Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-12-17
THE RICH KING
OF BLACKF0OT
Daughter He Had Never Seen
Got $1,000 Of His Big
Estate.
DROVE WIFE FROM HOME
When Her Child Was Born She Gave
It To strangers-scar On The
Mothers Arm Aided In The Work
OF Identification.

COLUMBIA, Mo.-Final settlement
has been made in the estate of John
Butler, one of the wealthiest inhabi-
tants of Boone County, long known
as the "King of Blackfoot." Mrs.
Samuel Vantine of Paris, Mo-, the
lost daughter of Butler has received
from the Probate court $1,000 as her
share.
A suit to break her fathers will,
which made no mention of her. and
claiming one-sixth of the estate, val
ued at the time of Buffers death at
$150,000, filed by Mrs. Vantine after
a long investigation to establish her
identity, has been fought through
the courts since 1908, and her victory
now not only gives her share of
the estate, but conclusively clears the
mystery OF her family relationship.
Evidence taken in court revealed
that Mrs. Vantine was the daughter
of Jane Gordon, Buffers first wife,
whom he married shortly before the
civil war. When they had three chill
dren Butler, in fit of anger, caused
by finding a mouse in a jar of milk,
drove his wife from his log cabin
home, and a few weeks later, while
she was staying with a family in
Sturgeon, Mo-, baby girl now Mrs.
Vantine was born to her. She was
afraid to return to her husband, too
proud to go to her own people, and
wandered about, making a living for
her baby and herself as best she
could, taking shelter for time with
an army camp, where the baby be-
came the pet of the regiment"
She gave the child to Mr.. and Mrs.
F. T. Wetmore of Paris, Mo-, who
adopted it. In the meantime her hus-
band had left his other children with
relatives and joined the army. When
he returned after the war he could
find no trace of his wife and mar
ried again without obtaining a d.
vorce. This was one of the points on
which his will was broken, for it was
shown that at that time his first wife
she died in 1892
The second wife lived only a few
years. leaving three children. Butler
married again. He divorced his third
wife and made the fourth venture,
this time marrving a Roman Catholic,
who succeeded in converting him to
her faith. Religion had been one of
chief differences with his first wife,
for he was an extreme Protestant and
she was devout Catholic.
II is said that in his old age But
Ter made a long search for his first
Of them. He died in 1906. leaving
5000 acres of land and large
amount of money.
The daughter of Jane Gordon grew
up with the Wetmores as Libbe Gale
denia Wetmore. and did not know
until she had reached womanhood
and married that the Watmores were
only foster parents. Sha then began
an Investigation and Judge !. c. Gil
lespie, of this city. established the
chain of evidence which proved her
birth and her right to share in But
ler's estate.
The proof in identifying Jane Cor
don, by which name she was always
known after Butler drove her away,
as the mother of Mrs Vantine. was
by a scar on her arm, mark re-
sulting from wound suffered when
Butler knocked her into a fireplace
and her arm was severely burned
Mrs. Wetmore testified that the
mother of her foster child had such a
. scar.