The independent-reporter., 1909-12-16
sKoWHEGAN MAINE THURSDAY DECEMBER 10 1909

No. said he. never had anything
/ 10 do with lawyers and ! don't want
+ to begin now. killed him and guess
| will have 10 90 10 prison for life
The case In a most peculiar one in
several particulars II would seem
/ from the facts that can be learned
about father and son that they lived
! in continual turmoil. and II would
seem that the son WAS quite as much at
+ fault as the father. The brothers of
! John Buzzell say that he had done
everything possible for his son. that
he had signified his willingness TO
turn the plae over to him If he would
agree TO work II and do as he should
| but Ivory would not
Not only would he not take over the
/ farm to operate but he would not
work anywhere else.
| II he did a days work for his fa
ther he had to be paid for IT and
every dollar which he got in this
way he kept. 1t is this which ex-
plains his 5000 in the bank.
During the season he did some trap
ping and the proceeds of the furs
went to swell his savings. If he
labored for any of the neighbors.
which was rarely the case, the mon
ey he earned went into the bank. He
was inclined to be miserly.
That the father and son quarreled
frequently there can be little ques
ton. These differences were of a
varied degree of seriousness, some
times they consisted merely Of ver
bal battle in which anything but COM
plimentary epithets were passed back
and forth. at other times blows were
exchanged 1t is said.
This condition of things was well
known to John Buzzell's brothers.
as we'll as to most of the neighbors
Selden H. Buzzell and Henry Buz-
zell, uncles of the respondent had
frequently urged their brother to
take some measures towards pro-
tecting himself from the fury of his
sons anger, but he would not hear
to them.
Had he only done as l told him
to-, said Selden, in telling the trou-
bles of the father and son, this might
have been ayerted. | wish to God
that could have died before this
occurred
AS the fathers health became
more and more impaired it seems
these quarrels were of more fire.
quent occurrence A great many
times they grew out of the express
ed wish that Ivory should take over
the faYm and work it in the future,
thereby relieving him of the neces-
sity of managing it.
Whenever this suggestion was
made Ivory woud fly into rage and
frightfully abuse his parent
In this manner the two lived until
last Friday afternoon. Then, accord
ing to the story Ivory told his lawyer
they quarreled again. What it was
about he has not stated, or if he has
Mr.. Butler has not told, but 1t is sup
posed that it was over work.
This difference was no more seri-
Gus than many previous quarrels,
but 1t was patched up that night,
for there was i'll will when the two
arose that morning.
This is the particular quarrel which
led up to the murder of Saturday
morning.
For years, the BuZzells, father and
son, had lived a hermit life on the
farm in East Skowhegan, about nine
miles from town and about a fourth
of mile from the main road between
this town and Pittsfield. So near
the town line of demarcation between
Skowhegan and Canaan was their
place, that many supposed they lived
in the last named place. The wife
of the dead man and mother of the
accused son, died in 1884 by her own
hand, having committed suicide by
hanging. For a time after that, "
ory Buzzell's grandmother lived there
with them. She died a few years
later, since when the two have been
alone on the place.
Since the age of ten or after the
death of his mother, Ivory Buzzell
knew not a womans care. From his
early childhood he was what in the
country regions was called a tempor-
airy disposition. He would fly into a
passion when things did not go his
way. He had trouble at school,
though not of a serious nature.
His teachers were fearful that he
would commit some rash act while
his school companions, though they
hectored him, as children will a boy
who is not regarded as being quite
bright. Such was the boys reputa-
tion, were afraid of him.
AS the years passed. this fear con
tinued until there was general
sentiment in the neighborhood. es-
pecially among the women, that he
was dangerous person, Women
were afraid of him. 1t is claimed