The daily gazette., 1883-06-14

| CNioNToWN, IA, June l3.-The SLAYER
OF Captain Mutt is himself slain, and now
lies lifeless in the same room in the hotel in
which the tragedy of December Oath was en-
acted. The slayer this time is James Mutt.
captain Nuts eldest son, who is now in
jail. The news of the second awful tragedy
came upon the community like q thunder
clap. 1t was the work Of but an instant.
Just as dusk was drawing on this evening
ana many people were passing along the
sIreets, the sound of five pistol shots rang
out u. on the air in the direction of the post
ONCE In moment everyone was running
70 the scene, and the word was Quickly
flashed from mouth to mouth and ear to
ear that Dukes was dead.
HOW IT OCCURRED,
The excited crowd gathered around the
post ONCE, and there on the floor Law the
tnanimate body of the man whose deeds had
cast shadow over the whole of Fayette
| county. The work was done SO quickly.
and SO paralyzing was its effect upon those
who witness d It, that it was difficult for a
time 10 obtain the correct story. Officers
Frank Pegg, George B. Hutchinson, Alf
Collins, and others, who saw the occurrence,
describe it as follows:
James Mutt was standing against a post
inside of a room that joins the post Office
aud fronts on Main street. The room was.
until lately, occupied by drug store, and
Che 'front.' was all taken out, it being now
lifted up as the business office for the First
National Bank. While in this position
Dukes came down the street from the direc-
tion of the Jennings Hotel, walking.briskIv.
with cane under his arm just as he
turned the corner toward the post office
door, young Mutt stepped down to the out
side, and, as the hands of the clock pointed
hVe minutes past eight, he pulled a revolver
anu nred Two shots in rapid succession.
SINGLE GASP, THEN DEATH.
Dukes looked around and srarted tn ruu
| into the post Office door, whereupon Nntt
fired again, and followed In close pursuit.
ust as Dukes got inside the post office his
/ assailant raised his arm again, and two
more shots sounded on the ears of the by-
ISLANDERS. AS they entered the body of
Dukes fell heavily to the floor upon his face.
In an instant K. A. Lingo rushed into the
ot1ce and stopped down to pick him up.
Dukes tried to say something, but could
only gasp, and in moment he was dead.
TAKEN TO JAIL.
By this time Officer Pegg reached Young
Mutt and laid his hand upon his arm The
latter struggled fercely to free himself, but
when he discovered it was an officer he
yielded and was taken to the jail
| Dukes body was removed to his room at
the hotel, where Coroner Sturgeon en-
paneled jury. No testimony was taken.
i
and the inquest was adjourned till to-mor-
row morning at 9 O'Clock.
THE BULLETS IN THE BODY.
On an examination of Dukes body it was
/ found that three OF the balls entered the
back near the side, under the lei arm, and
penetrated toward the heart, lodging in the
breast very near the skin, where thev were
cut out. They all three entered within two
or three inches of each other. fourth
ball slightly grazed Dukes leg near the
foot, while the fifth missed its aim, crashed
through one of the post office lock-boxes
and whistled past the ear of clerk George
| Minor, .sho was in the inside department.
On the body was found the old pistol of
Dukes, the one with which he killed Captain
| Mutt, and hanging to his suspender buston
in front was a dirk knife. The pistol used
by young Mutt was a 42-calibre Smith &
| Wesson. He had in his pocket another
smaller pistol, which he refused to surren-
der to officer Pegg, but gave to officer
Martin.
The movements of the two men Just previ-
GUS to the tragedy were noted by several
persons. 1t appears that Dukes started
down to the post Office, as was his custom in
the evening, for his mail. The distance is
| only square. A short time after the trains
came in Mutt was seen starting up from
| Broadway toward the post office, which is
about half way between that street and the
Jennings Hotel. He spoke to friends as he
passed along and nothing unusual was
noticed in his manner.
Meanwhile Dukes was seen standing in
front of the Jennings Hotel chatting with
some of his friends. Then, when the mail
was being distributed, Mutt had reached the
| well known round corner building in which
the post Office is located. He stenped up
on the inside and was standing there when
Dukes came walking along. None OF those
| who witnessed the shooting are able to say
wheth ar Dukes saw Mutt before he fired or
not. There is also difference of opinion as
, to waether Dukes ever looked back after
the shots began, some saying that he started
to run at once and never turned around.
Postmistress Johns and others were in the
office and several parties were standing
about on the outside, so that 1t is almost
marvellous that no one else was hurt.
Dukes had been frequently warned of his
danger in remaining in Uni0utnwu, aud he
lately said he would either stay there or in
the cemetery. 1t is said that he had ex-
pressed fear OF Captain Nuts son. To-day
young Mutt was seen practicin.r with a re-
, volver at his home.
YOUNG NUTS CHARACTER.
james Mutt is the secon of Captain
Nut's children, being next in aye to Miss
Lizzie, and will be twenty one years old in
August next lie is II qu,et ttu4 AN.
! seldom having anything II 50" rXr- -pt wh-l
5 spoken to, and not much thu. Ii Is ni .
e peculiar turn of mind, III. hei"e rc}s. : i. "A.
able but decidedly retired. H..cr h.s le -r
' was killed not IA leT pr lie h.; jim IS
i | would avenee the dealt.
. Mrs. Mutt WAS also anir i've thl' her
son would thus take the Ia. tyr into lis own
n hands and had tri d hari AMI uirH t. iu-
l. duce him to promise her that lie would not
do Sc She could never get Linn 10 giYc her
any assurance however, as he pe.sistc"tly
4 refused her appeals. A few days a@o he
u went home in very irritable mood and
, said to his mother "Mother, can't sand
y this. | met Dukes on the street to day, and
he laughed in my ace."
0 She feared from this time on the worst
u would come. 1t is not known when nor
where James purchased the revolver, nor is
it thought that anyone had any intimation
that he had formed the purpose ofexecuting
It the deed. He performed It with eoolnrss
: and deliberation, and remarked afterW ard
/ that it had to be done. After he was in the
v hands of the officer, he asked anxously
whether he hurt anyone else. He repeated
|, this inquiry to those who yisite,! him after
r ne was lodged in Jail, and when assured
Il that his bullets had harmed only Duke. he
% seemed satisfied.
1t L. Il. Adair,