The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-31
gudersoa yntelligeurer.
END OF A CELEBRATED CASE.
Young Mutt Acquitted OF tho Murder OF
Dpkeg.


trial Of James Mutt for tho murder Of
N. l.. Dukes, which began on the l4th
instant, closed this morning, the jury
rendering u yeEdiot of &c: guilty.
The circumstances which led to the
shooting Of Dukes are as follows: Mich
olas Lyman Dukes, who was 33 years
old when he was killed in June last, was
a resident of Upiontovn, village in
Western Pennsylvania. He was grad
uate of Princeton College, Of the class Of
1873, was practicing lawyer, and in
November, 1882, was elected to the State
Legislature. At that time he was en-.
gagged to bs married to Miss Lizzie Mutt,
handsome young lady, the daughter of
Captain Adam c. Natl. Captain Mutt
was az years old He mad served during
the war as private and as captain, was
subsequently admitted to the bar, and
later became cashier Of the National
Bank of Fayette County. In 1881 he
resigned that position to accept the Office
Of cashier of the State Treasury. lie
resided in the suburbs Of Uniontown
with his wife, his daughter Lizzie, his
son James Mutt, who had not reached his
tweut5-f:st year, and several younger
children.
On December 4, 1882, Dukes wrote to
Captain Mutt letter, in which he &C.
cused Miss Mutt of the most serious i'm.
proprieties, stated that lie himself had
been intimate with her, and concluded
by declining to marry her on account Of
what he termed her notoriousiy bad
character. In reply to this Captain Mutt
wrote letter stating that he would de.
fend his daughters character with his
life if necessary, and threatening Dukes
with punishment If be did not marry
her.
Shortly before ii O'Clock Gn the morn
ing of Sunday, December "a, 1882, Cap
tain Mutt sent his nephew, CLARK Breck.
enridge, his successor as cashier of the
National Bank Of Fayette Courty, to the
room of Dukes, in the Jennings House
at Uniontown, to tell him that he (Capt.
Nutt) wished to speak to him. The
message had hardly been delivered when
Captain Mutt, who had followed his
nephew, pushed his way into Dukes's
room and shut the door, leaving Breck-
enridge in the corridor without. A
scuffle took place, cries of murder" were
heard and Mr.. Breckenridge, porter
and the son Of the proprietor of the hotel
rIshed into the room to find the two men
struggling. They we're separated, Dukes
being pushed into corner and Captain
Mutt, who was phyuicaily the weaker of
the two, being led to tho mantel piece,
against which he leaned, painting from
exhauation. As the two mon stood in
these respective positions, Dukes drew
revolver and sent bullet into Captain
Nuts brain. Captain Mutt fell dead.
It was claimed by Dukes that at the time
he fred Captain Mutt was in the act Of
drawing revolver from his pocket.
Dukes surrendered himself and was ad
mitted to bail in $4,000. His trial
began March 10, 1888, and ended March
II in his acquittal. Judge Wilson, who
presided, expressed from the bench his
lissatisfaetion with the verdict. The
community was indignant at the verdict,
and Dukes and the members of the jury
were burned in ef1gy. Nearly all the
members Of the bar in Fayette County
Aligned q. petition for the disbarment of |
DuEss, and :hs feeling agsiass him was
30 strong that he resigned the scat in the
Legislature to which he had been elected.
On the evening of June l9, 1883,
Dukes was on his way to the postoffice
In Uniontown, when James Mutt, the son
of the man he had killed, fred two shots
at him from the doorway of an unoccu-
pied store. Dukes ran towards the post.
Office with young Mutt following, and
three more shots were fired. On the
steps of the postoffice Dukes fell dead.
One bullet had passed through his heart,
two more had entered mis- body within an
inch of the heart an3 fourth bullet had
grazsd his ankle. Young Mutt was i'm.
media!ely arrested.
As early as O'clock this morning all
tue entrances to the Court House were
besieged by crowds. Tho doors opened
at 0 o'clock and crowds of people were
vsdged into the narrow pasasgeway and
moved up stairs and soon filled the Court
Room. Promptly at $50 Judge Stowe
ordered the Court opened and the pris.
oner was escorted to his seat in rear of
his counsel. He uae carefully dressed,
but bis face gave evidence of the mental
strain 70 which he had been subjected. Il
He had alept very little las. night. At
9.67 the ju.y fled In, and as they seated
themselves the silence that pre-siled was
oppressive. Alter answering to their
namea the Judge esid: "Gentlemen Of
The jury, have you decided upon yer.
dict7" They replied, "We have" The
Judge then said: "Prisoner ct The bar,
stand up" Mutt, who was ,t.y weak
aad much affected. attempted 20 rise to
his feet, but had to be assiute by one of
the Court oaicera. Gentlemen, what is ,
your verdict p. aske6 the Court, to which ,
The foreman replied: 'Not guilty on &C.
,cunt OF insanity at the time tue act vas
committed"
The crowd, which Lad been restrained, I
f,sv1 nrk IL - 1