The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1892-03-26
A Burglar. KILLED.

Times Democrat
desperate burglar was killed in the office
of w. w. Duson & Bro, at l2 o'clock last
night, under the following circumstances
Some ten days or two weeks ago Mr. w. w.
Dusu.ls cashier was informed that an at.
tempt would be made to rob the safe. Sher-
if Lyons was absent, i'll search OF two rob
hels who had broken out OF Jail, convicted at
the recent term of the District Court for rob-
bing the store of Edgar Barousse by blowing
omen the safe and securing $4,000 few
months ago Duson telegraphed for his
brother ex-Sheriff G. c. Duson, of st. Landry,
who at once came down. Arrangements had
been made to keep the suspected burglar
sbadowed Ex-Sheritf Duson kept himself
secreted for several days, but occupied the
Office on watch every night until just 6efoTe
day every morning. Last night was hnaliy
determined upon by the robber to get In MS
work. Ex-Sheriff Duson, Cashier Crippen,
and Mr.. DHson's stenographer. Z. w. Fortler,
we're oil the watch for him in the office. About
- o'clock the robber came. 1t had been ar
ranged to throw the light of bulls eye or
lantern upon the burglar after he had broken
into the building, but the slide of the lantern
would not work, and this plan was irHs-
trated.
As the lights in the Office had been extin-
guished and everybody supposed to have gone
to their homes, the robber felt that he had
an easy- going Job before him. he entered
from the rear, coming into the surveyors de-
Ex.Sheriff Duson had taken his position at
the second door entering the private once.
Mr.. Crippen stood to the left of Mr.. Duson 10
the same room. Mr.. Foftier was placed III
: the hallway with shotgun to stop him, If he
, should attempt to rush to the front door, 1t
was thought when the lampllght tailed to
act that the Jobber could be seen as he
passed window, where the refiection came
, through from a street lamp, and that ne
might be seen distinctly enough to be held
mn When the robber entered he had his pls-
tol in one hand and an unlighted dark Ian
tern in the other This could only be seen for
moment, as he closed the ooor as soon r as ne
, sliuped in Having tried the door and found
II securely closed he advanced about two
l stems which placed him within the rays OF
! tie street lamp reflected on the glass door OF
the telephone closet about two inches wide.
Here is where the mode OF procedure TO
cauiure the robber had to be changed, be-
y cause the rohber advanced with donole-ac'
7 tiou Smith g. Wesson revolver, presented
y and ready for firing. He was then ABOUT
Q eiobt feet from Mr.. Duson and SIX feet from
s Mr. Crippen. To ayoid the ilght feneeteu VI W
him through the window the robber changed
his cnurse to make "a circuit, and, IN doug
this. came walking directly on sheriff Duson'
: When within two feet of Mr.. Duson, with
= their pistols almost touching Mr.. Duson hred,
The ball striking the robber squarely IN the
breast, passing entirely through his body,
Y through the door Of the Office and striking a
a fence about thirty PAGES distant lhe piston
usn:; by Mr., Duson vas i4-calibre Colts re-
: yotvur With Yell the fobber fell TO the
floor only living TIVE or three inmates.
Horace. Steel, the name he went by, had
? beet in this vicinity soine fifteen months. lie
hal very few associates, Was u mah Oh L"
wur,is, except when dnder the lnnoehce oi
Q louar and this WIS Seldom he "ouio
a.p4 suddtuiy auG return Qulety, no one
sn,Ycefy- noticing him Sone few Weeks ago
= IL. offered to inform sheriff Lyons OF the
q whereabouts of the Beunef robbers, VINO, II
is Thought we're The paeJles who hao conl-
miitrd the different roeoarles III thls ana %
!. I,n,.iry parisues Mr.. Lyons, lot having
10 faith in his proposals, declined TO pay hin
for the information he offered 10 give. Some
l. time after he got drunk, or pretended
= to be drunk was put IL jail by the towL
marshal, and the night following two OF the
J Bennett robbers, who had been captured py
?, Mr. Lvous and sentenced to the penitentiarJ
IS fol. Il ge YEATS made their escape by ming
!. their shackles off, unlocking the cell dool
aud t,icking hole through the wall. 1t II
halived he feigned drunkenness to be con
+ 6nn,l i, nail. and furnished them with nipple
,uenfs TO escape. All examination OF his et
:. fects by sheriff Lyons and the coroner1s JURY
Us does not disclose word as to his antece
le dents 1t is known by the postmaster that
Do received mail here. but none eoqIa ps aoun'
II on his person or III his room. His prlncipa
- Mace III abode was two miles from town, a
- an old deserted saloon at the east end OF Du
r son bridge. He was a man OF some educa
le ii on and has remarked to an associate, her
= tha, his people were wealthy and good pc;
q pie, ald that ne was tue GUY o''eA el0p
!. . The flock ,co ~ :,
nt weight. six feet high, dark hair, black beard
stopped in walking and usually carried
i. large stick He was aged apoue ~ ,an }ea,,
bit He had brown eyes, generally cast down
g. payiue little attention to any one passln
&c him. often not answering salutation on I'll
=, road MIR, Dusou wrote to the express cor COZ!
OH papy for IL photograph OF Bunch, the tral
up robber. as the time of this mans arrival het
as together with his personal appearance an
ia the time Of Bunch's disappearance are aoot
~ the same The inquest was held this mori
y, ine IN accordance with the above facts ~
OF Sheriff Duson was fully exoneratea py y
IT, inry. as The critical circumstances surrouh'
II mo fhe case we're such that TO attempt to a
~ rsst lie burglar could only precipitate
10 hand o-hand fight in the dark. The comm
sst nifty feel that this may puta stop to the = !,
u. cent robheries that have taken place ut - ~
rousse's, Crowley, Vile Plate, 0peiousos al
elsewhere in this section of country
he From the N, o City Item.
me Crowley, La, March 2l.-Your correspo
re- dent Is informed that the burglar who vi
- s,at and killed by Senator G.. C. Duson {
uis saturday night, formerly lived in Tennessee
lc- No further particulars concerning his ME
ed character previous to the time OF MS aFrls
81 here about eighteen months ago, are oota'
ntk
.ul The opinion generally prevails here th
ite the dead burglar is not Bunch. Buncn W
ms never known to have been in Tennessee, al
Der about niue months ago letters were receiv
m from him from Mexico. He was frequent
g g II Texas, and his wife is now conducting
uc millinery store in Galveston.
TO Chief Caster says that be magtnes, Duncl ~
,od mode Of procedure would have been diHere'
far Instead Of attempting TO rob the SAFE ny NJ
m lo1 self he would probably have had gang 70
rs Il while he stood guard for them; Inc INA
81 HaI.see steele. who was shot and killed
hhe senator Duson attempted to rob the s'o
Ind alone. Ss,, n.a,
do Robert Bell who Steele asked to assist nim
nor fh.. robbery Steele is supposed to nave ne
tba ;,,plirated iu number OF robberles III
tic Landry parish e..,aa Ia .
1tie II is also thought that he furnished me 9
- Eii;ah Bennett, the burglar, with which
sawed through the several iron bars anu
his capped from Jail. =.
ifz senator Duson was exuuerated BY the 20
nd ner's Jury that held he inquest on Inc %
=, of Steele
w. - We obtain patents for protection,
~ " ar ornament. Send for our valua'
sno ~ namphIet Dubois s. Dubois, lnye
W hs tive Age Building, Washington, y.
,ch Mention this paper.