The Portland daily press., 1897-09-06
REVENGE WAS MOTIVE.
Brutal Murder in Historic Town Of
Concord.
JOHN HARRIS KILLED MRS. JOHN
s. BUFFERS.

Her Son Went to His Mothers Aid and
Himself Nearly Net His Death-Mur-
derer Attempts His Own Life-Believed
Woman Caused His Arrest.
Concord, N. H., September 4.-This
historic old town was startled from it's
usual quiet at noon today by terrible
two more are hanging in the balance.
Mrs. George S. Buffers was shot and al
most instantly killed in her own home
by John W. Harris, and her son Carlton
c. Buffers, in defending his mother, re-
ceived two bullets in the face. Harris
the murderer, then turned the revolver
upon himself and sent bullet crashing
into his forehead near the temple. The
crime was committed for revenge and
was deliberate and cold blooded.
Harris, the murderer, was seen to
alight from the train which arrives at
Concord at 10 o'clock. He left the station
few moments afterward. Nothing
more was seen of him until shortly be-
fore 1890, when he was noticed passing
along the lane between the estates of
N. N. Hatch and Frank Pierce on Hub
bard street. Two minutes later shots
were heard from the Buffers residence
and Carlton G. Buffers, the son of the
dead woman, was seen running from
the house with blood streaming from two
bullet wounds in his head He rushed
into the street and ran in circle as if
dazed. A friend named Charles Sewart
caught him as he was about to fall. But.
ters cried, 81 am shot and SO is mother, :"
did it, he said, Harris"
Meantime friends and neighbors had
reached the scene of the crime Mr..
Pierce was the first to enter the room
where the. murder had been committed,
and he found Mrs. Buffers lying upon
her back on the floor of the kitchen, her
arms stretched out and blood streaming
from her ears and mouth and from bull
let hole in her left temple. She was dead,
and to all appearances, had been killed
instantly. There was another bullet hole
near her heart, which was probably from
the second shot fred.
:. By this time Chief of Police Thomas
Craig had arrived together with DR..
Braley. Search was at once made for the
murderer and he was found couohed in
pool of blood, in corner Of the shed
through which he had entered the kitchen
of his victim. He was moaning from
the pain resulting from bullet wound
l. L.
an attempt to take his own life after
| the crime. He made no resistance what
ever and was at once placed under arrest
and given over to the care Of physician.
A revolver was found all besIneared with
blood, on top of a pile of chips, and was
Craig. 1t was AZ oalibre revolver of the
bull dog pattern with five chambers
empty. Harris was asked if he shot Mrs.
Buffers, ,ar d he replied in the affirmative.
| Carlton Buffers, the murdered woman s
son, was carried from the street to the
dining room where he had been seated
eating his dinner when Harris entered
the house, and when the wounds were
temporarily dressed by DR.. Braley, he and
Harris were taken to the. Massachusetts,
General hospital.
The crime was evidently planned. It
was the result Of an insane idea for re-
| venge for fancied wrong for which the
victims were in no way responsible.
| The history of the case really dates back
to 1896 when Harris, who was a travelling
| salesman for nursery, came to Concord
| in search of customers. He stayed at the
| old Wright tavern and later went to
| board at the home of Mrs. Buffers. He
| did not make much Of success at sell
| ing trees and nursery stock in this section
and only remained with Mrs. Buffers
about seven weeks. He left the Buffers
home about the middle of October and
was seen about the town only few times
after that until November 9Th, when
some jewelry was stolen from one of the
boarders in Mrs. Butters's family. Sus-
picion was at once directed towards Har-
ris. Mrs. Buffers, however, did not have
anything to do with the matter, the
evidence being collected entirely by Mr..
Buswell, an expressman, who kept his
teams in a barn on the yard near the
| Buffers house.
Harris was arrested and tried in the
district court and sentenced to six months
in the house Of correction. While he
was being taken to the Jail Unexpectedly
declared that he would have Mrs. Buffers
life, because, as he thought, she was re-
sponsible for his arrest. Harris was re-
leased from iail Nav Jarf o,d ,.4L.
was seen or heard from him until July
when he again made his appearance in
Concord. he had shaven off his NOUS