The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-04-08
From The Pittsburgh telegraph.
THE MURDERER OF BUTLER.
HIS ARRIVAL IN THE CITY LAST EVEN
1NG-AN INTERVIEW WITH THE
MURDERER-HIs THEORY OF THE
oAsE--HE SAYS THAT BUTLER FIRST
SHOT HIM THNouGH TIE ARM.

/
CAsE--HE SAYS THAT BUTLER FIRST
SHOT HIM THROUGH THE ARM.
We have already recorded the arrest
of Joseph Lansbury, the man who
eleven years ago shot and killed
Colonel Butler in Cearfeld county.
Lausbury was deserter from the U. s.
army, and Colonel Butler was instructed
to capture him. 1t is said that Lans-
bury had openly threatened to shoot
any man who attempted to arrest him,
and Colonel Butler went to his house
with full knowledge of his danger,
ard with assistance, prepared for any
emergency of the kind. When Col
Butler came to Lansbury's house the
later shot bim with rifle, from which
wound he died the next day. The
most intense excitement existed at the
time, and government officials have, DUR
ing this long interval, attempted in vain
to make the arrest.
A warrant for the arrest of Lansbury
was placed in the hands OF Detective
Rathbone, of the United States Secret
Service, on the 18th Of March. He at
once proceeded to Liberty, Tioga county
in which place it was said Lansbury
was domicicd. He fortunately got an
intimation of his whereabouts from some
words, inadvertently dropped by Lsns-
bury's friends at Liberty. Furnishing
himself with the paraphernalia of tree
peddler, Rath0oDe canvassed the county
in the vicinity Of Euglish Centre, and
located the murderer. Making the ar
rangements at Jersey Shore, in COM
pany with A. B. Miller, assisted by
Constable Dinglcr, Of jersey Shore,
Rathbone made the arrest.
Lansbury arrived in the city last
evening on the eight O'Clock way pas
senger train. AS matter of precaution.
it was telegraphed here that he would
arrive on the Pacific express, yesterday
afternoon, and it was not known or ex-
pected here that he would be brought
on tie way passenger last evening.
Upon the arrival of the train at Law
renceville, the prisoner was taken off
the train, and officers from the city
met the party with carriage, and
Lansbury reached the Jail about nine
o'clock.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MURDERER.
This morning, through the courtesy
Of Warden Smith, Telegraph reporter
was permitted to see Lansbury In the
Jail, As he stepped out of his cell.
there was nothing in his appearance to
indicate the murderer or desperate.
He seemed rather like a farmer who
had just stepped out Of his house on a
spring morning TO 60 to work. Lans-
bury is thirty-two years of age, rather
tall and slightly stoop-shouldered He
was in his shirt sleeves, and had his
pants tucked in his boots. His hair
was stringy and disheveled, and his un-
combed beard extended about the lower
part of his flee. He seemed unrestra-
iped and open in speaking Of the kill
ing Of Butler, and did not seem to OBJ
ject to talk on the subject.
L IL
is somewhat different from that given
above, and, of course, tends to excuse
himself for the killing of the officer
sit Was very early in the morning." he
said when Butler and another man
came to my house. I had no room to
store my grain, and | had placed it in
the loft OF my house. When Butler
came to the house he was not IN uniform
He broke into the house, and without
telling me who he was, he drew re-
volver and fired at me. The ball struck
me in the left arm (Lansbury here
showed the reporter how the ball had
cut the muscle of the little fugsr)
Well, | thought then that it was a mat
ter OF life and death with ME, and |
reached behind the door, where my rife
was sitting, aud took the gun and shot
him."
DENIES THAT HE TRIED TO sECRETE
HIMSELF.
Lansbury says that it is not true that
he has attempted ever since the crime
to secrete himself and avoid arrest, and
that he has changed his name on sew
eral occasions. he acknowledges that
after the shooting of butler he went to
Seymour, Mich, and was engaged for
year 10 hauling lumber on the Kawkaw-
lin river. He worked here, he says
during the summer, and although he
did not change his name he was gener-
ally known there by a nickname. In
the fall he went to Erie county, New
York, aud worked there during the
winter. He then went to Allegheny
county, New York, and worked year
His general occupation during this time
was driving a team. He purchased
small piece of land in Cameron county,
Pa, and has been living there, he says,
ever since. He supposed, he says, that
this thing had all blown over, and that
be would not now be arrested.
His THEORY OF The ARREST.
While in conversation with our re-
porter this morning he said that his ar
rest at this late day, was made for politi-
cal effect. The reporter asked the pris-
oner what gave him this impression, aud
IN what manner the arrest could be so
used. Lansbury replied that he had
been told so by the United States Mar
shal, aud that his arrest, he understood,
was more for the purpose of duplicating
OF hers than for pup;cb;no b;mSalf