Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-01
BUTCHERS MOVES
Have Mystifed Authorities at
Bangor and Elsewhere.
butchers Wife Identifies Body at New
York as Husband.
Insurance Money Paid Over-A Mys-
terious Case.

j
butcher, who claims 266 CORTLAND ave-
nue., New York, as his home, have not
only mystified the Bangor authorities
but have caused a connection in New
York and subjected his friend and COM
paniOn, David Matson. to no end of
petty annoyances. Some small part of
butchers story became known some
time ago. but the meagre facts thus
for revealed appear to be wholly un-
satisfactory in explaining the myster-
les of the case.
Matson, who is now employed as a
barber in Bangor, told a Journal COR
Respondent today. that the elusive Mr.
butcher had gone to ST. Louis. Mat
son who is also a New Yorker, had
known butcher in that city and the
two went to Boston some time last
October. Matson knew nothing of
Butchers domestic affairs, he says, but
had worked in the same shops with
him. While on the train to Boston
butcher asked Matson if he would ex-
change names and Matson granted the
request, so for three months MatSon
and butcher have worked in Boston.
Bar Harbor and possibly Augusta. each
assuming the others name. In No
vember Matson says that butcher told
him he had left wife ard two child
rem at 266 CORTLAND avenue, New
York. For some reason which does
not clearly appear butcher asked Mat
| son to write to Mrs. butcher and tell
her that her husband was very ill
with smallpox in Bangor. MatsOn did
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New York created sensation for Mrs.
butcher had identified a body in the
| city morgue as that of her husband.
The Identification was also corroborat-
ed by butchers sisters, who are be-
lieved to be Mrs. Ida Parks of Wood
side, l.. l.. and Mrs. Eva Huber of
Camden, N. j.
/ To add to the complication it was
tStated that butchers life had been
Insured and that the life insurance
company had paid over to Mrs. Dutch
ers attorney the amount of the policy.
Matson says that when they left New
York butcher had only 50. but that
I later, when they arrived in Maine he
had large sum in his possession, so
much that he has been able to live hero
without working and without making
much impression on his capital. When
butcher left for St. Louis. Il few days
ago. he had so much money that he
offered to pay all Matson's expenses
If he would go with him.
| Whether or not the case has been
investigated in New York is not known
but Matson says that he was visited by
4 Pinkerton detective few days ago.
The detective showed him several pho
tographs, saying that they We're those
of William butcher. Matson states
that the photographs did rot in the
least resemble the man With whom he
has associated and that the detective
without investigating further took the
next train for New York. No one else
in Bangor, so far as is known, saw this
f detective. The local police are unable
to find any trace of his movements here
: and think it unlikely that detective
would abandon such a quest, merely on
the word of NIatson that he could not
identify the photographs.
There seems to be little doubt that
5 a man named butcher has disappeared
5 from New York. that body was iden-
: titled his and the amount of his life
insurance paid over. The important
5 question is whether or not the William
: butcher who has been in Bangor all
2 winter is that man. If he is, the peo-
:. pie connected with him in New York
have been badly deceived. If he is
not the man, how does it happen that
he claims exactly the same address and
knew intimately about the butcher
1 family?
Matson says that butcher has been
| ret wi he
which he had and regarded the identi-
J ficatiOn of a body in New York as that
of William butcher as merely Il joke
which would not bring; him any trouble.
The only clue to butchers whereab bouts
now is the statement OF Matson that he
! has gone to ST. Louis.
One OF the interesting features CT the
case is the correspondence between
MatsoH and Mrs. butcher. Three let
tiers from Mrs. butcher. two addressed
TO Matson and one to her husband have
been received in Bangor and all We're
shown to the Journal correspondent,
today. One written in November to
Matson is evidently a reply to the
one containing the smallpox fiction.
Mrs butcher in this letter. seems ready
, to believe that her husband is really
alive and wonders now she could have
made such a blunder in identifying the
, wrong body. She urges Matson to write
, again and naively suggests that he is
Il relative of her husband because his
handwriting is similar. A second let
ter written to Matscn in December. re-
, proaches him for not sending her more
, information as ne had promised. She
| says that her little girl is dying in a
{ hospital and urges Matson to induce
her husband to come home to her.
Another letter. bearing the same date,
( is addressed to William butcher. She
$ calls him Dear WIZ and begins by
: asking him why he does not come home.
. If you are not the man you say you
n are" she writes. Il will find you if go
!. to the end of the world She tells
him that she has not yet received any
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