The New York herald., 1877-09-20

sULT-TERBIFIC FIGHT IN PRESENCE OF
MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN DEATH or
THE pARAMoUR AND INDICTMENT OF THE
HUSBAND.
NEW LONDON. Conn. Sept. 10, 1877
There this city to-day, by order OF the Superior
Court for New London county Grand Jury TO deter
mine whether true bill should be found on an ndict.
ment charging that on tho evening Of the 10th OF Sop
tcmbcr, James BuddinCton, OF Groton, did wiliuliy
and with malic. aiorcthought commit murder the
person OF william Thompson, also OF Groton.
INDICTMENT.
The Grand Jury, alter throe hours dcibcraton.
found true bill for mansIaugh,er against Buddipg,on.
He will probably be tried before the present term Of
the Superior Court.
During tho Duddington served as private in
the Ninth Rhode Island regiment, and afterward .
private Tor three years In company, Twenty y-nrss
CONNECTICUT Volunteers. Thompson, the murdered
man, mad also served n soldier.
HISTORY.
Eovcn years ago, this Buddingtou, known famnariy
as Jim Buddington, married woman, by whom hs
became tho iatbcr OF four children. For eight years
they lived happily, or, at least thero were violent
outbreaks resulting IRON domestic infclioity except
Oh ono occasion, when tho wio wont TO Kansas aud
remained for u tmo returning eventually to her hus-
bands side.
Jim rs n industrious man and earned ~ good wages
unskilled labor usually commands Those he faith
fully applied the OF his family sometimes
stories very nearly touching his wifes honor came 70
his ears, but hc generously dismissed them NJ IDLE
gossip. For few years pas. himself and family nvod
in Center Groton in house owned by the mother Of
his wfc. Center Groton Is part OF that historic
Groton, opposite New London, and on the easerr
bank OF tho river Thames. where, nincty-six years
ago month"; British troops, led by tho trcachcrow
Benedict Arnold, massacred q garrison oil Ameri-
patriots after thcr commandant nsd sur
rendered. To this house, Jim IN tho rslI oi 1874.
great, stout fellow VINO was skilled at swinging
All axe, and ready for any work where his immense
muscular development would be brought into requis-
ton. He became boardor at tho Buddr gtoDs later,
an intimate and nualy as stated. his relations with
the wo became OF an improper Character 10 tnat a.
IL may, this much is ccr,an-atter Thompson came
Buddington found himself alienated from his wife, anf
and denias and gradually the breach bc
tween them widened, until at last Buddngon bccama
almost n stranger TO bis homo. On one occasion while
there he attemp mpted to correct oil his children fof
some mlsdcmcanor Thompson ntcricrcd and knocked
him down. At another time he went to his house,
found IL locked and eering through the shaded WIN
dows, saw his wife aud Thompson lying together on
the sofa. This cmblttesed HIM, and he wrote his wife
saying the ntrrdcr must leave tho house or he would
give hlm trouble
Such IS tue story o, their married life as told by
Buidinetou to your correspondent the day follow.
PISTOL sn1r ~ rnE
Al six O'Clock the afternoon VI september 10
Buddinuton lett New London. whero ne had lately
been employed. and crossed TO Groton and thence 10
the htte old mouse, upon lonely spot Ia an unlfc.
O'Clock he reached there and quite dark, but in
the dusk ho saw Thompson sitting upon tho steps In
BuddIngtons pocket was "a nvc-chanbcrcd revolver,
with every chamber loaded. This ho found In tho
snop his late employer Two months ago. II appar-
emily belonged to no one, so he appropriated II. He
attempted TO enter the house, but Thompson pushed
him back ana ran N, locking Tho door behind him.
and chilaren Thomyson Joined them upon their
appeal Tor protection. BuddinRtou broke In a window
on tho south side OF the house. crawicd through into
the kitchen, took tho lamp and started upstairs u
confront MS wife. She cricd out,
'For heavens sake, William, don't let him como az
here! he'll u. urder US all I"
Hallway up tho stairs the two mon met ant
cnched; in tho act the lamp was cxt'nsuished ans
the room made totally dark FOR q moment they
stood silent, these Two, the ono (he busband) small
diseased weakened man, the other powerful as giant
Tho who sought TO 20 up was knocked backward
down tue stairs by blows that could not have been
dealt with tue list
"Ir yc slrke me like that agin I'll shoot yel"
A blow cut short hts words aud no drew his pistol
and fred The ball went through the flesh above
Thompsons right elbow aud grazed the check OF the
Buddington woman. Then followed another blow that
blinded and almost stunned Buddington Another
shot, an awful groan heavy fa TO tho loot OF the
stairs, "a shrick from the frightened women aud chit
drcn and the first act In tho tragedy was over.
Tho women ned from the house and alarmed the
neighbors They came, bringing an ofcer with them
Lights struck aud the iutle narrow stairway ap-
preached, and there a. the loot H. with his lace ~
ne in great pool OF blood, his cycs vide open aud
staring, his mouth nxcd IN hidcous erin they found
William Thompson with bullet hole clear through tho
heart
THE ARREST INQUEST.
B1ddngton renamed at his house all night, hand.
cuffcd His face sorry sight, all cut and bruised
Ms IL was No ono thought to wash his wounds, which
were terrible, and when daylight came there was no
isembancc Of human face In his The post-mortcm
revealed that the fatal shot which struck Thompson
down had entered little IN tho right oi the medium
line, pierced the right vcntriclc out inch
to tho right OF the spinal column and between the eIcv
enth aud twelfth rUs
1 nnt-<r
On the conclusion OF tho post nurtcm Buddingtou
was brought TO New LONDON and placed IN Jail La'ef
preliminary bearing was hau, resulting ia his con.
mitment Tor murder In the first degree.
The sympatnies Of tho public entirely with tho
prisoner He will be defended by somc OF the best law
yers oi New London, and gratuitously.