Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-02-20
HUNG JURY.
Eleven to One For Acquittal in the
Butte Murder Case-Bond Fixed
at $4,000.

' aiter being out t~wenty-slx hours. re-.
! ported late Saturday afternoon that
there was no prospect for an agreement
and were discharged. The Iury was
composed Of the following:
ID. M. Long, L. T. Paisley, Ed Tug.
gle, W. G. Sims, o. f. House, E. A.
, Lewton, r. II. Beam, W. ]. Baker.
Elmer Cunningham, ]. P. Powell, Ira
Miller and VIM. Kendall.
1t is understood that the Juror who
stood for conviction was L. 7. Paisley.
who at rrst favored murder III the drst
degree, but later agree to a ten year
verdict. He stood firm for ten years.
while the other eleven stood for ac-
quittal. Members Of the jury agreed to
not reveal what took place in the Jury
room, so 1t is guess work who hung the
jury. The general impression seems
70 be that IL was L. T. Paisley, of near
Rush Hill.
The bond has been fixed at IS, OcO.
which we understand MI. Buffe will be
able to give.
Messrs Bolts and Cullen made a good
light for their client. As a matter Of
fact Mr.. Buffe made a strong impress
sion on the jury, and was an excellent
witness for himself.
There was some surprise at the YER
dict, as quite a number Of people who
heard a portion of the testimony and
some who heard it all were Of the
opinion that Buffe would get from
five to fifteen or twenty years.
Prosecuting Attorney Buckley hand
led case in able manner and cannot be
blamed in any particular fornot secur-
Ing a conviction. Judge Hughes, as
well as Others who heard the trial Of
the case compliment him on his
management.
COURT INsTRUCTs THE JURY.
All Of the evidence was submitted
by late Thursday afternoon and court
adjourned until next morning when
the court delivered instructions to the
Jury. In his bill Of instructions Judge
Hughes charged the jury with the
authority to find a verdict Of guilty Of
murder in the first degree, murder in
the second degree, m~anslaughter in
the fourth degree or excusable homi-
eide.
Prosecuting Attorney Buckley open
ed the argument for the prosecution
and spoke for over two hours. After
noon W. w. Bolts, Of Vanilla, OPEN
ed the argument for the defense and
spoke for fifty minutes; be wa follow
cd by p. II. Cullen for the defense who
spoke at greater length. Prosecuting
Attorney Buckley for the State closed
the argument and the case was sub
mitted to the Jury.
Buffe's testimony when put on the
stand Thursday was substantially
the same rs the statement he made TO
a LEDGER reporter on the night fol-
lowing the afternoon of the killing.
He testified of many abuses at the
hands Of his wife and stated that she
was shot while both had hands ON the
gun; he stated that the gun was dis
charged as the two fell to the ground,
and that he had his hand near the
muzzle OF the piece.
On Wednesday, as told In the LED
GER Of that date, Louise Buffe, a
daughter, stated that she was present
at the shooting and that her father
shot her mother as she was going
away from him, in fact, that he fol-
lowed Der and shot her.
Buffe, In his testimony Thursday,
stated that his daughter was not pres
emit and that he did not see her.
This statement was substantlated
by the evidence OF a woman reporter
who was put on the stand. The re-
porter stated that she had gone to
the Buffe home soon after the shoot
ing to get the story and when she
questioned Louise Buffe that young
woman stated that she had not seen
the shooting, that she was not at home
at the time.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Alfred Buffe shot and Instantly
killed his wife at their home in Van
dalia between 4 and 5 O'Clock on the
afternoon Of Thursday, September u,
1901. The man was arrested and was
brought TO this city that night by
Deputy Sheriff Joseph Morris and two
assistants. They drove through, as
there was talk Of a mob-whlch proved
groundless.
The party arrived in this city about
IL O'Clock on the night Of the killing
and was seen by a LEDGER reporter
before he was placed In his cell.
II am a F%renchman, 45 years Of
age" Buffe said, land have lived in the
United States for 20 years. For 10
years / have lived in Vandalia. Idon't
know how the shooting happened. Il
had been down town and returned to
my home a little before 4 o'clock in
the afternoon. | went out TO get a
piece Of bread and my wife didn't
want me to have It; she didn't want
me around the place and started tpl
whip me, she caught hold Of my hair
and started to drag me out Of the door.
AS we passed a corner of the room In
which a shot gun was leaning, l got
hold OF the gun with n hand and
dragged IL with me. AS we went out
OF the door we fell and the gun went
OF killing my wife. l fell on top. When
the gun went of | had hold Of II with
one hand near the muzzle; my wife
also had hold Of it nearer the trigger.
While my wife was pulling me out OF
tine house my l6-year-old daughter was
beating me from behind
Buffe stated that either his wife or
his daughter could whip him, and that
the former often did 50.
He said that he weighed 100 pounds
and that his wife weighed an even
hundred pounds more.
Funeral Of Mrs. Sparks.
Funeral services over the remains OF
Mrs. Belle Sparks were conducted
from the late residence on Clay and
OlIye streets at $50 O'Clock Sunday