The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-12-25
THE RICE MURDER TRIAL.
Jury Failed to Agree and Were
Discharged bV the Court.

The trial of W. Fl. Rice for killing
Of W. o. Butler resulted in a hung
Jury.
The trial was begun Thursday
morning OF last week and was given
to the jury Saturday night about IL
O'Clock.
The jury remained out until Mon
day afternoon and failing to agree
were discharged by the court.
The following gentlemen composed
the jury:
f. 6. Lockard, r. NJ. Stubblefield,
D. L. Burlington, C. C. Duke, Frank
Harccurt, Chas. Beard, Albert Thor.
oughman, Henry Harrison, G. W.
Ward, Henry Fulkerson and C. II.
Arfman.
Butler was shot and killed on the
night OF March 25th, 1902, and the
body was found in the public road
near Nyhart the next morning.
Rice, accompanied by his uncle,
Thomas, with whom he was stopping
went down to where Buffers body
Was found. A crowd OF men we're
there, and they had just placed the
body in wagon and were starting
away with it.
Rice also attended the inquest at
the residence of Mrs. Nyhart, and
witnessed the postmortem examina-
ton and saw the bullet that killed
Butler, after it was taken from the
body. He then went to his uncle's
for dinner.
Rice said in an interview with
TINES reporter at the time of his ar
rest "The day before this happened
uncle and aunt and myself had plan.
ned to 90 over to Foster to visit un-
Gle Lewis Jones and DR.. Rhodes and
wife, relatives OF mine, whom had
not seen for five years.
~s.. When this happened, uncle and
IA0nt said they would not 90, as they
Vished to attend the funeral.
P0l'hen uncle said he would take me
and the youngest girl over to Foster
and return himself
Just few minutes after we arriv.
ed in Foster two men drove up in a
buggy and called me out OF uncle
Lewis Jones house. They said the
people at Nyhart had suspicioned me
OF doing the killing, and they
thought had better go back to keep
them from getting out a warrant for
my arrest.
GAS we were returning to Nyhart,
we met two deputy sherifis on the
road. They did not know us and at
the time we did not know them. They
went on to Foster and found we had
started back. They turned and
overlook us Just before we reached
Nyhart and placed me under arrest
and brought me TO Butler
Until Rice's confession after arrest,
the killing Of Butler was shrouded in
mystery. Rice was stranger in the
community, coming there from Okla
hom1 only few days before the kill
ing to visit relatives, and the fact
that he carried and exhibited large
ftOitsrevOlverand belt Ofcartridges
and that the bullet taken from the
body corresponded with those used
in his pistol, and an exploded shell
or two picked up on the ground near
where the body of Butler lay in the
road excited suspicion that he did
the killing and acting on this theory
his arrest followed.
In Justification of the killing Of
Butler. Rice pleaded self-defense. In
brief his statement of the affair was
that he and his cousin, Miss Thomas,
on the evening OF the killing had gone
to Earl Thomas, a relative, TO spend
the evening, that a storm was COM
ing up and started for home about
7;3O p. m. On their road home they
heard a noise some distance behind
them, which appeared to be coming
toward them. 1t was very dark, and
they decided to step to one side the
road and let whatever it was making
the noise pass. The noise then an.
peared to he about so yards awav.
and Rice drew bis revolver Whom Il