St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-01-01

after the murder to find his wife, but
Wheeler would not let him in. Mr..
Wheeler. however, came out and talked
with him and it was in one of these
conversations that he told Wheeler
about his vision and Gods promise of
reward. He also said he was glad he
killed the old lady. Once Wheeler went
down to his house with him and saw the
body of Mrs. Durkee and also watched
Butterheld work on his arsenal He told
Wheeler he would not shoot him if he left
him alone but said he would kill any
body and everybody that attempted to
arrest him. Butterield was careful,
however, not to let Wheeler get a chance
to touch him as he always came to
Wheeler's house with a loaded rifle in
Que hand and a loaded revolver in the
other with both weapons cooked. Once
when walking back home with Wheeler,
Butterfeld slipped on the ice and as he
fell his revolver was discharged but he
did not lose his hold of either weapon.
AS soon as the family left the house
Edward ran down the three mile hill to
South Barton and telephoned Selectman
Barker of Sutton, He Immediately mott
fed Deputy Sheriff II. D. Chapman and
he started al once tor the place with two
companions, E. E. Calkins and William
Switser, and they reached the place
I about II o'clock. Chapman and Cal
kins went up to the house, but when
they saw the murderer so heavily armed
they broke and ran, the deputy sheriff
getting mixed up in barbed wire fence
in his escape. Mr.. Chapman saw at
once he was up against no dime novel
desperate, but the real thing in the fight
ing line and made his plans accordingly
He drove to South Barton and tele-
phoned Sheriff Winch who had already
made his plans to start for Sutton, In
the meantime States Attorney Hill and
Deputy Sheriff Fred S. Hartman had
started from St. lohnsbury and drove as
far as West Burke that night. The night
mail from the south stopped at South
Barton at O'Clock Sunday morning to
let off Sheriff Winch, two of his deputies
from West Burke, E. b. Smith and N. |.
Washburne, Col Charles w. Ruiter of
St Johnsbury and the editor of the
CALIFORNIAN. 1t was long walk up the
three mile hill to the scene of the murder
and one could easily believe all the
stories of the Kentucky teuds and the
Tennessee moonshiners when he reached
the desolate crest of the mountain and
learned how completely the murderer
had barricaded his castle Sheriff Winch
was ready und willing to-attack the
house at once and capture the man, but
those who knew Butterheld best remem-
bered he was the crack shot in that sec
ton and wanted to wait until daylight,
at least So the long hours before day
break were spent in guarding the house,
carefully examining Ninchesters and
revOlvers and occasional visits to the
Wheeler house, where the housekeeper,
Mrs. Jennie Webster, had hot cup of
tea and a warm fire for all Corners The
posse rendezvoused at the Wheeler
barn almost opposite the Butterhelds,
though several OF the officers stood out
doors in the cold gray of the morning for
several hours closely watching the house
from the rear. 1t was a time that tried
mems souls and there was enough excite
ment in waiting to keep everybody we'll
keyed up.
Messrs. Hill and Hartman reached the
place at O'Clock, just after the Others
had finished breakfast at the Wheeler
house, and saw the murderer sitting by
a table as they passed the house, with a
rife in his hand. At 8 o'clock Sheriff
! Winch announced that the time had
come to make the attack, and led the
advance. No one knew then that the
murderer was dead and after stationing
some of the officers at different points
around the house, Sheriff Winch battered
down the back door with an axe. The
door was SO heavily barred that it was
not forced open until Mr. Winch had
smashed the casing. He entered the
house first and went into the first room,
which was the pantry. Mr. Calkins
entered the sitting ROOM where Mrs
Durkee was sitting, and Col. Ruiter went
into the bedroom, followed by Mr..
Hartman, and first saw the dead man.
At first sight Col. Ruiter thought it
might be a dummy, but hasty examin-
alton r. Vled the fact that the man
hunt was GN~r, and the murderer dead
man. Almost buried beneath the COM
forters he lay PROSTATE tightly clasping
a Winchester in both hands, with the end
OF the barrel resting on his dishgured
face. His head was pierced with
bullet hole, the ball having entered
his eye and his temple, taking
: of a portion of the top of his head.
| Inc body was warm, the pool
OF blood on the floor was steaming,
and he had been dead less than 80 min
utes. He probably killed himself when
: the party were at breakfast, and the
, sound OF the firing was not heard by the
watchers IN the barn. In the adjoining
room was the grandmother sitting Just
: as she was before she was killed II hours
before, with her hands in her lap and her
glasses on the floor The rife had been
placed so close to her head that the face
. was badly blackened by the powder, and
the floor was covered with blood. 1t
was the most CHASTITY sight that any of
( the party had ever seen, and one that no
| one of them will ever forget The whole
= party breathed deep sigh of relief,
} however, as they gazci on the murderer,
as they realized how slim their chances
2 might have been in acing alive the most
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