Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-09-19
KILLED HIS Wife.
ALFRED BUFF. OF vAEDALIA,
IN JAIL HERE ON THAT
CHARGE.
SEBMSYOHAVE BEENCULDB
The Prisoner Would Create the I'M
preston That His Wife Was
Beating Him and That the
Shooting Was Accidental.

Alfred Buff, Frenchman and a
member of the Vandalia Coal Co.,
killed bis wife at o'clock Thursday
afternoon in front Of his home in
Vandalia by shooting her through the
head with a shot gun.
From information brought to Mexi-
CO to-day by the Coroner and Prosecute
ing Attorney and from stories sent in
by the Vandalia correspondent to the
LEDGER the killing looks very much
like cold blooded murder, possibly
after meditation.
On Thursday afternoon Mr.. and
Mrs. Buif quarrelled about 3 O'Clock
over the use of horse. At that
time, it is announced, the husband
threatened the wife with a revolver,
afterward placing 1t in his coat pock-
ct, from which place the wife took it
and, it is claimed, deposited 1t with a
neighbor. This revolver, or a similar
one, was found In the dead woman's
corsage after the tragedy. The
cartridges were there too, but not in
the revolver.
After the first quarrel the husband
left the house but returned later and
the tragedy occurred.
There is but one besides the princi-
pals who saw the killing and that is a
16-year-old daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Buff.
From information in possession Of
the coroner, although the daughter
did not testify at the inquest held in
Vandalia Friday morning, the follow
story is advanced as the truth In re-
gard to the killing:
The husband returned to his home
after the first quarrel and it was re-
newed. Buff took a single barreled
shot gun and beat his wife with it un-
til she attempted to get away when
he shot her, the charge Of shot enter
ing through the right eye and passing
entirely through the head, death came
Immediately.
VERDICT OF coRoNER's JURY.
Coroner Bridgford went to Vandalia
Thursday night and held an inquest
Friday morning. The following YER
dict was returned:
"We, the jury, do find thai
the deceased came to her death by .
gun shot wound in the head, fired
from a shot gun In the hands of one
Alfred Buff:
"E. G. WATERS, Foreman.
rs. e. KENDALL.
''T. w. HUaHLRTT.
GEO. KENNEDY.
"T. j. RENFR0.
81. r. GLAso0cK."
The daughter Of the dead woman
who was the only eye witness to the
tragedy, was not put on the stand.
1t seems that Mr.. and Mrs. Buf
lquarreled often and violently.
Abouta week ago they separated
and Mrs. Buff has since refused to lei
her husband come on the place, IL II
claimed.
THE PRISONER INTERVIEWED.
Joseph Morris, of Vandalia, a deput.
sheriff, and two assistants brought tht
prisoner to Mexico Thursday nigh
and lodged him in jail. They arrived
here between 10 and II O'Clock tina
night.
| Alfred Buff, the accused, is a small
under-sized man and talks very poo
article Of English, although he moveC
here from France 20 years ago; he ha
lived in Vandalia for 16 years.
| When questioned by a LEDGER re
porter before being put in his cell a
the county jail Thursday night, But
showed but little nervousness, but wa
in evident distress in his inability &
| properly group words with which Z
express his story of the killing.
When seen again Friday morning h
told the same story as was told TIN
night previous, but showed greal
nervousness and finally broke down ans
sobbed like child.
81 am Frenchman, 40 years o
age, " he said, ''and have lived in tn
i United States for 20 years. For L
years have lived in Vandalla. 1 don
know how the shooting happened.
had been down town and returned {
my home little before 4 O'Clock i
the afternoon. I went out to get