The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-09
PLOT GETS THICKER
Trick Played on Duckworth
Was Perfection
IN ITS UTTER INGENUITY
Killed NTH the Gun He Had
Sold to His Murderer.
IN ITS UTTER INGENUITY

| superintendent or the city nOSpltdl' SdS
the case OF Elliott L. Duckworth. who was
mysteriously shot in Forest park in June
1897. was one of the most remarkable that
ever came under his observation.
II recall all the circumstances OF that
case now" said DR.. Suffer. The patient
was entered on the hospital records as Ed
ward Doing That was the name on a
card found in his possession. 1t was a
month before we found out that what not
his name.
AT first he would reply to the name Of
Doing, and he said that was his name
talked 10 him many times, but he could
not recall anything of the past He was
always sure that he had not attempted 20
kill himself, but he could not tell how he
came 10 be wounded.
Later the patient improved and he fin
ally said hat his nam was Elliott L. Duck
worth, and that his home was in Soring-
field. Mo. He said his sister, Mrs. Eva c..
| Hutchinson, lived in Hutchinson, Kan. She
| afterward came for him and took him 10
her home.'
Mrs. Eva c. Hutchinson Of Hutchinson,
| Kan, throws more light on the mysterious
shooting of her brother. Elliott L. Duck
worth, in this city on July Il, 1897
| A special telegram from the Kansas town
says that Mrs. Hutchinson made more
detailed statement today. She says that
the letter that decoyed her brother from
his home was handed to him at Nichols
Junction, Mo, a town six miles from
| Springfield, the day before the shooting,
by stranger. She says the stranger was
| Doing, or his agent.
The man gave Duckworth the letter, also
| furnished him with money with which to
buy ticket for st. Louis
Mrs. Hutchinson rectes an incident
which tends to show that the person who
gave her brother the money is the one who
shot him. This stranger while they were
yet in Nichols Junction, asked Duckworth
if he possessed revolver. He received a
rply in the affirmative. The stranger
bought the revolver.
This same weapon, with one chamber
empty, was found by Duckworth's side in
Forest park the next day. Mrs. Hutchin-
| son reasons that they went into st. Louis
on the same train with her brother. That
he he brought the revolver with him with
the intention of killing him with it, and
then left the weapon by his side so as to
make plausible suicide theory.
A telegram from Kansas City, Kan,
where Duckworth died on November 49,
1898, brings confederation of the story told
by his sister, Mrs. Hutchinson.
While the unfortunate young man was
in the hospital there he told several of
the nurses and doctors of the shooting in
s.. Louis and the circumstances leading up
to it.
AT noon today A. S. Duckworth called at
police headquarters and had a long con-
versation with Chief of Detectives Des-
mond relative to the assassination of Ell
lott L. Duckworth.
Mr.. Duckworth lives in ST. Louis and is
employed by the Adams Express COM
pany. He lived in Terre Haute, Ind, until
last May.
Il am confident that my brother did not
kill himself" said Mr.. Duckworth. He
was in Terre Haute with me in April be-
fore he was shot. When I learned of the
shooting and that a card with the name
Of Doing on it had been found in his
pocket. I went TO the chief of police at
Terre Haute and asked him if a man by
the name of Doing was wanted there He
looked over his records and said Edward
for embezzlement.''
NJ. c. Carter of Springfield. Mo. who ac-
companed Mr.. Duckworth TO police head
quarters. IS a friend of the family He told
of his visit with Duckworth's relatives to
the bedside of the wounded man, and said:
Eve learned about his having been in
Nichols Junction. G. W. Rexco. my broth
er-in-law, and I went 10 Nichols Junction
together 10 investigate the AFFAIR. We
learned positively that Elliott was there
on the day in question. He was seen talk
ing with a stranger. who gave him letter.
No one knew who this stranger was.
An employee a. the depot saw Elliott
and the stranger. He saw Elliott take a
revolver from his pocket and give IT to
the stranger. He saw the stranger give
him some money, but he did not hear any
OF the conversation
Hutchinson. Kan, Dec. s.-Cspecial1-
The News says. regarding the Duckworth
mystery and the story Of Mrs. Hutchin-
son Of this city, sister of the murdered
man:
Mrs. Hutchinson has hitherto never
made public the story told by her brother.
and it has been generally believed here
that the killing was shrouded in complete
mystery. His sister and friends nere con-
Guided that it would do the youne. man
no good to employ detectives % trace Ms
assassin, and while he lived they davo.ed
. themselves 20 doing al in their power for
the young sufferers comfort. He waa
: learning a useful occupation at chs KAN
sas City. Kan. Bind Institute. and If he
had lived would have returned here TO his
sister as soon as he had completed the
school course.
From the story told by Elliott Duc'.-
worth 70 his sister. st would appear. hat
his killing had been planned months be-
fore and that the young mans movements
: had been followed BY Edward Doing. the
defsulting bank cashier OF Te--e Haze.
On the day before the shooting a. s.
Louis Elliott Ducl1worth was at Nichols
Junction, Mo. There he was approached
by young man VINO was q total stran--
-. He walked up 70 Duckworth and
2 handed him a letter addressed 20 Elliott
/. DuckwOrth and signed by Edward /.
Doing L was the letter asking DUCK
worth % corne - $. Louis 20 accept q
position there, The stranger urgsf Duck
worth 70 50 and advanced money for his
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