Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-05-12
FROM STATE EXCHANGES.
The Murder OF Thomas Duskin-The Pen
nant Dog StoV.

The Murder OF Thomas Duskin-The Pen.
nant Dog StoP.
The State Journal gives the following nc.
count of the murder Of Thomas Duskin,
whose murder April 80 was announced a
few DAYS later but without particulars:
Tuesday evening. 29th ult, about sun.
down Thomas Duskin and Van Elmore were
nrubbinc in a field for John Thompson,
whose farm is just across the kanawha line
IN Roane county. They were working
about I6 or 20 feet apart when the report
Of n gun was heard. Duskin threw his
lands to his breast and exclaimed, Lord
have mercy, am killed Elmore looked
n the direction from which the gun was
fired, but could see no one. Both of them
an About sixty yards from where they
,tartcd they came to fence Duskin
vas unable to get over it, and holking on
o il with his hands to keep from falling for
he had lost much blood; he told Elmore to
20 on to the house and tell Thompson =
IeoIle that he had been shot. EImore ran
on Ia the direction of the house and when he
lot some distance from Duskin he heard
him loudly cry out in the most Piteous
manner. Elmore went on further and
hen turned and looked back but could
zee no opc arriving at the house he
,,,., .;'l What What had happened, and Mrs
Thompson and her son anu I''tio'e hoas
started TO the field where Duskin '"' 'ce.,
eft. and arriving there, Duskin was foun,.
wing on the ground about six feet from the
iencc he had been holding to. His feet were
toward the fence, and he was found 10 be
dead. There were five wounds on his head,
the skull being mashed in and a terrible
hole in the back part Of his head. whcrc he
had been bit with five pound rock Tracks
in the field showed that Duskn had
been followed by two men 20
the fence 70 which he was hold
ing. The distressing outcry which
Eimore heard soon after he left him. was
caused by the blows inflicted upon Duskins
heal with rocks. Further examination
showed that be had been shot in the right
breast near tn, nipple the ball coming out
near the right shoulder blade. lie was shot,
it was thought. with rife. Duskin had
made himself obnoxious to many people in
Roane and other counties by testifying
against them before Federal Court gran1
iurics and Cau,ing them 10 he indicted. IL
is evan hinted that threats had been made
against his life by some.
The Champion Dog story.
The Buckhannon Bnsy Bee says: Dur
;ng the last two weeks the occupants OF the
Court House have been disturbed by strange
and uraccountable noises, seemingly issuing
at times from the solid walls, and NJ other
times from beneath the floors Of the build
ing. which could he heard at intervals dur
ing the day ~ well as at night. On Satur-
day last the noise became 80 unusual IN
he County Clerks Office that an inyesti-
CATION was ordered By the Clerk, who sum.
named the Prosecuting Attorney, W. G. l..
Totten, and Jailer to assist therein. They
met in solemn counsel, and after canvass
ing the matter, the Prosecuting Attorney
declared that be- had heard the darned thing
far more than week during all hours Of the
night. and that he believed the darned Court
House was haunted, which declaration so
worked upon the subscription fears OF the
Clerk and Jailcr that they forthwith
resolved to call in the assistance
of others to aid in exercising said ghost.
II was finally determined that the nnceasiug
noise was located in the chimney directly
beneath the ceiling Of the Clerks Office and
floor Of the Prosecuting Attorneys Office
the latter room being occupied By said At
torney ss a sleaping room, a. well as an
Office; whereupon the Prosecuting Attorney
decided that the los Of slee resulting from
said disturbances and his lonely situation,
was rapidly wearing out his physi-
cal and mental vig0, and be
would lay that gios, or raise the cour. house
to its very foundation; and with the assis-
lance Of master mason, Martin, vigorously
attacked the wall of said chimney and soon
a hole was made therein revealing the cayi-
ty of the chimney. Bot no one seemed
valiant enough 10 dive in and explore is
murky depths. Finally J. A. Lorentz de
clared be woaId bring it ont dead or alive,
and reaching down into the fue, brought
forth live dog, Of the rat terrier species.
belonging TO A. g. Kiddy The query is
how the dog got into the fue. The pre-
sumption Is that the dog assembled the stairs
10 the attic and either Cell or was pat into
the fue By boys-hlling distance Of about
q feet TO where found, and according 10
the owners statement had been missing
nineteen aud half days When folnd Il
was very week, poor in fesh and scarcely
able to stand upf,n its feet