The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-11-02
MURDERER HOLDS
VILLAGE AT BAY
FARMER Kn.fs rnr MAyoR oF
cnKNoA, ILL.
LAND OWNER ALSO A VICTIM
IAfficades Himself IN Bank vault and
Deaca roAse for Hours
Wounds Two seaiegern@-
Finally Eurrenders

chenoa, ~, Oct. a0.--In remarka.
bic ARRAY, the motive for which IA stu
myatery, William Le Due, farmer,
living a mile and half from This VII.
lage, instantly killed HIS brother-ln.
law, Mayor Charles Nickel, In the Che.
noa state bank Saturday afternoon. lie
then killed Hugh d. Jones, wealthy
landowner, who was transacting bust.
ness In the bank, barricaded himself Ia
the vault. from which In various fusi.
ladies' during the afternoon he wound
ca two more men and kept mob at
hay. Ho finally surrendered nt $3.50
o'clock 70 two sheriffs and their depu-
ties, after maintaining a desperate
Siege for six hours,
Makes Vault His Fort.
lie Dac turned on Jones directly after
shooting down the mayor, and when
the landowner fed into the banks
vault from the crazed murderer, he fol.
lowed, shooting him twice. Through
out the siege which followed the corpse
OF his second victim lay beside him In
his stronghold, BY a chain inside Of
the vault 10 Duo prevented the attack
Ing force from entering, and two heavy
ledgers between the door and jamb
made It impossible for them to shut
him UP and stop his shooting. He had
pockets full OF ammunition, and his
reputation as crack shot caused the
sheriffs and citizens to give his range
wide berth. sixty shots were fred by
the prisoner from the longitudinal slot,
and 300 rifle and pistol cartridges were
expended by the less expert marksmen
Finally surrenders.
The windows OF the bank were rid
died In the efforts TO force the murder.
er out OF his prison refuge. Quarts OF
chloroform were poured through the
crevice TO Btnpefy him into nonresist-
ance. The fumes of burning sulphur
were blown into the small room. With
battering ram the posse attempted to
beat In the door. II was all TO no puI-
pose. lie Due did not surrender until
no became hungry and the sheriff had
promised him square meal. During
the siege the murderer amused himself
w UHiHluB VIZ IlG bahh SuilthNys - ,
destroyed $500, and had a pile OF $4,000
ready for the flames. Besides killing
Nickel and Hughes, lie Due wounded
Il. ]. irwin and w. O. Ramsey, both Of
whom tried To shoot the slayer In his
smbuscade Fearing the attack OF tbs
mob which surrounded the bank until
o late hour lie Due secretly was taken
70 Bloomington at midnight by Sheriff
Edwards.
While II Is said that lie Due Is In.
zane, and others call him a stupid fell
low. no adequate explanation OF his
Deed has been offered. The two faml-
lies had dwell In peace since their re-
lations began, end visited back ap1
forth. LIE Duo and his wife, however.
separated several weeks ago, and since
that time the husband has acted queer
ly. There ls story ahoat that he held
Nickel to blame for his family trou-
BILE, but the tale Is denied on every
side.
Nickel was the president OF the state
bank, and the richest and most influ.
entail resident Of the village. He was
re years old, and had lived In the town
80 years, coming here from Germany
and marrying the sister of lie Due,
whose family had resided In this
neighborhood since 1857