The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-04-27

Frank Butter Charged mlih tiur-
cerifg Missing Lad.
DECLARES ne IS INGOGENT

Detectives Believe Child Was Killed
In Earn On Fathers Farm and His
eosy Taken Away In Gag and Con-
coalcd.
Dover. Del. April %. - Frank II.
Butler a steamboat deck hand. was ar
rested. charged with numbering i-year-
ola Horace s. Marvin. who disappear
I'd Mavch T. lie was held without bail
for a hearing The arrest was made by
James hawkins. a Delaware detective,
and Frank J. Lore. a New Jersey de-
toctive.
Lore tried to wiring a confession
from Butler despite the prisoners pro-
testations OF innocence. He also de-
clares that the Marvin kidnapping
mystery will be cleared mp soon"
81 was working for Charlie Wood
all" Butler said helping him move
on March 4. Besides myself there was
Harry Virdin and Horace Caldwell,
and we were removing wheat screen
ing from the place. We had three
teams. and when We left the boy was
sitting on a haystacl, about 10 feet
from the barn from which loaded my
team. After we had left and gone a
distance eli about a quarter OF a mile
Howard Marvin. the 2Oyear-old son OF
Or. Marvin. came running up TO our
team and asked if we had seen It'll,
Horace. Caldwell and myself wh1
were on one team. told him that the
boy Was sitting on the haysiack when
we left"
This in the main IS the story told by
the prisoner 10 at least five detectives
and almost In direct conniction TO the
one told by Caldwell The latters
story. which he repeated to Detective
Lore en- Saturday last caused the In
vestisaticn that led to the arrest OF
Butler
He stated that at 10 o'clock on the
morning of March T. Woodall. Butler
| Virdin ana himself were working near
the corncrih ON the Marvin farm. Ac
cording to Caldwell Butler was order
ed 10 take one OF the three teams and
go TO the barn and load mp wheat
screenings in bags.
This he did. leaving the other three
men al the corncrib distance of POO
wards from the barn. Ten minutes al
ter this Caldwell declares he went over
10 the barn. Butler had the team
backed into the barn. and Caldwell Is
positive in his assertion that Horace
Marvin was not on the haystack when
he approached the barn 20 join Butler
Entering the barn. Caldwell says h'
found that Butler had loaded three
bags containing screenings on thi
team. These were united at the head
but a fourth bag. which remained OF
| the barn floor. Butler told him con
tanned corEs such as are used by fish
ermen for their nets. This bag. Cald
well told Detectives Lore and HaW
kins. he lifted on the wagon. II ap
! peared 10 be very heavy. weighing. he
estimated about So pounds He re
marked to Butler that it was rather
heavy. and says the latter replAee
laughingly that he packed 1t tight.
This bag. which was tied securely
at its mouth. was placed on the tail
board OF the wagon. After 1t was
placed aboard Caldwell says he asked
Butler 10 drive but that the latter re
piled that he did not care to and would
much rather ride on the back OF the
wagon. During the Journey OF th'
wagon this bag the one supposed tC
contain corks. disappeared. and no
until one week later did it turn up a
Charlie WOodall's place
Acting on the theory that this bai
contained the body Of Horace \. Mar
vim. Detectives Lore and Hawkins ar
rested Butler.