Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-17
SHOCKING MURDER.
The Murderer Running Naked 10 tho Houses
Of Neishbsrs-..Ths Terrible spectacle In

The Murderer Running Naked 10 tho Houses
Of NeiGhbsrs...Ths Terrible spectacle In
Charles Butler's Home...A Confession.
About ton miles from ST. Albans, VT,
in the vicinity Of the village Of High
gate Center, there stands small frame
dwelling not far from the main road, but
distant some fifty rods from any other
house, which has been the scene OF a
most shocking murder. Both the house
and the farm on which ii stands are
owned by Charles Butler, an industrious
and respected man about twenty five
years old, and there he has lived happily
with bis young wife Alice, whom he
married three years ago, she being then
an orphan, q little under the age OF
eighteen. With them lived Buffers
father, q man OF advanced age, but no
other relative. They had no children,
and the household was completed by a
hired man named Edward Tatro, a young
Frenchman Of twenty-one years, who as
sisted in the work about the farm.
The elder Butler left the house on a
visit to neighbor. About nightfall
young Butler also went away, driving to
the village on business. His wife went
to their bedroom, saying she felt tired
and not quite we'll, aud lay down upon
the bed. Butler asked Tatro whether
he wished to 60 along, but the latter
said he preferred to remain in the house.
Butler returned from the village at
about ten o'clock. As he neared his
house he WAS surprised to find it entire
ly dark; not q glimmer Of light from any
window. He opened the door, and az
he entered, stumbled in the dark against
some object extended on the floor,
which from its shape, as near as he could
make it out, he supposed to be the body
of Tatro, lying there asleep. He called
him by name, but received no reply. He
pushed the object with his foot, but
there was no responsive movement.
With an underlined dread he felt about
the room for q match. Finding the
match box, he struck light. 1t flick.
cred and went out, but by the uncertain
and momentary flash ho saw blood on
the floor and caught fearful glimpse OF
disfgured corpse. The next match
burned and revealed the bleeding body
of his wife, the clothing almost all torn
off, and extended there cold and dead.
At that terrible spectacle he rushed
aghast from the house, and mounting a
horse rode wildly to get assistance from
the neighbors. As he reached the gate
the sounds of hurrying footsteps and
confused voices struck upon his ear, and
on the street he met group of excited
men coming toward the house, led by
Tatro, who had not shred of clothing
on his person except torn and bloody
shirt. He was sobbing and bowling al.
ternately as though he was crazy.
They all went to the house together.
The murdered woman lay on the floor,
near the back door, her head crushed
and the brain protruding through it.
Her hands were beaten black, and
bruises and scratches disfgured the
neck and shoulders. An old musket
which had long been in the house, three
pieces of stove wood, and an Ak lay near
by, all of them deeply stained with
blood. On tho floor, near the stove,
lay Tatro's trousers. Up stairs chair
was found which had stood near the
head of the bed in the room occupied
by Butler and his wife. It had been
broken to pieces, and one of the legs
had been used upon the murdered
woman to terrible purpose.
1t did not take long to convince every
body that the murderer was Tatro.
His hands were crimson with blood, aud
his bare arms and legs and his torn
shirt were blotched and spattered with
it. Nearly naked as he was, he had
come running to several neighboring
houses crying that "Alice is being muir
dered," and shouted for assistance. He
said two men were in the house killing
"Alice," and on his way back with the
party whom he had assembled, and who
were armed with hoes, axes, and what
ever they could lay hands on, he tore
stakes from the fences to arm himself
and others in the crowd. He was nearly
crazy with excitement, giving vent to it
in sobs and yells. He was closely
watched until police officer could be
brought from the village, and was then
given into custody.
At first Tatro denied committing the
murder, and said thata man had attacked
Mrs. Butler and himself, but after some
days imprisonment he made the follow
ing confession On the evening of the
murder, about quarter to nine, Mrs.
Butler was lying in the bedroom down
stairs l went in there and sat down in
a chair near the bed. felt sick at my
stomach, probably from some liquor I
had previously drank, and she got upand
prepared me some saleratus and water.
I went up stairs after took the salera-
tus water. 1 went to my room and
turned down the quilts to my bed, but
did not take off my pantaloons. Mrs.
Butler soon came up stairs and went to
her room. I heard her when she came
up. Then I went in there and found
her sitting on the side of the bed. We
talked o few minutes, and 1 sat down by
the side of her and thon pulled her over
back on the bed. She jumped up and
ran out into the other room (meaning
the large unoccupied room where the
final struggle took place.. She
picked up chair that was near
the stovepipe and threw it at
me. I threw the chair back at her,
and she threw it back at me again.
Then I took it and struck her and
knocked her down. broke the chair
all to pieces there. I on'tremember of
hitting her but once; it was dark; must
have broken the chair upon the floor; she
got up and went to tho head of the stairs;
there we had hard tussle, and both
struggled along down stairs into the
dining room; she got up and ran out
through the kitchen into the woodshed
and got the ak; 1 stood by the kitchen
stove; told her to behave herself and
I would; she threw the ak at me; threw
it back near the water pail, where she
stood; she threw it at me again. I left
it there where it fell. She ran to the
woodbox and got stick of wood, and
threw it at me. 1t hit me in the palm
of my hand, as I raised it to ward off the
blow, then struck me over the eye. l
picked up the stick and struck her with
it, and knocked her down. Ipicked up
the Ak and struck her with it. I then
went and got the gun, which was in the
kitchen stairway, and laid it on the floor
near the front door. I did that for a
blind. The gun was not used at all. I
then went out the front door and ran
over to Mr.. Fortunes.