records a. the most abominable and
cruel trsvesty upon justice ever known
IN this country. No one can wonder
that it bas aroused storm OF popular |
indignation ali over Pennsylvania, and
that the people feel shameful stain has
been cast upon the good name of the
state. 1t is surprising that in their
wrath they have not wrenched the gull
" scoundrel from the hands Of the sher-
if, where he sought protection, anu
ynched him, for il lynch-law ever bad
justification, II was in this case. Never
before was justice such q complete and
horrible failure. Even the Judge who
heard the case felt compelled to severely
rebuke the jury Of incompetenls, or
worse, for there is q rumor afiost that
several OF them were of the same politi-
cal faith as Dukes, and were politically
beholden 70 him, and planned the YER
dict beforehand. They have received
some punishment, but not sufficient
in the indignant resolutions passed by
their townsmen without a dissenting
voice. 1t Is a little remarkable that
they did not receive more substantial
and odorous tokens of their regard, as
they skulked away to their h ,mes under
cover of darkness.
The original crime committed by
Dukes exposed him to punishment from
the natural protector of the ruined girl.
Had Captain Mutt met him and shot
him down like dog, no jury, unless it
were composed of scoundrels and Sc
ducers like Dukes. would have found
him guilty. There Is an unwritten law
which is final in such cases, and all the
written statutes IN existence never have
and never can affect the right Of the pro-
tector of 8 woman to kill heartless Sc
ducer who refuses to make the only
repara:ion which is effective to save the
victim'G naEpe and fame from dishonor.
Il
Bufthis man weRt further in his villainy
than the ordinary seduceF. Under cover
of friendship for Captain Mutt he
had free access to his home,
and by his devilish wiles sue
ceeded in seducing the daughter.
Having accomplished his purpose and
being taxed with It, he wrote to the
father a series of the most villainous,
revolving, and insulting letters in justi-
fication of his conduct that can be con-
ceIved. This naturally drove the al
ready incensed man to frenzy Of wrath,
and when he encountered the scoundrel
to demand some satisfaction, writhing
under the shame of his daughters ruin
and the most dastardly insults 10 her
and to him that could be invented, he
was shot down and killed by the Sc
ducer. Seduction Is not an uncommon
crime, yet there are few criminals held
in greater detestation than the SeduceI
who refuses TO make reparation, but this
man Dukes has reached the lowest
depths yet attained by any of his class.
The man who could write those letters
and send them to the heartbroken father,
gloating over his triumph and haunting
the family with his foul and beastly
badinage, exhibits degree of cowardly
meanness that would shame the deYll.
And yet this is the man that jury Of
twelve presumably intelligent persons
have declared innocent of any crime
and have turned loose upon the CON-
munIty again. They have condoned
his crimes. They have heRped flesh
trouble upon an already overburdened
family, broken down with its SORROW
There is another jury, however, which
should pass upon this man. a man
who is capable OG committing such
crimes and seeking to justify them is g
moral leper who should be Stunned
by every man, woman and
chlld with unutterable loathing
and contempt. If there are any other
as low as he in the moral scale he should
be relegated to them tor association
he should be debarred from association
with any others and brand placed upor
: him, so that wherever he may go h,
/ shall feel the popular contempt and in
dignatlon. Such a condemnation a
this would before long be punishment
so severe that 20 worse need be desired
In comparison With 1t be- you'd soor
, wish that prison walls had shut him out
; for the rest of his worthless lite from
, popular contempt. Even the halter
: would have been preferable.