Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-06-09
Horrible Tragedy at HIghgate.
A young MARRIED. WOMAN KILLED IN He


Horrible Tragedy At HIghgate.
young MARRIED. WOMAN KILLED IN HER
OWN HOUSE
On Friday evening last Mr.. Charles But
Ter went down to Highgate village,
leaving his wilo at home with hired
boy named Edward Tatro. When he return
cd homo he found his wife lying dead In
pool Of blood on the floor, her head having
been cut open with an axe. The boy Tatro
was away after help. His story is that
tramp attacked Mrs Butler and as hecolld
not help her ho ran for some neighbors to
come and help; that the fight with the
tramp commenced up stairs; that he struck
her first with a chair, driving the chair leg
into her head be then beat her on the
head with stick of wood. She got away
from him and ran down stairs and to the
door. where he again attacked her, this
time with an axe, cutting her head open
and instantly killing her.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS
The victim of the tragedy, Mrs. Alice
Butler, was young and lovely wife, es-
teemed by all who knew her. She was
about twenty-one years old. and had been
married about four years, but had no chill
dren. She was a daughter OF the late
Augustus Mead, of Swanton. Her sup
posed murderer, Edward Tatro, Is n French
man, and will be twenty-one years old next
August lie has been profligate young
man, but has never been called a bad boy,
and has never been knoYn to be caught in
any bad scrapes. He has widowed
mother. and several brothers and sisters 1t
| i difficult to assign tho reason for the
crime, but it is thought that he attempted
To violate tho person Of the unfortunate
woman, and failing, murdered her to avoid
/ discovery.
| IL seems that Mr.. Butler, who lives about
two miles north Of Highgate Centre. went
to the village, Friday evening. leaving his
wife and hired man, Edward Tatr0. at home
Between nine and ten o'clock Mr.. Butler
/ returned home, and found the house dark
| lie went into the house and started for the
match safe. and stumbled against some
match. and saw the ifele-s remains of his
wife in pool of blood, her head beaten al
most to a Dumice, and her brains oozing out
on TO the floor. Near her was his gun. an
axe. covered with blood, several bloody
/ sticks of wood On the floor. and 4 chair
broken to pieces M Butler started for
assistance, but soon heard voices approach
| ing, and Edward Tatro came up with
| some Of the neighbOrs. whom he had been
after. He claimed to Mr.. Butler that a. he
was going TO bed, he had got upstairs. and
as he took off his pants, Mrs. Butler came
running upstairs, and man after her
/ that as soon as he reached the chamber he
turned upon him (fatro), knocked him
down stairs, and that he then ran for help.
Tatro was at once arrested. An inquest
was held. and from the evidence the Jury
came at once TO the conclusion that
Alice Butler came to her death at the
hands Of Edward Tatro. 1t appeared that
the ARRAY commenced mp stairs, where was
found a stick of wood covered with blood
and chair broken, and blood on the walls
The body lay in the kitchen. near the back
| door. where 1t Is thought she made an at
tempt to escape. Almost the entire skull
from the eyes 10 the base Of the crown was
a complete pumice. 1t l. thought that the
assaIant struck her on the head with the
fiat side Of the axe, still there were scalp
fractures that showed different blows.
IatrO shirt was torn almost of Of him ami
was very bloody, which he claimed the
tramp did. His hands were badly chapped
and he could not wash them 80 that the
blood could not be seen in the chap-cracks.
lie claimed to have been knocked down
twice and thrown down stairs. but no
marks of violence could be found upon his
eli trh- -
There was quite a large quantity Of blood
found on his wrists and arms, and his legs
were badly spattered with blood. which ap-
peared 10 have struck him with force.
On Saturday last, Edward Tatro,
had hearing, at which. however, but few
additional facts were developed At the
conclusion, Tatr0 was committed TO St. Al
bans Jail to await the action OF the grand !
jury. During the examination, Tatro's |
clothes were taken off. and his legs and |
arms found to be badly besmeared with |
blood. lie had evidently washed his hands, |
but traces of blood were still plainly to DO |
seen around his finger nails and between |
hls fingers, and hi> wrists and arms which |
had not been washed. were covered with |
blood. There were spots of blood about |
seven inches square on each leg. besides |
spatters of blood all over them, which ap- |
peared to strike the leg with force, and /
from horizontal direction
1t appears that on Thursday last, Tatro
was at work sowing plaster on the field,
and to protect his clothing wore an old linen
coat OF his own over his other garment.
When he came home ne threw his coat on
the kitchen floor, whence Butler saw his
wife take 1t and throw it with the dirty
clothes Of the family in the back passage
way. When the clothes found on and near
the body Of deceased were unrOlled. to-day,
this coat was found among them. Tatro's
hands, when arrested, appeared a. if some
effort had been made TO remove the blood
from them, and upon this coat it is evident
that the murderer of Mrs. Butler wiped his
bloody hands. The prisoner still maintains
his innocence, and repeats his first story
with some small variations. but Is evident
ly Weakening and will proba bly, confess be-
lore many days.
Iatro Is small man, AMI weights only
about 100, but i evidently muscular His
victim was a small, slender woman Mrs.
Butler funeral took place Monday, in the
Methodist church. at HIghgate Centre,
Rev. F. c. kimball officiating. The church
was crowded