Evening journal., 1891-06-16
LAST EDITION
MURDER OR SUICIDE?
WILLIAM BUTCHERS THROAT CUT
FROM EAR TO EAR

Found Dead at His Home-sad End of
Drunken Debauch-His Brother,
Edward Butcher, Arrested ON sus-
PIcion of Committing Murder.
William Butcher, 35 years old,
morocco dresser at Beandenkopf & Bros,
lies in the morgue, lifeless and bsthed in
his own blood
His brother, Edward Butcher, is lying
In cell In the City Hall under suspicion
of having committed murder while in
ft of drunken frenzy
The small home Of the Butchers in
McCsfferty's Court, an alley running off
from Orange street between Second and
Third streets Is closed and the key is in
the hands Of Coroner Sparks while grief
stricken Mrs Butcher and her bright and
comely 70 years old daughter Mamie, are
being consoled by sYmpathizing neigh
bors.
Is it Murder or Suicides
For several days the dead man and his
brother have been on 9 heavy spree
Part of the time they drank laudanum
and alcohol. The wife of the unfortu.
nate man followed her usual custom on
such occasions and with her little
daughter left the house She found
temporary home with her friend Mrs.
Irene Anderson. who lives at No. 105
West Second street She went there
Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock, and with
the exception of few hours she spent
with her sister, has been there ever
since waiting for her husband to sober
up, and make it possible for her to live
at home again.
She is very genteel, mtddle-aged
woman. and her neighbors speak OF her
patience and devotion in the highest
terms.
During her absence the two brothers
have been holding high csrnval in the
Butcher home, and the neighbors have
had all they could do to get to sleep
while the midnight carousals were going
on.
Last night there was more noise than
usual The brother of the dead man
was the one who made the noise. Will
ham Butcher wss pecunsrly silent Early
in the evening he walked up and down
the court as II his mind was greatly dis
turbed, and during his farewell prone
made he told his neighbor, Mrs Dorrell,
that he had drunk SO much alcohol
during the last week that he was almost
crazed He seemed to be morose, but
beyond this there was nsthing in his
actions to excite suspicion.
After time he went into the house
and 1t is supposea, laid down.on the sofa
his brother, however, was very
hilarious He sat in the doorway in a
happy frame Of mind, singing songs
until after o'clock in the morning Then
when his vocal organs became weary and
the intoxicRnts had overpowered him, he
went into the front room aud laid down
on the floor aside the sofa, upon which
his brother was lying His head was
towards the door, wnish was open. and
remained open until closed by the
coroner this morning just what oc-
CURED during the night no one knows.
Whether Butcher killed Butcher, or
Butcher killed himself is what the
coroner's jury may have to decide this
afternooa
The Alarm is Given.
The first intimation the McCafferty-
ties had that the bloody crime had been
done was given by little Jimmie" MUIR
ply, bright youngster wha lives at the
east end of the alley
HJimmy's" mother evidently believes
that the ''ear,y bird catches the worm, F."
for she had this juvenile scion of the
house OF Murphy out Of his bed about
four o'clock AT 4 30 o'clock she started
him out of the alley on an errand beyond
Third street bridge
AS he passed the Butcher home he
noticed that the front door was open.
Looking in he saw William Butcher
lying on tine floor, his throat cut and.the
body and the floor bathed in blood.
Beside the dead man, sleeping quietly
was the brother Edward Butcher He
did not have any blood upon him.
Jimmy" was Mortified. He yelled to
Mrs. DorTell, who was sitting on a stoop
doing some patchwork:
'0h, Aunt Lize, come here, The floor
is all aslush with blood"
AUNT Lize" did not come, but she
helped matters materially by raising cry
after cry that was as effective as City
Hall FIRE alarm.
In q minute or two sleepy heads we're
thrust out of the window, and in q
minute or two after the news was told
every house emptied its quota of the
morbidly curious into the court. This
crowd was augmented every minute by
persons from adjoining streets.
Little Jimmy Murphy stepped into the
parlor and touching Edward Butcher on
the hand, told him to get up. Butcher
scrambled to his feet and as he did so
placed his hand in one Of the three pools
of his brothers life blood. He was so
stupid from drink that he did not notice
it. and staggered back through the door
into the kitchen, where he sat down.
Edward Butcher Arrested.
Officer Chairs was notified and took the
patrol wagon to the house. Butcher
was arrested and placed in 1t. Chairs
examined the body and found a bottle of
laudanum in one Of the pockets, while
under 1t he found the razor blade that
had done the deadly work. 1t was COW
ered with blood and gave evidence OF
rough usage. The body gave evidence
that life had been extinct for several
hours.
The wife Is Told.
Mrs. Dorrell rushed down to Mrs.
Andersons on Second street and broke
the news to the wife She and her
daughter Immediately came to the court,
and were taken to the house of Mrs.
Peregoy, who lives next door, where
their grief became inconsolable.
Coroner SPARKS on the scene.
Coroner Sparks was notified and took
charge of the body, He ordered Funeral
Director Palmer to take the body to the
norgue The house was then locked up
by the coroner awaiting the action of the
jury.
No Signs sf a Struggle.
Through his courtesy an EVENING
To- II