Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-07
BIDS FOR FAIR PLAY
Wife of Murdered Physician
Makes a Statement.
HER HUSBAND PURSUED
Allegation That Mrs. Birdsong Tried
to Entice DR.. Butler.
ATTACK ON MISSISSIPPI MEN
Statement That Every One at Monti-
cello Had knowledge Of DR.. But
ler's High Standing.
ATTACK ON MISSISSIPPI MEN

Special Dispatch to The Star.
HAZELHURST. Miss, January 7.-Mrs.
Sally Butler. the widow OF DR.. Thomas II.
Butler. the physician who was shot and
killed in his office at Monticello Miss.
November Is. 1906. by Mrs. Angie Fox
Birdsong, the child wife OF DIR. James +.
Birdsong. and the niece of United States
Senator A. ]. McLaurin, has given out a
remarkable statement, speaking for the
first time of the tragedy and its equally as
sensational sequel. In the trial and convic-
ton here two weeks ago of Mrs. Brdsong,
who was sentenced to five years in the
penitentiary. having been found guilty of
manslaughter.
Mrs. Butler charges Mrs Brdsong with
pursuing her husband and endeavoring to
win back his love. and also says that a
false sentiment was built up by the
newspapers for Mrs. Birdsong. Mrs. But
Ter claims that she and her children have
been placed In the wrong light and asks
the press of the country to publish her
statement and give her a fair deal. The
following paragraph is the most sensa-
tional In the entire statement of Mrs.
Butler. which bears her signature in a
letter addressed to the press of the Unit
ed States:
Charged With Hounding Butler.
Mrs; Birdsong ran after DIR. Butler and
hounded him until he became so disguised
his Office DIR. Butler told Mrs. Birdsong
that II she needed medicine to send her
husband Tor II, and not to use this pre-
text in order to be with him. Only a few
days before my husband was killed Mrs.
Birdsong met him on the street and APP
preached him with the usual object. DIR.
Butler told her at that time to leave him
alone.
This last repulse was what did the work
Mrs. Birdsong finally realized that she had
been thwarted in her unholy pursuit, she
had lost her lover and knew she could not
get him back That is why she killed my
husband"
Says Men Are Degenerating.
Mrs. Butler bitterly arraigns those re-
sponsible for permitting Mrs. Birdsong to
be at liberty pending the result of her APP
peal to the supreme court. Mrs. Birdsong
Is out on $4,000 bond.
Discussing this phase of the case. Mrs.
Butler says: Il think the men of the
county are degenerating when a man in
trusted with high office can, to crafty a
prejudice, come into so grave a matter and
by technicalities. political influence, falsi-
fication and distortion of facts hope to
turn loose upon the world such characters
as Mrs. Birdsong to go and do more harm"
Mrs. Butler deplores the attitude assumed
by the press in general In championing Mrs.
BirdSong.
The widow says no effort was ever more
misdirected. Il think the sentiment in all
such cases as these says Mrs Butler
should be obtained from the community
in which the deeds were committed. DR..
Butler was heightened and honorable and
III you could nave come to Monticello and
inquired about affairs you would not hear
word in the woman's behalf.
Every one there had an intimate knowl-
edge Of the situation, and instead OF be-
ing the paragon of virtue and tTuthfulness
that Mrs. Birdsong has been held up to
be. she was everything to the contrary.
l am woman who has suffered agony
over the loss of my dear husband: whose
heart is full. with four little children that
lost the best father in the world, and /
feel that we deserve the sympathy OF all
good men,"
Mrs. Birdsong's Purpose.
The claim of Mrs. Birdsong that she
killed DR.. Butler to silence gossip emanat-
ing from that man that he had Intimate
relation with the wife of his fellow prac-
titioner Is denied with vigor by the widow
who claimed that Mrs. Birdsong any
thing but secretive in her attentions. The
entire statement of Mrs. Butler IS scath-
ing arraignment of the Brdsong faction and
the court that tried the case.
Mrs Butler says that politics and poll
ticians welded a great influence at the
trial However" she says, 'it is COM
fort at least to know that twelve men pre-
JUDGED as they were by reports purposely
spread to poison the public against the dead
man were so overwhelmingly convinced by
the law and the evidence in the case that
they could not help but give justice in a
measure and return verdict of manslaugh-
ter. The jury would have violated their
oath and their conscience had they done
otherwise"