The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-28
MYR0N BUELL. F0uNDGUlLTY
THR sTORr or SHOCKING MURDER
IN Gen IRAL NEW YORK.
Young GIrI Found Dead In the OId STABLE
where She Kept her Pet kittens EVidcucc
thnt Very Clearly Fix"d the Guilt on Bueii.

COOPEItSTowN, n. Y, Feb. 27.-The trial ~
Myron 4. Buell. for tue murder OF Catherine
Mary richards was ended to-day with vcr-
diet Of guilty. Miss Richards was tho elder
daughter OF n prosperous farmer of Plain
field Otscgo County. Mr. Richards's property
is situated on the summit Of q hill in the north
western corner Of the county and overlooking
the valley Of one branch Of the Unadillu River
the farms Of Iridgewatcr ia Oneida County
tho hills OF Madison County. and the village II
West Winfield In Ilerkimer County. Back Of
the homestead. and distant from IL. a couUle ~
rods only. are some Outhouscs. including un
old COW stable aud smaller building which
formerly did service as cheese house. hut
which had fallen into disuse. Here IL was that
Catherine. who was only about fifteen years
old. and still n child In her inclinatons. had
sheltered n litter of kittens which her mother
had forbidden her to bring to the house for any
length vi time. On the 2jth VI June lust. about
che middle Of the afternoon. she visited her
pets Ia the choose house and brought ;hcm iu-
doors To exhibit to Miss Jones. "A dress nnker.
who WINS the only pcrson at home at tho time.
C.,therinc's mother having driven over TO West
Winfield. where young Richards WIS employed
In n store. Mr.. Richards had gone 10 henson.
Oneida County forty miles away; the Younger
daughter was ut school. and the two farm
hands. Myron A. Buell. and Daniel q. Bowen.
had returned to hop field after the MONDAY
meal to resume their work. Miss Richards.
having fondled and admired the Kittens gath
cred them up In her apron again and took them
hack to the cheese house. saying, M she went.
that she should probably 40 and pick somc Der
ri.s for supper
vcrsing IN the house Bneil and Bowen were az
work in the hop field. The dav was hot. mud, n
| the afternoon wore on. Buell. complained ot tho
| discnmfnrt caused 10y the ru'h~r boots M wore.
| and said that he should have TO ~ and srt his
| ,ehin'r ones from mo chs'sr hnuS" Wh'rn ne
| had left them. He was nlsent from between
! half To three quarters 81 an hour. and when be-
! returned his companion. who Suppressed that ne
! had been detained 10y some work about III"
house or barn, saw nothing unusual In hiH face
| or manner. He took up bis hoe again and
| chatting about the ordinary topics Of convsrsn-
| tion. worked composedly until they heard the
| sound ~ tho horn. which summoned them To-
supper. They started lack over knoll. On
| which Is nm apple orchard Bowen leading the
| wav aud. therefore,. being the first To- discover
| TINT hull. which was usually kopt securely
| fastened 10y Sanctions In the stable. was loose
! in a neighhoring lot.
=" Why. Myron" he said. " the bull is out!
| How do you suppose he gut looso p
tho stable. iIueli To take up n position in the
| passage way. h@twccn that building and the
| cheese hons". in order that the bull might not
| pass tho door. This was accordingly donc; and
the FIRST to reach the op"n entrance. at which
! Bowen had no sooner arrived than he made a
CHASTITY discovery. Whore the bull had stool At
| noon, tnth"rins was stretched out on tn" Moor
dead. Tho body WIS - disposed that II Hp-
pared almos, as though To girl was
| She lay plrtly on one side. anil. while un"
! arm was hnlf beneath tn" body the other rested
| easily, The clothing was derentiy COMPRISED
! over her limbs and NJ tho first glance there
| wrrc no traces ~ violence. 4 subsequent rN-
| animation proved however. that this was a
~ isiHkr. Around tho neck were found two
black rings the disrulored marks appearing n
| though they had been made with a rope
there was cut thre'-quart"rs ~ an inch long
| ON the check. near the eye: the cherk WIS
| much bruised; there was a wound on uc
! Impress - a thumb nail; n bruise was found
on the lcft groin: IN" elbow was slightly
Silt Before ali this was esnbdshcd' Tho
| corps" had been carried into the house. where
with grI"f on receipt 81 tho terrible int'lli-
| gence. and messengers were despatched Tor the
absent relatives; Buell himself going IN West
! Winfield To break the naws TO the mother.
| IL was hrst announced Ia the Sympathetic
neightors who hocKed in that Catherine had
| cumsianc-s -iicted b.'forc tho CoronerS Jury.
watch was convened that night and the discov-
| cries made by tho women who diArot-'i the
body. were such to cause this theory To- b.
viewed with dsirust. The story 81 Buell.
