The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-14
BUTLER DIES FROM
GUNSHOT WOUNDS
Mystery of His Death Re-
mains Uns0lved
WIFE is ARRESTED
Funeral of Deceased Woodlawn Mer-
chant Will Be Held This After
no0n-Coroner Spain Is
Investigating

Robert r. Butler the clothfcr of
Woodlawn who was mysteriously shot
Thursday morning at the residence of
his wife. 400 Floral Park. Woodlawn,
died yesterday afternoon at $50 o'clock
in McAdorys infirmary At no time
since the shooting had there been any
hope OF ultimate recovery and the
death of Mr.. Butler caused no surprise.
The death of Butler brings to the
attention OF the Birmingham police a
murder mystery. The shooting has not
as yet been explained with any degree
of satisfaction to- any one concerned.
on the one hand Butler, in the in
firmary, stated repeatedly that his wife
shot him. On the other hand the brief
statement of the. wife Immediately fol-
lowing the shooting was that the shoot
ing was accidental As there were no
witnesses the police are in a guam
dairy and look to Coroner Charles l..
Spain's inquest to clear up in part the
mystery.
Was AZ Years of Age
Robert r. Butler was about ~ years
of age and a we'll known citizen OF
Woodlawn. He was married about a
year ago to ella Lutte, young wom-
an about % years of age. The mar
riage proved unhappy and about two
months ago the couple separated and
Butler went to live with his son by
a former marriage, r. W. Butler, at
the boarding house of Mrs. W. T. Nall
on First avenue near Fiftv-fifth street.
On last July~17 Mrs. Butler brought
suit for divorce on the grounds that
her husband had caused to be circu-
lated slanderous reports about her
character. The decree OF divorce was
Immediately set aside by Chancellor
Benners until more evidence could be
examined.
On Thursday morning Butler called
at the residence of his wife, and after
a few minutes in the house q shot was
heard and a moment later Butler with
pistol in his hand came out of tho
house followed by Mrs. Butler. The
couple had only gone few feet when
Butler collapsed, but not before he
stated to Officer Sims, who had ar
rived, that Mrs. Butler had shot him.
This statement Mrs. Butler ind gnantly
denied and said that the shooting was
an dcciuent-lnat the pistol mad gone
off during scuffle for it's possession
ea Mrs. Butler Arrested
Butler was immediately removed to
McAdory's infirmary in Woodins am
bulance and Mrs. Butler was arrested
Iby Sergeant Armstrong and Officer
Sims of the Woodlawn precinct on a
charge of assault with intent TO MUIR
der. Later in the afternoon warrant
was sworn out before Judge III. b. Abb
ernethy by r. w. Butler, the son.
charging his step mother with assault
with intent to murder. Mrs. Butler was
then removed to the county Jail and
is still there, although the charge
against her has been changed to mur-
der.
1t was announced last night that
Corqner Spain had already started a
preliminary investigation and had
viewed the remains at the morgue of
the Woodin Undertaking company, but
the inquest, it was said, would not be
held until Monday afternoon In the
meanwhile the best detectives of Chief
Bodeker are working on the case gath
ering evidence that will be OF use to
the coroner in finding out the truth of
the killing of the Woodlawn merchant.
Funeral services over Robert r. But
Ter will be held this afternoon at
o'clock from the private chapel of the
Woodin Undertaking company. Inter
ment will follow in Forest Hill ceme-
terry. As far as Is known only the son.
r. w. Butler, and his widow survived
the dead man.