Wilmington journal., 1874-08-21
From Chronisle & Sentinel of Sunday.
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
CAPTAIN A. F. BUTLER SHOT BY
A MUiATTC.
4 Etens;Tsh Assassinnfio..-Thc VIII
lain A restcs. and Lodged il, Eail.

ever disgraced the human race. It
rivals in atrocity the acts of the saw
age, and fills every honest heart with
| Indignation and horror.
The circumstances. as far rs we have
| been able to learn, are as follows:
Yesterday afternoon, about seven
o'clock, Captain A. T. Butler, Agent
of the South Carolina RailroaG-who,
with his wife and n child of Mr.. John
| Traver, had been to the Cemetery and
was returning with them in street
car to his residence-rang the bell at
the intersection of Broad and Marbury
streets. for tho car-No. Is, driven by
Mr.. Hare-to stop. The car immedi-
ately halted, and Capt. Butler walked
to the rear platform, followed by his
| wife and the child. On reaching the
platform he fc md a mulatto named
| Gabriel Murrel
| SITTING ON THE STEPS
on the side where he expected to get
out. Capt Butler requested the man
to move. and pushed him slightly with
his hand. The mulatto got up and
stood on the platform while Capt. But
ler descended to the ground and put
out his hand to his wife to help her
down. AS he did this Michael NIurrel,
a brother of Gabriel, violently pushed
Mrs. Butler down, while Gabriel him
| self drew pistol, pointed it at Capt.
Butler, and drew the trigger. The
weapon was discharged and the ball,
speeding on it's terrible mission, struck
Capt. Butler Immediately over the left
temple and
| PENETRATED TO THE BRAIN.
Capt. Butler staggered back and fell
heavily to the earth, the blood pouring
in torrents from the wound. Agonized
beyond expression at seeing her hus-
band so brutally shot down, Mrs. But
ler screamed in the most
manner and called for help. Several
gentlemen and a number of colored
people rushed to the spot to render oil
| possible assistance. Messrs. Hyams,
| Roulette, Sturman and Rayner, to-
gether with three colOred men, picked
sions, and conveyed him to his resi-
dence at the corner of Greene and
Ma, bury streets, where he was soon
waited upon by Drs. II. F. and A. S.
Campbell, J.. d. and DeSaussure
Ford, Robert Eve. and others.
The tiendish assassin, as soon as Lie
committed the foul deed, jumped from
the platform of the car on the side op-
posite to that where he was first sit
ting, threw down his pistol, an Allen
& Whelock six shooter, and ran to-
wards the northwest corner of Broad
and Marbury streets, with the expec-
tation, evidently, of making his escape.
But in this he was disappointed. AT
the time the shooting occurred police
man w. D. Tinley was walking down
the pavement on the south side OF
Broad street, q short distance below
! Marbury, and on hearing the shot
wheeled quickly and saw the mulatto
running. He Immediately
GAVE CHASE,
pulled out his pistol and ordered Muir
rel to stop. AS the latter paid no heed
to this Mr.. Tinley fired. The bal
passed between Murrells lips. slightly
cutting them The mulatto then turn
ed, lnuttered some indistinct words
and put his right hand in one of his
pockets. Thinking that he was about
t. draw pistol, Mr.. Tinley cooked hi:
own weapon and levelled it at the mu
latto's breast. The scoundrel the1
threw up both hands as sign of sur
render, and was taken in charge by Mr.
Finley. In the meantime, policeman
John Sharp had rushed into the large
crowd of negroes who gathered from
all quarters and seized Michael Murrel
The fellow seemed disposed to resist
but the officer promptly brought hi.
club down upon the head of the nlu
latto, who then quietly yielded. Chic
Christians, who had reached the
spot, ordered the policemen to take
their prisoners rs rapidly as possible
to the Guard House. Policemen Tin
ley, Sharp and Cotter immediately
moved down Broad street with the
prisoners and hurried them t.
the City Hall. At the corner of Monu
ment and Broad Gabriel Murrel said
to Policeman Tiniey, "If l get out Of
this scrape it will make
A CHRISTIAN OF NE"
This was all he said on the route
These words would seem to amount te
n confession of guilt and was SO looked
| upon. At the Guard House, however
both asserted their innocence. They
were locked up in cell, but a rumol
being in circulation that a movement
looking to the ynching at least one o1
the prisoners on was foot, 1t was deem.
ed safest to transfer them to the iai
for safe keeping. They were accord
ly taken down to that building and
turned over to Deputy Jailer A. B.
Crump, the Jaiier, Mr.. Bridgers, be
ing absent. The prisoners were placed
in seperate cells and locked up. There
was
GREAT EXCITEMENT
in the community when the report OF
the outrage was circulated, and many OF
the oldest and coolest heads were in
favor of summary punishment for the
scOundrel who committed the terrible
act. A large number of citizens assem-
bled around Capt. Buffers residence,
all expressing the deepest concern il
regard to the occurrence and hopes fol
the wounded mans recovery. But
these hopes were not destined to be
fulfilled. The physicians used every
effort in their power to preserve sc
valuable life, but God willed it 9TH
erwisc. At Q o'clock it was evident
that Capt. Butler was rapidly sinking,
and Rev. Mr.. Kramer, Of the Episco
pal church, of which the wounded man
was a member, offered up fervent
prayers in his behalf. Anxious friends
hovered around, wiping the face of the
sufferer. and ministering to him rs
much as possible. His hair was clot-
ted with gore, while his clothing was
saturated with the crimson life cur
l.