! fellow inborrr was calculated To fnsten Sus-
| picion very strongly upon Bucll. Apart from
! his having been absent from tho hop neid dur
Ing Ing, tho aiternT9n; IL appear,,d tha! ~ hed
! upon women. and had said that a certain way
20 succeed was To- draw strap tightly about
This damaging testimony Was supplemented by
the statement that Buell. had made Improper
had Indignantly repulssd him; and II wis
shown that their relations had lau~rly hesn
such rs 20 leave no doubt % the aversion. II not
absolute dread. in which she had come 10 hold
him. She had told her aunt OF his conduct ami
she had also con planned to her father OF m oc-
currence which had resulted in his dlsmesing
Buell.. although he subsequently, took him back
again on the promise 81 good behavior. tap
pears that one day. while milking the cows IN
the stable. Catherine was struck and quite Sc
ycrrly hurt by post. or piece OF wood. when
Buell. hurled down upon her from above. ana
| after that gne blsramR IMPRESSED with the l.
viction that he intended to do her some serious.
and perhaps iaial. injury. The lentnncy with
which these offences were treated by the girl 4
father can only he accounted for 10y his not hay,
ng realized their intent or purpose. Bueil
eient farm hand. and Il was difficult to replace
him at that season 81 the year His quarrel
with Catherine was doubtless regarded as NJ
more than a spat =" such as often happens he-
tween young people. the only intimation NJ
enee mentioned. and which Buell. might easily
have doe AIRED unlnteniiOna.
Al the inquest Buell. accounted for some spots
| on his boots. which were held To be blood stains
10y saying that they were caused by bhredina
Of the nose on the night ~ the tragedy. lli'
nose began 10 bleed. he said. VIII le he wac milk
ing in the stable. and he turned his head aside
that the drops might not fall into the mil. Tni'
was corroborated by n man who said that he
had heard him say that his nose was bleed ng
and his plausible explanation OF various points
led to an adIournm.nt Of the inquest. subject t,
call. without verdict. He accounted for hi,
extended absence from the hop field by sayinl
that when he went % the cheese house tC
|
colt that were pasturinR in n lot on the part o
the farm most remote from the place where h'
was at work, had Jumped into the meadow. anC
he drove them back into the field. PerceivinI
that the rider Of the rail fence WAS broken
he repaired the break. and this took him som'
time. He then returned he said, To- the hoI
field by q clover field. and not by the patti
I through the orchard
Public opinion was clamorOus against Buell.
and denounced the action OF the Coroner In al
Iourning the inquest without arriving AT n con
euson Tho suspected man. who mainuaine,
the Rreatest cOmposure throughout this export
ence, al d not leayc the county. but WAS pTescn
at the funeral which took place from the littl'
church NJ Plalnneld Centre. and finally engaged
a Winfield lawyer rs his counsel warran
had 10 the mean time been issued for his arrest
and tho writ WAS served while he was on hi
legal advisors premises The latter woul'
} have Protested but Buell. coolly extended hi
wrists TO receive tho handouts. remark Ina
Newer mind; III 30 right along with the con
stable The preliminary examination AT Una
dilh Forks lasted two days n lawyer who ha'
voluntarily assumed the role OF detective ap
. DcarinR for the people. Buell. WIS finally con
signed to dOoperslown Jail. just one week from
| the day the dead body ~ Catherine Richard
: whs found. In tho mean time the remains ha'
| bsen disnterred. and medical eXaminatiol
made 20 ascertain whether IN outrage had bccl
Buell.. who IL about 21 years OF age Is n ain
| Rulnrly atOd aud self-cOntained young man
] | His head IL shapcly and indicates intelligen