The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-06
The willing of Dukes.

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Now York Herald.
Like most other places of its size and char
acter, the streets of Uniontown present a
more lively appearance in the. evening than
at any other hour during the day. Supper is
over, the work of the day is done, the mails
from the cities have arrived, and the people
are accustomed to sit on their porches or
'doorsteps, or stand about the street corners
and in public places, to gossip and enjoy the
GOODNESS of the evening. So it was OH the
evening of June Is, 1888, when Dukes came
out Of his room. in the hotel and stepped on
the pavement. He seemed pale and distract,
hut he chatted for a few moments with an
acquaintance, and then with the remark,
Pm going after my mail" he walked off to-
ward the postofice. These we're the last
words he spoke in any ones hearing. He
met several acquaintance as he sauntered
down the street, but he merely nodded to
them without speaking.
The p0stoffice is in a building which is used
for other purposes. What had been a drug
store for some time was being remodeled for
use as a bank. The front of the room was
torn out, and in the shadow where he could
not be readily seen by a person advancing
toward him, James Mutt was in waiting with
' MS large revolver COCkeU anu MS nllnQ lndU6
up to kill. Duk was still walking slowly
as he approached the room and at the same
pace he almost passed it. Then Mutt sprang
out into the street, raised his pistol and fired.
A slight rattan cane fell from Dukes's hand;
he made a quick movement and then turn
ing looked straight into Nuts face. Then
he turned, and as he did so Mutt shot again.
Dukes began to run, and three more shots
followed him in quick succession. He reached
the steps of the postoffice, walked up, and at
the top swayed backed and forward and fell
heavily, his forehead striking the stone
pavement in the vestibule of the Office.
He turned on his side and tried to raise
himself, but he had not strength enough.
A gentleman who was near him sprang
forward and lifted him up. Dukes glanced
about with terror in his eyes to see if Mutt
was following him, and then, in a pitiable.
sickening way, endeavored to speak. The
effort was useless, and in a few seconds there
came 8 tremor of the limbs and an awful
gasping sound, and Dukes was dead.
TIL crowd which gathered around the pros
trate man were in sympathy with tine muir
derer, and to the cry, Give the man air!"
the response came, 'Give him helll' and they
pressed closer around him, as if they be-
grudged him room to die in. The body was
carried across to the hotel and laid upon the
bed in the room where nearly half a year be-
fore Dukes had seen Captain Mutt sink dying
to the floor.
vi the nVe OallS nreu DV MUTT, three en-
ered Dukes's body. Two passed entirely
rough, and could be seen under the skin
the Cher side; the other passed through
4e center of the back and lodged in the mus
cular tissues of the heart. On the left leg,
near the ankle, was the mark of another ball,
and a dent in one of the metal covers of a
letter-box in the postoffice showed where the
remaining bullet had struck.
James Mutt was promptly arrested after
the shooting by Officer Pegg, who saw the
whole affair.
You have done a bad thing, Jim," said
Pegg.
II know it, replied Mutt, but I had to
do it. | could not help it. Take this" and
he handed over his revolver. He was locked
up in Jail, where he has been ever since, his
case being postponed one term. His mother
visits him often, and his sister Lizzie occa-
sionally has been at the Jail. Mutt told his
mother he had met Dukes in the street, and
Dukes had laughed in his face. This so in-
famed him, he said, that he could not help
killing him. Mutt is twenty-five years old,
is six feet high, and is not remarkable in his
appearance in any way. He is very stolid
and always was, and never showed any emo
ton except when his father died.