Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1915-07-01
SIX SKELETONS
BENEATH FLOOR
SIX SKELETONS SHOW MURDER:
MYSTERY-ALL HAD SKULLS
CUT OPEN

Grand Forks, June 2S.-Five mur-
ders at one time, when he wiped out
an entire family, and one at later
date, when he slew male adult, are
crimes laid to the door of Eugene But
ler, the recluse farmer of Niagara,
whose death in the asylum for the in
effectively draws curtain before one
of the most mysterious cases ever
brought to light in the northwest.
Examination of six skeletons found
under the Butler home near Shawnee,
this county, shows that five murders
were committed at one time. when q
man, woman and three children were
slain. At some later date one man
was killed.
Bodies of the five members of the
family were buried in a single hole,
while that of the other victim was
buried about ten feet from them.
The horrible record of crime was
unearthed by a workman engaged in
excavating for a basement under the
former Butler home. He first unearth-
ed the body of the lone victim, which
had been concealed under about three
feet of dirt, under the middle of the
Butler home. The body had been
dropped to its place Of concealment
through a hole cut in the floor.
Buried from Outside
The five bodies were buried in g
hole that was dug from the outside OF
the house, under the foundation. Tho
hole into which these bodies were,
dumped, was sloping In nature, and
while time may have rotted the bones,.
there are indications that in order to
hide his crime, Butler was compelled
to break the legs of at least two of his,
victims.
The foundation wall where the bod
les had been buried, was disturbed al
ter it's construction, which was about
20 years ago. That fact limits the per-
iod within which the murders occur
red. In order to bury the victims, the
three bottom stones of the foundation
wall were loosened. In re-flling the
hole, black dirt was thrown in, and the
manner in which the burial place was
dug, indicated by the marked lines OF
distinction between the black dirt
used as covering, and the red clay
| subsoil.
Clothing Removed
clothing Of any kind. The dirt about
the skeletons was carefully examined
| for trace of buttons, shoes, ets., but
nothing was found, indicating that the
| bodies had been buried nude-their
clothes probably destroyed by fire.,
thus effectively destroying the possi-
bility of Identification at this time:
Examination of the skull Of the sim
gle victim, and probably the most re-
| cent murder victim, indicates that the
man had a crooked nose. the nasal
bone being slightly bent toward the.
left
Each Killed in Same Manner
That some sharp instrument was
used in killing the members of tho
family. also is indicated There is a
sharp and clearly defined hole in the
left side of the skull of each. The skull
of the single victim is similarly mark
ed.
Neighbors Can't Aid
Most remarkable is the fact that
nobody in the Butler neighborhood
has any recollection of family dis
appearing. Butler, during his life time,
and during the years that he resided
on his farm, lived by himself. He was
reticent about his own family history,
and had no intimate friends in t he
neighborhood. During the more re-
cent wears of his residence on his
farm, he grew more miserly, and liv-
ed more hermit life.
Skeletons Held at Farm
The six skeletons are being held at
the Butler farm, having been deposit
ed in a box there. Their conditions
shows quite clearly the lapse of sew
eral years between the murder Of tho
family of five, and the murder of the
single victim.
The entire ground under the house
has now been excavated, and no more
discoveries have been made.
Family Murder Most Mysterious
The fact that the bodies Of the five
victims make up a family clouds the
case in greater mystery. It was at first
supposed that the victims we're all
men lain from time to time, by But
ler, who imagined there were plotting
to get his money-of which he usually
had considerable about the house.
Buffers only companions were farm
laborers, and it was thought that he
might have killed the men at various
times.
However, with the establishment of
the fact that the major portion of the"
skeletons make up family group.
this theory is shattered.
LIGHTNING TEARS