The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1913-04-10
Plunged Head First Into Wa
ter AT Early Hour This
Morning-Coroner Believ-
es Dependency Cause.
LEAVES NOTE WHICH
ASKS FORGIVENESS
Was Well Known in This
City-Member of the South
Eighth Street Friends
Church. -.-

After leaving a farewell note to her
children Catherine c. Butler. 512
South Eleventh street. walked to the
cistern in the rear of her home and
plunged headfirst into the water where
she was found at s: 80 this morning by
her husband. Thomas Butler. well
known blacksmith of this city.
The reason assigned for the suicide
was poor health. the deceased having
suffered a nervous collapse over year
ago from which she never recovered.
She was thirty-nine years OF age and
is survived by her husband. Thomas
Butler. two children, Rush. aged II.
and Phillis. aged Is. FIVE sisters. Mrs.
o. A. Keplinger. Mrs. j. b. Baker. Mrs.
Will Feldhaus. Mrs. Bess Parker or
indianapolis. Mrs. Hiram schaub OF
Canton. Ohio. and two brothers. John
G. Meyers Of Canton. Ohio. and Jo-
seph Meyers of this city.
Mrs. Butler was very well known
in this city having lived here for the
past twenty years. All her married
life has been spent in this city. She
was born and raised at Cambridge
City. She attended the South Eighth
Street Friends church.
Had go Health.
Mrs. Buffers nervousness was caus-
ed by the loss OF sleep. For many
months she was unable to rest proper
| ly. Her condition has been such that IL
at the home.
Last evening she ate an unusually
large supper and told her daughter
Phillis she was feeling better than
she had been for some time. She talk
ed with her husband until 1850 last
night She did not intimate that she
was despondent though her I'll health
caused considerable anxiety. She con-
tinually expressed the hope that she
would recover her health.
| The exact time that Mrs. Butler
committed suicide is not known
though il was after midnight. probab-
ly between / and 2 o'clock this morn
ing.
Husband Found Body.
Mr.. Butler arose this morning ut an
early hour and after walking down
stairs found the middle door leading
to the kitchen from the dining room
closed and the light in the kitchen
burning. He Immediately suspected
something was wrong and found the
| farewell note addressed to himself
and children on the kitchen table. The
door leading to the back yard was
open. Mr.. Butler went to the back
yard and looking into the cistern saw
the body of his wife on the water face
| down. The body was discovered at
5: 80 this morning, The coroner was no
titled at 5:45 and immediatly went TO
the home and had the body taken from
the cistern. He made a hasty exami-
nation of witnesses and reported that
death was due to drowning as a result
| OF despondency caused by iii health.
He has not completed his investiga-
ton yet.
Note Was Left
| The note left for the children ana
husband asked their forgiveness. Mrs.
Butler was always a prominent chari-
ty worker in this city. She worked
hard preparing provisions for the
flood sufferers OF Dayton and Hamil-
ton though il worried her considerable
to have any one talk about conditions
there in her presence
The funeral win be held Saturday
afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the home
and will be private as viii the burial.
Friends may call Friday afternoon
from to 5 o'clock and Friday evening
from to o'clock. Burial will be in
Earlham cemetery