The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-08
BY TELEGRAPH
Especial 10 THR GL0BE.l
THE HTGHGATE MURDER.
THE CONFESSION OF TATR0, THE
MURDERER.
The Confession Drawn Out by His
Mother.
ST.. ALBANs, June Z,

ST.. ALBANs, June 7.
As has been anticipated for the last sew.
enty.two hours by the officers having him
in charge, Edward Tatro, the murderer OF
Mrs. Butler at Higbgate, Vermont, last
Friday night, has this afternoon made a
DETAILED CONFESSION OF THE TERRIBLE
CRIME,
full details of which were published in TIE
GLOBE. When first incarcerated in the
Jail here Tatro was cool, Indifferent and
unconcerned, but after tho fret few hours
of solitary confinement his spirit began
visbly TO break down, and he has evident
ly suffered terrible remorse, taking scarce
ly any food and piteously beseechng the
officers not to leave him alone. He has
spent most Of his time on the mattress by
which he is chained, his aching head bound
up in wet cloths, his face much of the
time buried in his blanket and has frequent
terrible paroxysms Of weeping To the
sheriff he has made some disconnected ard
fragmentsry statements, but seemed ply
sically unable to utter
THE TERRIBLE CONFESSION
which was weighing on his mind always
breaking down with sobs and tears. This
afternoon bis mother came to the Jail and
was permitted to see the prisoner In the
presence of the sheriff, the scene
BETWEEN MOTHER AND SON WAS HEART
RENDING,
and at last, IN response TO her earnest ap-
peals he made full confession, which
was afterwards reduced to writing in the
presence of witnesses, as follows
| cut the hole in the wall the day we
sawed the plaster; ! think that was the
day before the murder | dug the hole
with the shears, after the boy, Willie For
tune, left, on the evening of the murder,
about quarter of D; Mrs. Butler was
lying on the bed in thu room down stairs :;
went in there aud sat down in chair near
the bed; felt sick at my stomach, proba.
bly, from the effect of some liquor had
previously drank, and che got up and pre-
pared me some saleratus and water
went up stairs after / took the saleratu'
water; l went to my room and turned
down the quilts to my bed. but did Doi
take off my pants Mrs. Butler soon cam,
up stairs aud went to her room :.
1 heard her when she came up, then
went in there and found her sitting on thu
side of the bed we talked few minute.
and sat down by the side Of her, and then
pulled her over back on the bed she Jump
ed up and ran out into the other room
(meaning the large unoccupied room whert
the first struggle took place. She pickle
up a chair that was near the stove pipe ano
threw it at me | threw the chsir back al
her and she threw it at me again. Then
took it and
STRUCK HER AND KNOCKED HER DOWN.
l broke the chair all to 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 hed a
hard tussle, and both shrugged along
down stairs. In the dining room she got
up and ran out through the kitchen into the
wood-shed and got the axe. stood by the
kitchen stove. told her to behave herself
aud would.
SHE THREW THE AXE AT ME-
| threw 1t back near the water pail where
she stood she threw it at me again /
left it there where it fell che ran to the
wood box and got a stick Of wood and
threw II at me it hit me in the palm of
my hand as l raised it to ward off the
blow then she struck me over the eye /;
l picked up the stick aud struck her with
it and knocked her down; l picked up
the ak and went for her and struck her
with 1t then went and got the gun
which was in the kitchen stairway, and
laid it on the floor near the front door;
did that for blind the gun was not used
at all l then went out of the front door
and ran over to Mr.. Fortunes.
In answer to questions, Tatro stated
/ did not hear Charley coming when
l went out didn't hear any one.
DID NOT MEAN TO KILL THE POOR WOMAN
when struck her with the AK.
Q.-What, if anything, did she say to
you during the affrsy3
A.-She did not say word that re-
member, after pulled her down on the
bed.