Ellsworth American., 1876-06-15
General News.
Shocking Murder at Highgate, VT.

farmer, 22 years Old. was married to Miss
Alice Meade, an orphan, then just short OF
Is. Butler owns farm. upon which his
dwelling Is situated, two miles north OF
Highgate Centre. and about eleven miles
distant from this place. The house is a
small one, standing near the main road,
but some so or 60 rods from any other
building. To this house he took his young
wife, and there lived with her happily ever
since. They had no children. and the fam.
ily consisted OF Butler and his wife. But
ler's father, an cid man, and Edward Tatro
Frsnchman, employed BY Butler on his
farm.
Tatro is a young man, 2l years old.
small and OF slight build. but cordy aud
strong for his size. He is the sou Of wild.
owed mother who lives In the neighbor-
hood, and has been for some wears in the
habit of working around for the farmers iu
the vicinity. He had not bad reputation
really, but is considered sort of dare dew
il: "Ne'er do well;" Is In the habit Of
drinking occasionally. swearing and using
tobacco to excess. lie has been at work
for Butler most OF the time since last sum
mer. aud his relations with Mr.. aud Mrs
Butler have been In the main pleasant.
though II is said he and Butler have sotae-
times had Il few words when they disagreed
about the work, etc. Yeste- day tho old
gentleman, Buffers father, wa. away on A
visit st one OF the neighbors. Butler was
away assisting at raising at a eighbor's
and Tstro was plowing with Buffers team
for another ncighbor, Edward Haskins
Butler came home between 4 and 3 O'Clock
In the afternoon and ratro just before G.
Butler asked him why he came so early,
and the boy answered that h had broken
the plow-pont and beam. Butler. on ex-
aiming the plow. found this untrue and
taxed the boy with it. whereupon he said
he came because he had got his "stent"
done. and wanted to sharpen the plow-
point.
After supper, Butler told his wife he had
some business ut Highgate Centre. and
asked her II she wouldn't like To ride over
there with him. She replied that she was
not feeling we'll, and guessed she wouldn't
60. something was then said about Tat
ro's going. but when the team was ready
he said he would stay with Alice. who had
meanwhile gone into bedroom below the
stairs, opening out of the dining room.
aud laid down upon the bed. Butler went
away at o'clock, leaving them alone in
the house. and no other person Is known
Ia have seen Mrs. Butler alive aftcr that.
except little boy who came 10 the house
about half-past eight on an errmd
Butler returned at about ten o'clock.
put his horse In the barn, ald went into
the house by the kitchen door. As he ap-
preached he noticed that tie house was
dark. Opening the door he advanced q few
steps. when his foot hit against something
lying on the floor. and by the dim light he
saw that II ressmbled . human being, and
supposing 1t was Tatro. who had gone TO
sleep there waiting for him. he called him
by name. Getting no response, lie stepped
To the box aud struck a match. IL flicker
ed and went out. but BY the flash of light
be SAW blood on the fioor and a fearful
heap OF something lying there. The next
match burned aud revealed the terrible
picture Of his wife lying on the aoor In a
pool OF blood, her clothing nearly all torn
of. stark and dead.
Almost paralyzed At the spectacle he
obeyed his first impulse. and rushing 10
the barn, mounted his horse TO ride To the
netghbors 70. assistance. A he reached
the gate he heard the sound OF confused
voices and met group OF terror stricken
men hurryipg 10 the house, led By Tatro,
who had rothing on but the tattcred rem
nant of a shirt. andwas cry ing and bswl-
ing like madmsn. The party proceed
ed 10 the house and made an investigation
The murdered woman lay upon the floor,
near the back kitchen door, her head liter
ally crushed In, and the brain protrudiny
through .hastly crevices in the skull. Her
hands were beaten black with some blunt
instrument. and she was bruised about the
shonlder and scratched upon neck.
Close by her on the door lay three sticks
OF stove wood, more or less bloodstained.
and an old musket, which usually stood in
the stairway. Leaning against q 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.. aud 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 Indressed.
upon the outside.
The bed, floor aud walls were covered
with blood, as were also the floor and wall.
Of the hall and stairs. a stove-pipe in Tat
ro's room was knocked down. aud that al
so was blood-stained In various places.
An old chair which had stood by the head
OF the bed in Butler. room was found In
the hall broken TO pieces, and one OF the
legs appears 10 have been buried BY ter
rible blow in the murdered woman's head
TO depth Of about three inches.
The boy rairo was examined and was
found to be covered with b ood. his hands
being crimson with il, aud blotches and
spatters on his bare legs and arms. He
was watched. while Mr.. Butler rode rap
idly to Highgate and brought back a phys
ician and officer, when he was immediate
ly taken into custody. lie was nearly era
~ with excitement, sobbing and crying,
but stoutly denying any guilt. This morn
ing coroners jury was called by Justice
Lewis Christian, and an inquest was held
on the scene OF the crime. The justice and
jury examined the premises carefully with
results as above detsiled.
The evidence OF the bereaved husband
did not differ materially from the facts
given above. The murderer told a ramb
ling story, manifestly false. lie said lie
heard Mrs. Butler cry tor assistance, aud
on going 10 her assistance he was attack
ed by stranger. the verdict of the jury
was that Tatro committed the murder lie
was aiterward examined before Justice
Christian at Highsate Centre. and fully
committed for trial and sent to St. Albans
Jail.
The sequel to the murder of Mrs. Butler
has now come 10 the surface. The youth
Tatro. who has been confined in the st.
Albans Jail. has at last, through the assist
ance OF his mother, given the true story Of
how he murdered the woman and the mo-
tives which led him TO commit such a ter.
rible crime. The circumstances by which
the confession has been obtained will prove
Interesting:
Monday forenoon Tatro. who is chained
TO the floor of separate room in the Jail.
told his keeper that he wanted to see Sher-
III Morrill, aud tell him something. AT this
juncture the prisoner began TO weep bitter
ly. The keeper told Tatro that Sheriff
Morrill, WAS out oftown. but would be back
early in the evening. When the Sheriff re-
turned he Immediately went to the prison.
er's quarters. He then made some discon-
nected statements to the Sheriff.
Monday night the prisoner suffered great
mental agony, weeping nearly all night,
and partaking OF no nourishment whatey-
er. Tuesday and Thursday nights his sui
ferings were beyond description. When
left alone securely chained to the Aoor, he
was seen by one OF the Jail attaches. who
Was watching his movements through q
key-hole, to be making frantic gestures
with his hands, as IL struggling to keep
some terrible ghostly spparation from be-
fore him.
THE MURDERER'S INTERVIEW WITH HIS