The Republican journal., 1876-06-08
Shocking Murder at Highgate5 VT.

shocking Murder at h1ghgatef Vt.
ST. ALBANs, Vt, June 8 Three years
ago last January Charles Butler young
farmer, % years old, was married to Miss
Alice Meade, an orphan, then just short OF
49, 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 90 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
lily consisted of Butler and his wife. But
ler's father. an old man, and Edward Tat
TO, Il French man, employed by Butler on
his farm.
Tatro is young man, u years old.
small and of Slight build but cordy and
strong for his size He is the son of a
widowed mother who lives in the neigh
borhood, and has been Iur some years in
the habit of working around for the farm
ers in the vicinity. He had not bad rep
utation really. bat is considered a sort of
dare devil ''Ne'er do well; ; is in the hab-
it Of drinking occasionally. swearing and
using tobacco to excess He has been at
| NOIh IOI DulJcI IllOSG VI llie liIlit SlUCt last
summer, and his relations with Mr.. and
Mrs. Butler have been in the main pleas
ant, though it is said he and Butler have
sometimes had a few words when they dis
a reed about the work, etc. Yesterday
the old gentleman, Buffers father, was
away on a visit at one Of the neighbors.
Butler was away assisting at raising at
a neighbours, and Tatro was blowing with
Buffers team for another neighbOr, Ed
ward Haskins. Butler came home between
and O'Clock in the afternoon and Tatro
| Just before g. Butter asked him why he
came SO early, and the boy answered that
he had broken the pillow point and beam.
! Butler, on examining the pillow. found this
untrue and taxed the boy with it, where
upon 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 at Higlgate Centre,
and ask ed her if she wouldn like to ride
over there with him. She replied that
she was not feeling well, and guessed she
wouldn't go Something 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 out of
the dining room, and laid down upon the
bed, Butler went away AT I O'Clock, leav-
| ing them alone in the house. and no other
| person is known to have seen Mrs Butler
alive after that, except a little boy who
came to the house about half past eight on
an GRAND
Butler returned at about ten O'Clock,
put his horse in the barn and went into
the house Ivy the kitchen door. AS he APP
preached he noticed that the house was
dark Opening the door he advanced Il
few steps, when his foot hit against some
| thing 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 Kim by name. Getting no re-
Spouse. he stepped to the box and struck
a match. 1t tlckered and went out, but
| by the flash OF light he saw blood on the
floor and a fearful heap of something lying
| there. The next match burned and re-
| vealed the terrible picture OF his wife ly-
ing on the floor in pool of blood, her
| clothing nearly all torn of. stark and dead.
Almost paralyzed at the spectacle he
| obeyed his first impulse and rushing to
| the barn, mounted his horse to ride to the
neighbors for assistance. As he reached
| the gate he heard the 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 q shirt, and WAS crying and bawl-
| ing like q 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 lit
| orally crushed in, and the brain protrud-
| ing through CHASTITY crcNices in the skull.
| Her hands We're beaten black with some
| blunt instrument, and she was bruised
about the shoulder and scratched upon the
| neck.
| Close by her on the floor lay three sticks
| of stove wood more or less bloodstained.
and an old musket which usually stood in
| the stairway. Leaning against "A 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 sleep
| ing room OF Mr.. and Mrs. Butler was up
stairs, and adjoining the one occupied by
Iatro. An examination OF it showed that
some one had apparently been lying, not
| undressed, upon the outside,
| with blood, as 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 stained 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
a terrible blow in the murdered woman's
| head to a depth OF about three inches
Tie boy Tatro was examined and was
| found to be covered with blood, his hands
being crimson with it, and blotches and
spatlers on his bare legs and arms tie
was watched, while Mr. Bnter rode rap
idly to llighgate and brought back ply
sican and officer, when he was immedi-
ately taken into custody. He was nearly
crazy with excitement, sobbing and cry
ing, but stoutly denying any guilt. This
morning coroner's 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 detailed
| The evidence of the bereaved husband
did not differ materially from the facts Civ
en- above. The murderer told rambling
story, manifestly false He said he heard
Mrs. Butler cry for assistance, and on go
Ing to her assistance he was attacked by a
stranger, The verdict of the jury was
that Tatlo committed the murder lie was
aiterward examined before Justice Chris
tian at Highgate Centre, and fully COM
mitted for trial and sent to st. Adams Jail.
uzz>-...---
Which Shall / Take?
This is often serious question with the in
| valid He finds the market flooded with pro-
prietary medicines, scores of which are recon-