The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-04-06
Slayer Sent Ito Baltimore Story OF
The Tragedy Told By Eye
Witnesses

witnesses
Sheriff j. Myron Miller was shot and
mortal.y wounded, in the outer yard of
the Elkton Jail, shortly before 2 o'clock
on Saturday afternoon, by Antonio Duca,
known as Tony Duke, a partially de-
mented Italian and died at Union Hos
pital less than an hour later. Duca or
Duke had been brought to the Jail in
Sheriff Hager's term, on the complaint
of women of the Bacon Hill section, by
George Potts and Frank Corriden, who
found him lying, half naked, by a fire,
along the road. He had been sent to
Cherry Hill, but later appeared at the
Jail, one cold night, asking for shelter.
and had remained there ever since. He
had been employed about the stable and
furnace and at other work at the Jail.
was allowed to go about town, on err
rands for the Sheriffs, and this winter
was a frequent attendant at the moving
pictures in the Opera House.
After dinner on Saturday, Sheriff Mil
Ter came upon Duke in the outer yard of
the Jail and told him to dispose of load
of sawdust about the stable. Duke
roughly refused, and as the Sheriff ap-
preached him pulled vest pocket five
chambered, safety hammer .32 calibre
revolver, not five inches in length from
his hip pocket The Sheriff had been
Informed that Duke had pistol and had
purposed getting 1t away from him
When Duke drew the weapon the Sheriff
told him to give it to him. Duke said,
me shoot" The Sheriff threw one arm
around Duke and was about to catch
hold of Dukes pistol hand when the Ital
Jan put the weapon aginst his body, a
few inches below the heart, and fired the
fatal shot. The story of the shocking
affar is best told by a summary of the
testimony cf witnesses at the inquest
held by Coroner Frazer in Council Hall,
on Monday morning, for which on Satur-
day evening he swore the following jury:
w ID. Bratton, foreman; r. R. Oldham,
o. C. Giles, James E. Dean, w. T. Boul-
den, ]. K. P. Racine. Fred H. Letter,
john f. Alexander, w. Sterling Evans,
w H. Hughes, W. H. Pierce and Carroll
Edgar States Attorney Constable and
Court Stenographer Hartnett were pres
ent at the inquest.
John NJ. Dunbar, the first witness, stat
ed that Sheriff Miller asked him while
he was shoeing a horse IN his shop, ad-
joining the Jail yard, to look at a wheel
of his buggy. They went into the yard
and the Sheriff. seeing Duke hanging
crippled biaekbrd's cage on the wall,
said, "Teny, are you going TO put that
load of sawdust away?' Duke replied.
me no work, me getta no pay" The
Sheriff said, where's that gun of yours p
Tony pulled his pistol from his hip
pocket. The Sheriff said, Give me that
gun" Tony said, mo giva gun. My
gun" The Sheriff then caught hold of
him and tried to get the pistol. Finally
ne threw his arm around Tony's neck,
and then the latter put the pistol against
the sheriffs body and fired. Mr.. Dunbar
grabbed hold of Duke. and Justus Dun
bar ran out of the shop and struck him
on the head with a pair of tongs Ben
Garrett, colored, also ran up and kicked
Duke. They got the pistol from him and
locked him up in a cell. Sheriff Miller,
who had called out I'm shot" was
helped into the jail office, where he sank
to the floor, and was shortly removed to
che hospital by direction of DR.. Howard
Bratton wko had been quickly called
Charles e. Denny, watchman at the Jail
crossing, stated that he heard Tony call
ing out Go way. Let me alone" and
going into the Jail yard saw the Sheriff
backing Duke Down the alley. Duke
threw his hand down, grasping the pis-
tol. The Sheriff grapped with him, and
Tony put the pistol against his body
and fired. Heard him tell the Sheriff he
would shoot him. Duke had been around
the Jail since Sheriff's Hager's term. He
mad seen him carrying the pistol shortly
after Sheriff McAilister retired. He had
also seen little Holt McAllister with the
same pistol. Witness had heard pistol
firing back OF the Jail, but could not say
that Tony was practicing.
Justus c. Dunbar stated that while
shoeing horse he missed his brother
and John Thomas, co,ored, who had left
the shop He went into the alley and
saw the shooting. He rushed up and
struck Tony with the tongs, and he and
mis- brother disarmed him Had seen the
pistol often in Teny's belt and had heard
him firing it from the Jail steps against
the wall of the blacksmith shop.
Jesse Rose of Singeriy. Was at Dun
bars shop and saw the Sheriff holding
Dukes hand. Heard him tell Tony he
would knock him down if he did not
shoot Me shoot" and he did shoot.
Harry Mortimer, a wayfaring brick
layer, who had been allowed to stop at
the jail for some time because of sore
feet, stated that he had seen the Sheriff
and John NJ. Dunbar enter the Jail yard.
fe next heard ths Sheriff and Tony talk
ing. Tony said, "Me shoot" He went
coward them and saw the Sheriff with an
arm around Tony and trying to take the
pistol from his hand, which Tony fired
Witness and another man helped the
Sheriff into the Jail office, where he sank
to the floor. The Sherif's wife and her
sister saw the shooting fram the Jail
windows Last Wednesday night Tony
had raised racket. and the Sheriff
threatened to lock him In the cellar. Mrs.
Miller reminded him that TeHy had a
pistol and might shoot In tbs darkness