Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-06-14
The lIighgate Tragedy.

The sequel to the recent murder ui M. But
ler al ilghgate. has now come 20 the surface
The youth Tatro, who las been confined in the
st. Alhans JAIL has at last through the assistance
Of his mother, given the true story ofhow he muir
dered the woman. and the motives which led him
20 commit such a terrible crime Monday fore
noon Of last week Iatro who Is chained to the
floor Of a separate room in the jail told hs
keeper that he wanted to see Sheriff Monill and
tell him something The keeper told Tafro that
Sheriff Morrill, was ont Of town, but would De
back early in the evening When the sheriff re-
turned he Immediately went to the prisoner .
quarters. lie then made some disconnected
statements TO the sheriff
Monday night the prisoner Suffered great men
tal agony, weeping nearly an night, aud I0rtal-
ing Of no nourishmont whatever. Tuesday night
his suherings were beyond description When
left alone. securely chained 90 the floor, be was
seen 10y one ofthe jail aitacle- who was watching
his movements through a key-hole "a be making
frantic gestures with bis hands il struggling 10
keep some terrible ghosty appanilon from before
him.
A day or two alterward his mother came to see
him, and when ne became calm enough 10 speak
be made the following confession
" / cut tie hole IN the wall the day we sowed
the plaster think that WAS the day before the
murder | dug the hole with the shears After
the boy Willie Fortune left on the evening Of the
murder about forty. minutes past eight
o'clock, Mrs. Butler was lying in the bedroom
down stairs. went in there aud sat down in a
chair near tho bed felt sick at my stomach,
probably from the effect Of some liquor had pre-
viously drank, and she got MP and prepared me
some saleratus water went mp stairs after
took the saleratus water / went 10 my room
and turned down the quilts to my bod, but did
not take off my pants Mrs Batter soon came up
stairs and went to her room heard her when
she came up Then ] went in there and found
her sitting on the side Of the bed We talked a
few minutes, and sat down by the side Of her and
then pulled her over back on the bed She
jumped up and ran out into the other room
meaning the large un0ctupied room whore the
inst struggle took place.. She picked mp chair
that was near the sto,e-pipe and threw It at me
] threw the chair back at her and she threw it at
me again Then took ii and struck her and
knocked her down. ! broke the chair all 10
pieces there don't remember Of hitting her but
once, 1t was dark I must have broken the chair
upon the floor She got up and went to the head
Of the stairs. There we had a hard tusse and
both struggled along down stairs into the dining
room. She got up aud ran out through the
kitchen into the woodshed and got the axe
stood by the kitchen stove told her to behave
herself and would She threw the axe at me,
threw it back near the water pail where she stood.
She threw il at mo again. left it there where il
fell She ran To the wood-boX aud got a stick OF
wood and threw it at me 1t hit me in the palm of
my hand, as raised it to ward off the blow. She
then struck me over the eye. | picked up the
stick Of wood and struck her with it, and knocked
hefdown picked up the axe and went for her,
and struck her with It, l then went and got the
gun which was in the kitchen stairway, and laid
il on the floor near the front door did that for
blind. The gun was not used at all then
went out the front door aud ran over to Mr.. For
tunes"
In answer 10 questions from his mother, he said
no one had aided him in the commission Of the
deed. lie is represented as suffering terrible
pangs of remorse lie has been visited by Mr.
Butler husband Of the murdered woman, and Mr.
Austin, Attorney for the state. To the former he
expressed contntion and said It was right he should
be punished for his crime lie also requested
Butler to keep the money due Clatrol ior labor
some twenty dollars and apply it toward tomb
stone for Mrs. Buffers grave, lie told Mr. Austin
he would give fuiher details as soon he got lit
lie better