The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-27
w. B. BUTTS
 DEAD IN BUGGY Peculiar Accident to We'll
 Known Farmer. SKULL WAS FRACTURED Drinking, He Became FaSten-
 ed in a Vehicle. Frightened Animal Ran, Beating Out Brains on the Pavement.
 Lived at Barachias, But . Was Moving.

With head dangling on the pavement, and with terrible gashes in the skull, the dead body of W. B. Butts of Barachias was taken from between the shaft and left wheel of his boggy, where 1t had become fastened. yesterday afternoon shortly after o'clock, near the corner of Madison Avenue and Court Street.
 His feet were caught under the seat of the buggy and his body was hanging face forward over the dashboard. It was evi- dent that MT. Butts had fallen into this position and that the frightened horse had dragged him probably mile before the animal was stopped, nearly in front of the city stables on Madison Avenue.
 With difficulty, the body, still warm. was extricated from its peculiar position and taken to police headquarters, nearby. The City Physician and Coroner Tice were immediately notified and soon reach ed the sidc of the unfortunate man. He was dead. Death was caused by severe fractures of the skull
 The Coroner had the body removed to an undertaking establishment, where large crowd gathered to view the bruised and bloody corpse of the unknown man.
 The clothing was searched in the hope of finding some clue to his identity. There was nothing in his pockets which wouli give any trace of his name or residence. Curious ones in the Coroner's office ven- tured suggestions as to the identity of the man, but mons of them were sustained He was probably five feet nine inches tall, of rather slender build, reddish. brown hair and mustache; had brown eyes and looked to be 3S or 70 years old.
 After about two hours of unsuccessful efforts at identification. c. M. Sellers wis., ited the undertaking establishment. He saw the body and identified 1t as that of W. B. Butts, a farmer living near Barachias.
 |. John B. Fucker, Superintendent of the Excelsior Brick Company in North Mont gomery, was sad to be a son-in-law of the dead man. He was notified at his home near the brick yard of the death of MT. Butts. and went immediately to the undertaking establishment, where he viewed the remains. He positively iden- tifled the body as that of his father-in. law.
 MT. Fucker said that Mir. Butts had been at his house yesterday afternoon and that he left there about 2 o'clock in his buggy, going in the direction of Mont gomery. His fathertn-law, he said, had been drinking heavily. and that at the time of his departure for town he was in- toxicated. He asked him to stay awhile, and on MT. Butts'S refusal, Mir Fucker said he asked him to let him (Mr. Ruck- er) send some one with him to the city, he he did not think he should try to drive through that section of town in an intoxi- cated condition. Mir. Butts, he said. re- piled: 'I don't need anybody: can drive as well as you can right now"
 MT. Rucker talked without reserve about the condition of MT. Butts.
 He was an excellent man. said MT. Fucker, '" a hard worker, kind to his family and neighbors, but whiskey was his ruin.
 Up to a short time ago." Mir. Fucker continued, he drove a gray horse to his buggy and this horse, perfectly gentle animal, had taken him home safely many q time when he was In helpless condi- tion. The horse that he was driving to- day, a little black mare with only one eye, is a new one and at the time he was getting ready to leave my house for town. I told him the marc looked like a spirited animal.
 Sometime ago, crased by drink, he tried to kill himself by taking eight ounces of laudanum, but was saved by timely aid"
 Just where the drunken man fell from the seat of the buggy into the peculiar death trap is not known. A negro saw the hose running at full speed near the corner of Lawrence and Pollard Streets, some distance from where the horse was stopped, and saw the body of a man dam shnS oVer Ihe Iront oi tne buggy with the head dragging the ground. He ran as fast as he could to stop the runaway horse and save the man, if possible, from death. but he was unable to catch the animal.
 MT. Buiits was moving his home from Barachias to Calhoun. and the where abouts of his wife and children are not definitely known. but every effort will be made to locate them and notify them of the peculiar tragedy in which the hus- band and father lost his life. Mrs. Butts is believed to be in Lowndes County.
 Meanwhile, the body lies at the under taking establishment on South Court Street awaiting orders for it's removal.
 MT. Butts is survived by his wife, five children and two brothers, J. T. Butts of Morgansville and Will Butts of Green- vile. He was 45 years old.