Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-02-09
JAMES MUTT AGAIN.
THE SLAYER OF NJ. w. DUKE
KILLS A KANSAS WOMAN.
Mrs Payton SHOT Through the Head
I. and Farm Hand wounded-Nutt il
Finally Felied with an Ar aud Bound

ATcHIsoN, Kan, Feb. flames
Mutt, famous as the slayer OF W. w.
Duke Mt Uniontown, Pa, ten years
ago. shot and fatally wounded Mrs.
jess, Paytop in the western part OF
Atchison county Monday night lie
ufterward fired three shots at Leon
ard Coleman, all of which took effect,
but it is believed that Coleman will
recover.
Mutt had been to the town Of Hor-
ton, in Brown county, and was driving
to his farm In Atchison county. lie
reached the Payton farm at
0 o'clock and stopped. Mutt
had been drinking, and Mrs. Pay
ton prepared supper for him
while Coleman, farm hand,
nut up his tc;,m. As near rs can
be learned, Mutt, after partaking OF
the meal, and when abont ready to
depart, drew revolver and COM
menced shooting. Mrs. Payton re-
ceived one shot in the back OF the
head, which came out near the jaw,
man rushing to her ass .stance, was
shot three times by Mutt, who also
made an attempt to assault baby,
which had fallen from Mrs Payton's
arms. Coleman, continuing in his
endeavor to disarm Mutt, called
upon Mrs. Payton to bring him
stick of corlwood. Instead she
brought HIM an AK, with the
broadside of which he felled
their q ,sailant to the floor, where he
Law unconscious. Col man then Sc
cured q rope and bound his hands and
feet. l. nving him in this position
he went to the home of the nearest
neighbour half mile away, for help
lie reached TINT place in an exhausted
condition from loss Of bloc l. but he
had done COOL work in tying Mutt.
who was found still securely bound
an placed under arrest.
Mrs Payton will die, but 1t is
thought that Coleman will recover
PAXTON and his wife formerly
worked on Nuts farm, quitting
his employ two years ago. They
have always been the best OF
fr ends. and the shooting occasioncd
great surprise in the neighborhood.
As near as is known, there was no
provocatiun whatever for the shooting
and there is much ,nlginaton
against Mutt. Mrs. Payton Is the
mother OF five children, ranging in
ages from q inontn> To years. MIR.
PAXTON was rot Mt home ut the time
of the shooting, being emp Dyed in
Atchison temporarily. When he
heard OF the snooting he was almost
crazed with grief. a. he had always
believed Mutt to be his friend.
Mutt was brought to Atchison and
locke up in the county Jail. To
correspondent vino sought an inter-
view. Mutt refused to talk of the
shooting. He said: Mother has had
trouble enough already ana want to
keep this matt quiet" lie is about
81 wears of age. was married in Ken
lucky in lsg3 and ha> one child. lie
came to Kansas i,nme iiateiy after
the PENNSYLVANIA tragedy and located
on n farm in Atchi-on county owned
by his mother. which he has since
farmed successfully. This Is the first
trouble he has had since coming here.
Neiyhtors of Mutt say he has been
acting strangely for two years and
wa suspecte Of beng crazy. This
theory. however is not generally
credited.
The Nuts anil Dukes were ut one
time prominent politicians in Penn
sylvania. while Coleman, who is %
years old, originally came from New
York. where he is well known. Four
teen years ago W. W. Duke. then a
prominent lawyer in Uniontown, Pa.
wa- killed bv Mutt for having seduced
his sister. Before that the Nuts and
Dukes were frequently Mt war AMI
during one encounter Duke killed
Nuts father. He WIS acquitted,
however. making II plea OF self-de-
Tense. Whei young Mutt later came
to trial he also WIS prompt! ac'
quilted, the trial Mt the time creating
great sensation.