The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-06
THE HIGHGATE MURDER.
Arrest Of Suspected Murderor-Further Par
ticulara

hrTebt OF buspecleu Murdor0r-turther Par
ticulars.
Three years ago last January, Charles
Butler, young farmer, twenty-five years
old, was married 10 Miss Alice Mead, an
orphan, then just short of eighteen. But
Ter owns farm, upon which his dwelling
is situated, two miles north of Highgate
Centre, and about eleven miles distant
from ST. Adams. The house is a small
one, standing near the main road, but some
fifty or sixty rods from any other building.
To this house he tookshis young wife, and
there lived with her happily ever since
They had no children, and the family con-
sisted of Butler and his wife, Buffers
father an old man, and Edward Tatro, a
Frenchman, employed by Butler on his
farm. Tatro is young man, twenty-onc
years old, small and of slight build, but
cordy and strong for his size. He ia the
son of widowed mother, who lives in the
neighborhood, and has been for some years
in the habit of working around for the far
mers in the vicinity. He has not bad
reputation really. but s considered a sort
of dare devil, "Ne'er do well !" is in the
habit of drinking occasionally, swearing
and using tobacco to excess. He has been
at work for Butler most of the timo since
last summer, and
HIS RELATIONS WITH THE BUFFERS
have been in the main pleasant, though it
is said he and Butler have sometimes had
few words when they disagreed about the
work, etc Friday the old gentleman, But
ler's father, was away on visit at one of
the neighbors. Butler was away assisting
at a raising at a neghbor's, and Tatro WIS
ploughing with Buffers team for another
neghbor, Edward Haskins. Butler came
home between and o'clock in the after
noon and Tatro just before 6. Butler
asked him why he came so early. and the
boy answered that he had broken the plow
point and beam Butler, on examining the
plOw, found this untrue and taxed the hoy
with it, whereupon he said he came be-
cause he had got his ''stent' done, and
wanted to sharpen the plow point. After
supper Butler told his wife he had some
business at Hiphgate Centre, and asked her
if she wouldn't like to ride over there with
him. She replied that she was not feeling
| well, and guessed she wouldn't 20. Some
thing was then said about Tatro's going,
but when the team was ready he said
HE WOULD STAY WITH ALICE.
who had meanwhile gone into a bedroom
below the stairs, opening ont Of the dining
room, and laid down upon the bed. But
Ter went away at Z o'clock, leaving them
alone in the house, and no other person is
| known to have seen Mrs. Butler alive after
that except little boy who came to The
house little later Butler returned at
about 10 o'clock, put his horse in the barn,
and went into the house by the kitchen
| door. AS he approached he noticed that
the house was dark. Opening the door he
advanced few steps, when his foot hit
against something lying on the floor, and
| by the dim light he saw that it resembled
human being, and supposing it was Tatro,
who had gone to sleep there waiting for
him, he called him by name. Getting no
| response, he stepped to the box and struck
match. 1t flickered and went out, but bv
| the flash of light he saw blood on the floor
and
| A FEARFUL HEAP OF SOMETHING
lying there. The next match burned and
revealed the terrible picture of his wife
lying on the floor in pool of blood, her
clothing nearly all torn off. stark and dead.
Almost paralyzed at the spectacle he obey
| cd his first impulse, and, rushing to the
neiai,nnr. FOR a.sis.anse "A. ne reeo,.ed
the gate he heard sound Of confused
voices and met group of terror-stricken
men hurrying to the house, led by Tatro,
who had nothing on but the tattered rem
nant Of shirt, and was crying and howl
ing like a mailman. The party proceeded
to the house and made an investigation.
The murdered woman lay upon the floor,
near the back kitchen door
HER HEAD LITERALLY CRUSHED IN,
and the brain protruding through ghastly
crevices in the skull. Her hands were beat
en- black with some blunt instrument and
was bruised about the shoulder and scratch
ed upon the neck. Close by her on the
floor lay three sticks of stove wood, more
or less blood-stained, and an old musket,
which usually stood in the stairway. Lean
ing against stick, close by, was an axe,
one side OF which was deeply stained with
blood, and on the floor. near the stove the
| pants Tatro had worn through the day.
The usual sleeping room of Mr.. and Mrs.
Butler was up stairs, and adjoining the
one occupied by Tatro. An examination
| OF 1t showed that some one had apparently
| been lying, not undressed, upon the out
side The bed, floor and walls were COW
cred with blood, rs were also the floor and
walls of the hall and stairs. A stove-pipe
in Tatro's room was knocked down, and
that also was blood-staned in various
places. An old chair which had stood by
the head of the bed IN Buffers room was
| found in the hall
BROKEN TO PIECES,
and one of the legs appears to have been
! buried by terrible blow in the murdered
womans head to depth of about three
inches. The boy Tatro was examined and
was found to be covered with blood, his
hands being crimson with it, and botches
| and spatters on his bare legs and arms He