The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-10
.IOWA'S MYSTERY
IS CLEARED AVA
Mrs. Butterfield, Supposed to
Have Been Murdered by Her
Husband, Is Found.
snecial to The Journal.

Special to The journal
Dies Moines. Iowa, Aug. lO.--Carroli
county's murder mystery was un-
tangled here by the finding OF a letter
addressed by Charles Butertield, the
3 .s,Innosed victim, to the, postmaster at
III ,anesboro, completely exhoneratins
her husband from the crime Ior Which
he came near being lynched twenty
as,o; rnilas southwest of Fort Dodge
Mrs. Butterfield has been missing
c;nce ,July II. and her disappearance
has furnished one of the pig nlyst
teries of the year. Ihe, Thu.lls -
hlondy clothes on the Butterfie1d farm
-, 'e,heriff Anderson and the fact that
i Tuttergeld Immediately after ms
wife,s disappearance went to 1--we Win
tha woman who caused his donesue
trouble. led to the murder theofy.
Mrs. Butterfields letter explaiiliiis
the whole case is as folloWs:
Des Moines, Iowa. Aug. lo-PostIaa ts,
T anesboro. Iowa Please let Sheriff FREQ
A,adarson Of Jefferson know that Mrs.
CHARLES Butterfeld is alive and that her
4 husband is not murdered 1t IS true
that Charlie did not harm me the nlgnt
after our quarrel because OF his a'teh-
lions to theWelch woman. Charne came
home Saturday evening and found me
there with our five children, He had de-
Il serted me April 25th because l found
letter he had written to the other woman
When I saw papa after he came PACK,
my little girl begged me to let him stay
Il told him that I would forvive him all
for the children's sake He would not
come back but said that as had put IN
the crops, he would stay until after mar
vest, put up the hay. fix things pleasant
for us and then depart for good.
II That almost killed me. | kissed MIN
good night nursed my 1S-months old
baby for the last time. and kissed the
children In their beds. l could not leave
them while they were awake. l went
from the house determined to drown my
self. but the faces Of my children arose
between me and that awful black river.
must have gone insane.
The first knew was two weeks later
when I found myself here In Des Mones
30 now let Charlie alone. I left because
he Is strong and better able to care for
the children than am God forgive me-
DO not hunt for me, but please see that
my babies are cared for.
ALLEN Butterfeld.
The letter was compared with the
handwriting or scraps taken from {
dairy kept by Mrs, Butterfield while
her husband was away. The dairy
read: -
Our dear papa left us April IS 1904
On Monday about 5 o'clock. he went dow
to he rand stayed with her until April %
then he took the train. He took her t.
the theater Tuesday night. The last kis
he ever gave me was with liquor on hi
lips. The first kiss he ever gave me wa
when he was SO pure and good. Oh, hoy
/ did love him. Poor, dear, lost darling
God be with you and angels guard you
Poor, broken-h hearted Allen,
Our dear pa came back, to see US Jun
81, 1904. Lennie and I were blowing corr
Il We were SO glad to see him. He wen
away again about 6 o'clock. How hard
tn him again God how
live thru it all?''
Mrs. Butterfield Found.
Mrs. Butterfeld was found here thi
afternoon. She confirms the story o
her disappearance, and still loves he
husband desperately, but will not re
turn to him. She is working as
waitress at the Nelson house.