Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-06-18
4 rRAGEDr IN ponrER's AlLEl

4 IhhhENf Nv oftf ASh ~
william Butcher, While Frenzied From
Drink, Commits Suicide EARLY Tuesday
Morning.
William Butcher, payer living in |
Porter's alley, committed suicide be- |
tween and . o'clock Tuesday morning. |
The suicide and his elder brother had |
been on debauch for the past 10 days.
William is pensioner and had re-
ceived his quarterly $l2 allowance. The
last day or two the men had been
drinking nothing but pure alcohol.
The house where the tragedy occurred
is at the rear of No. 21S Orange street
II was not discovered until a few
minutes before o'clock, when little
boy named Murphy was going past.
The window and doorway were open
and he peeped in. He ran out imme-
diately again and told the next door
neighbor Mrs peregoy, what he had seen.
All the jewellers of Porter's alley were
Immediately aroused In a few minutes
Officer Sherer arrived He found
William Butcher lying prone on his face
on the kitchen floor. His throat was
hacked through, the wind-pipe being
almost completely severed. His brother,
Edward, sat on sofa near by. He was
in drunken stupor. The sofa was
saturated with blood, which also COW
cred William Butchers hands, face and
shirt. Ofilcer Sherer Immediately
brought William to the police station,
where he was locked up. A razor with
out a handle was found on the floor.
The body of the suicide was taken to
Palmer's morgue.
Mrs. Butcher, the suicides wife has a
most melancholy story to tell. She,
with her child pretty young girl Of about
13 ia staying with kind-hearted neigh
Dor, Mrs. Percgoy who lives next door,
and who Is doing all she can to comfort
the unfortunate widow,
1t was learned that Mrs. Butcher was
away from home Monday. She did not
know of her husbands death until late
Tuesday morning. Her own sad story is
that she was afraid to stay home.
Butcher had been drinking for two
weeks right along. He threatened Mon
day that if she would come home one
of them husband or wife) should die.
ale said he would take his life or
mine"
A suspicion seems to exist in some
quarters that the two brothers had
been quarreling and that Edward had
attacked William with a razor. Mrs.
Butcher totally discredits the story.
They were drinking together it is true.
| And they went out TO Bayard's woods,
| Front and Union streets, where they
spent the forenoon and the earlier part
| of the afternoon. But the ncighbors
| who saw them return say there was no
evidence of quarreling. They were al
ways good friends.
The neighbors give plentiful proof of
| the suicides cruelty while under the
/ influence Of drink. He chased her out
| of the house with butchers knife
Mrs. Butcher has no other idea but that
| her husband was crazy with drink
when he killed himself.
He was heard TO say Monday, y
will not be here this time tomorrow.
"rhat soy neighbor replied.
"Ics, what's the use of living?" was
the suicides comment.
A Mrs. Schoen, who keeps house fol
Mrs. Peregoy, and who sleeps in the from
bed room of the Butcher residence
states that at midnight Monday Edward
| Butcher was lying full-length, drunk
4 on lllt lIOill utlpl ~Slflss hbOub Low a
m. she was aroused by several consecu
tive groans. Surprising it was the
drunken man on the front steps, she
went TO sleep again, without taking
further notice of the matter.
Mrs. Catherine Murphy, who lives il
Porter's alley, has been arrested, Sht
was drinking, it is stated, with thu
brothers on Monday.
When William Butcher was brough
to the police station Tuesday morning
he was searched by Turnkey Caldwell
The turnkey informed representa-
tive Of the GAZETTE that the man haC
blood over his left sleeve, his short from
and on his face and hands.
ale wasn't so drunk" stated tn,
turnkey "as you might have thought for
lie was not paralyzed drunk or out o
his senses. He said nothing but III finC
out who did it,
William Peregoy, on being spoken tt
by the reporter on Tuesday, staggered
along from the rear of the cell where h,
had been seated, and advancing b.
zigzag efforts, reached the iron Gag
door. He knew nothing, he said, abou
the suicide, until he was woke up thi
morning. He didn't know who wok
him up. The man was eyidentl,
in a stupor of intoxication from tn
fumes of which he was slowly awaken
ing. lie gazed with a drunken attemp
ut steadiness into the reporters eye
and mumbled, I've nothing to regret
--
The tragic death of William Butcher
at his home in Porter's alley, is still
shrouded with mystery. Coroner Spark
impaneled jury on Tuesday mornin
and began an investigation during til
afternoon. The jury assembled at tn
coroner's Office at 3 o'clock and Mt ono
proceeded to Palmer's morgue, whcr
the wound in the dead mans throat wa
examined, after which the jurors wen
to the municipal court chamber, wher
for nearly two hours effort to solve tn
, mystery was made. Solomon Herse,
: Francis llotfecker, j, Z. Wilkins, job
Crawford, Martin II. Elliott, ThomB
Giles, George Mccall, Edmund L. Smitl
and Andrew b. Jones composed th
jury. Mr.. Mccall was chosen chairma
and Mr.. wilkins secretary Thrice
I witness were heard. The testimony
: some contradicted in few particular
that of the others and the absence {
three men whose testimony possibly ca
shed light ON The tragedy neccssitate
adjournment until last night. Near
while Detective McVey will be give
, opportunity to practice his new profci
: sion.
H. S. Pierce testified that he sa'
! William Butcher sitting on the latter
steps on Monday evening, between 81
: and $40 O'Clock. The man seemed dii
: tressed and was wringing his hand
j. He said there would be no more bottle
= that night till morning and threatene
to take his life.
DR.. ]. r. Smith testified that Butcher