The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-01-03
Vermont Nelus
KILLED HIS MorHER.IN.LAw.
Then Barracaded tho House and Ended
His Own Life.

Breaking into the barricaded house a
, Sutton early Sunday after hearing tw
shots fired, Deputy Sheriff Fred =. Harri
man and States Attorney Guy w. Hi
Of st. Johnsbury found the body, still
warm. Of Andrew Il. Buttertield, tn
farmer who Saturday night killed hi
mot her-in.law, Mrs. Lydia A. Berry Dur
kee, aged 70, and attempted to Kill hi
wife, then barricaded the house and de
fled capture. Butteriield had blown Of
the top Of his skull with rifle, the sec
lay beside the body on bed. II IL sup
posed that the man. who was evidently
crazed by drink when the murder wa,
committed, had sobered of and ended hi,
life on realizing the enormity OF his
crime. The body Of Mrs. Durkee wa,
found erect in chair with her knitting
at the feet. On the premises and about
the house were found three rifles, a ne.
volvcr, a shotgun and knife.
Butterfeld, who was 80 years old,
owned a fine 0-acre farm two miles from
nth Barton, and il is said he objected
|, having his mother-in.law live with him.
ut $50 o'clock Saturday evening But
/, ED, who had been drinking heavily
sine Christmas, entered the kitchen,
armed. with Spencer rifle, and fired at
bullet passed through her right cheek
bone and came out Of the left ear. But.
terfield's daughter, aged eight years, was
sitting in her grandmother's lap, but was
uninjured.
The man then turned the rifle on his
wife, declaring that he had "a special
dispcnsation from The Almighty TO wipe
out the entire Berry family" His two
sons, Edmund, aged %, and Frank, aged
20, grapplcd with their father, disarming
him temporarily. but the older man broke
away, going to another room and return
ing with revolver and knife. lie then
drove the family from the house and they
sought protection at the home of George
+. Wheeler, neighbor where they were
followed by the crazed man, who was re-
fused admittance and returned home.
In the meantime Deputy Sheriff Chap
man was summoned from Sutton village. |
When the officer reached the Butterfield |
house he was ordered away by the farm |
err, who threatened to shoot him or any.
one else who attempted to enter. The |
body Of Mrs. Durkee, outlined in the |
light of lamp in the kitchen, could be |
seen in the rocking chair where she met
her death.
Finding that Butterfeld was armed
with rifle and a double-barrelled shot
,un, Deputy Sheriff Chapman retired and
,allcd three constables and posse of
armers to the house to aid. The house
vas surrounded and watch kept about
b all night. Once during the night a
hot was heard. II was not until after
laybreak when the sheriff and states at
orney passed the house, driving toward
he home OF Mr.. Wheeler, where Butter
ield's wife and children had taken shell.
er. The shots which ended the crazed
mans life wen. fired as they went by
nd they at once forced an entrance.
Bnttertield was a member of the Sec
nd Adventist church and had worked |
or the Willoughby Wood and Lumber
ompany. Previous to the shooting, he
old his wife that he had had a vision
rom angels. II is understood that But
,rfield had frequently quarrcled with his