The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-26
Man Charged With Wife
Murder Narrates Incl
dents of Shooting.

San Angelo, Texas, Jan. 25.-Harry
J. SPANIEL of Alpine, Texas, charged
| with killing his wife. Crystal Holland
Spaniel, and Lieutenant Colonel Mai
colin G. Butler, ". $. A., today told a
| dramatic story in court of incidents
leading up to the double killing. de-
clarcd the shot that killed his wife
was fired by Colonel Butler, and con-
Guiding, sobbed out:
| Thank God. I've prayed Almighty
God I" let me tell it as it is. Thank
God, O, Crystal!''
| 1t was the first time Spaniel had
unfolded his story of the killing of
Mrs. spaniel and Butler in an auto
mobile at Alpine July 20, 1916. He is
on trial for the killing of his wife The
! case charging the killing OF Colonel
Butler today was set over to Febru-
airy 1.
| The fatal shooting of Mrs. SPANIEL
and Butler. Spaniel testified, followed
Il fight IN the automobile as "a result
of incidents which occurred earlier in
the evening. The story of the shoot
ing was preceded by a long narration
OF incidents in which Spaniel charged
Butler had paid undue attention to the
defendants wife, trying to show her
OFF, and leading up to the evening of
July 90 when he said he saw Butler
hurriedly and eNcitedlv leave his (But-
| ler's) room in the Holland hotel.
SPANIEL said a moment later he saw
Mrs. Spaniel emerge from Buffers
| room, where she had gone with Mrs.
Butler. Mrs. Butler had left the room
for q few minutes. Mrs. Spaniel, when
faced by her husband, told him. ac-
cording to SPANIEL, that something
had happened but she could not tell
him what it was then. His wife, the
witness said, told him she would tell
him when they reached home
Mrs. SPANIEL accompanied her hus-
band to their automobile, SPANIEL tes-
titled, when he recalled saying to his
wife,
I'm going to have it out with him
(ButleD right now"
mo, not here; if you want to have
it out with him. call him over to the
car" Mrs. Spaniel said according to
the witness. Spaniel said he remem-
bered calling Butler to the automobile,
of his getting into the car but did not
recall whether SpanelIs little daugh-
ter left the car. After driving a few
blocks, SPANIEL testified. he asked But
Ter point blank" what he had done
upstairs. Butler replied, nothing"
that Mrs. SPANIEL was Just excited and
| misunderstood him.
The witness said his wife tried to tell
him something. while Butler tried to
| keep her quiet. She kept saying that
as soon rs Mrs. Butler left the room,
, he (Hutler) grabbed her. but she said
cannot repeat his filthy Words"
| At this time Spanen said he re-
| ceived blow on the back of his head.
Butler grabbed him and pushed my
| head down on the steering wheel. +
! then thought of the gun in a pocket
OF the car and got it some way
Spaniel then told of wrestling with
Butler to retain possession of the gun,
of clouds coming over him and of
| realizing that Butler was getting the
gun from him.
lie said he heard one shot fired.
| That was the only shot l heard
Spaniel testified. Il knew we wrestled
on the seat. l felt that if Butler got
that gun away from me he would kill
me and Crystal too. / thought of a
| little pistol in my pocket. I don't re-
| member of his finally getting the gun
out of my hand. But / had gotten the
little pistol out, and | don't know, but
think ] fired a couple of times.
Il found myself next outside the
car over against the fence, and came
back quickly to the car. Butler seemed
to be right behind Mrs. Spaniel. l
| could see flashes of a gun. | fired at
him although don't know how many
times. Then | saw him fall and saw
Mrs. Spaniel there in the door,
| Il know ! grabbed her and called.
crystal, speak to me- and she was all
right. but she didn't speak. Butler
had killed her
There was no answer. tried to
get her out of the car. l couldn't
move her and | put the pistol up to
my own head and thought / would kill
myself Then baby came up before
me and seemed to say:
Don't daddy, I'm waiting for YOU
and something pulled my arm down
and | started away. called for help"
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