Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-11-21
DISAPPOINTMENT AND DEATH.
lAL0yer Kills Himself in the Presence
/ :. of Three Young Ladies'.

l. OF three Dung UaQleS.
" I'LL New York SUM-
! Victor Davis Carlton Butler shot himself
in the head in the presence of three young
ladies, at 2O1 Seventh avenue, yesterday
afternoon. Immediately afterward Coroner
Flanagan was notified, but at late hour
last evening, in default of permit of re-
moval, the dead man lay where he had
thrown himself just as he fred the shot.
He was about forty three years of age. He
had occupied his present quarters with the
family of MIR. Samuel J. Clark for three
months. Before that time he lived three
years in an adjoining house. He was, there
fore, we'll known in the neighborhood, not
only for his agreeable manners, but for his
weakness, which was drink. When not under
the influence of liquor his conduct won him
many friends, and among them were the
members of Mr.. Clark's family. He formed
an attachment for the eldest of the three
daughters of the family, and Mr.. Clark, not
desiring the alliance, had requested hum to
move. He was to have done SO yesterday.
The request was made several days ago.
Butler seemed to consider his suit hopeless,
and he drank. His conduct caused an alter
cation with his employer, Joseph Hayward,
of 174 Sutton street, and he quit the store
on Monday. Since then he had been at
home most of the time, and under the IN
fiuence of liquor. 1t is believed that he was
crazy from the effect of liquor. He brooded
over all his troubles.
Butler was, SO he said, born in Georgia,
and his family was an excellent one. His
mother left property in trust for him with a
sister now living in Baltimore. The income,
together with his salary, gave him sufficient
means to live comfortably. His father, who
moved from Virginia when his mother died,
lives in Hartford, Conn.,. and is said to be
wealthy. Twelve years ago, presumably on
account of his habits, his wife was divorced
from him, and since then he has been
with her their five children. The separation
from them and his wife, whose whereabouts
he never spoke of, was one Of his greatest
sorrows.
In the days of inebriety preceding his
death he said that he had been married
twice, and once he said three times. He
continually recounted his past troubles, and
brooded over his disappointment. He
threatened to shoot himself, or by some
other means take his own life. He said yes
terday afternoon that he would never quit
Mr.. Clark's house, but would be taken from
it corpse. He begged them to permit his
body to be taken to the Potter's Field. The
family, thinking from the openness with
which he spoke of suicide, and also his
pleasant manner during lucid periods, that
he would not execute his threat, made light
of it to him. At about 5 P. Ii. Mrs. Clark
and her three daughters were with him in
his room. He began talking of killing him.
self. He desired to throw himself out of the
window, said that he had taken Prussia
acid, and at length took his revolver out of a
bureau drawer ana put it in his pocket.
Then he sat down before the open fire, and
became more quiet. Airs. Clark then went
ont of the room, Gazing pensively into the
fire, he started suddenly, saying, II see hell
before lne." he rose, moved toward the
door, took the revolver from his pocket,
and said: tits 10 use; I'm going to CON-
nit suicide Something il, his tone con-
WINGED the young ladies' that this threat was
an earnest one. Instinctively the eldest and
youngest fed past him and from the room.
Before the other girl could. by voice or &C
ton, interfere, be threw himself upon his
back on the bed. and saying, ':God forgive
me!' p1lled the trigger.
The bullet was nearly half an inch in
diameter. 1t crushed through his head from
near the right temple. A physician was
quickly summoned, but the pulse had almost
ceased to beat when he arrived. An officer
was sent to keep watch until the coroncr's
permit should allow an undertaken to re-
move it. His father in Hartford was in
formed of the suicide, and it is expected that
he will arrive to-day. Miss Clark, to whom
Butler was attached, is slightly crippled, and
owing to the shock, she vas under the
physicians care last evening.