Smyrna times., 1935-10-03
WIFE KILLS HER
.MOTHER-IN-LAW
Mrs. Thelma Buxton, After
Draining Her With a Hatch
ct, Asks For Sheriff
BLAME MENTAL ILLNESS

Mrs. Thelma Buxton, wife of
Prof. Kenneth Buxton, Washington
College instructor, came down
from her second-floor apartment in
the Wickes Apartment house on
Water street, Chestertown, at nine
o'cock Friday morning, called Mrs.
Levin w. Wickes, owner of the
building and announced that she
had killed her mother-in-aw, Mrs.
Efie S. Buxton, 69-year-old widow
who, for a short time, has been liv-
ing with the couple. Mrs. Wickes
Immediately notified Deputy heriff
John N. Bennett, Jr., and DR.. H. G.
Shippers, who arrived at the apart
ment simultaneously and super
ficially examined the murdered wo-
man before calling Coroner Frank
w. Smith. When Mrs. Thelma
Buxton came down stairs and call
ed Mrs. Wickes she is reported to
have said, Call the Sheriff, 1 have
killed Mrs. Buxton. A doctor isn't
needed" Mrs. Buxton was re-
moved to the Kent county jail
pending a report of the Coroner
and the result of finger-prints.
Mrs. Buxton was pronounced dead
when DR.. Shippers finished his ex-
animation, and Coroner Smith indi-
Gated that she had died as a result
of a blow from a green-handled
hatchet, found lying by the body,
on the back of the head. Other
wounds were found, on the arms
and three fingers were smashed
but it is thought that the wound
inflicted on the head, from which
blood formed a pool about the body
as it lay on the floor, was the cause
of death. Other occupants of the
apartment house stated that be-
tween eight-thirty and eight-forty-
five in the morning they had heard
low means which were thought to
ge coming from dog known to
have been injured the night before.
Persons walking across the Ches-
ter River Bridge were observed, at
about that time, to stop and look
toward the Wickes House as if
they heard strange sounds. But
it was not until Mrs. Buxton ran
down to Mrs. Wickes that any in
timation Of the tragedy was
known. Mrs. Effie S. Buxton, the
murdered woman, had been living
with her son and daughter-in-law
but a short time. For two years
she had been living with Sheriff
and Mrs. John N. Bennett and was,
this year, persuaded to move in
with her son and his wife. Mrs.
Kenneth Buxton, the daughter-in-
law, it is reported, has been in i'll
health for some time, and her hus-
band is said to have been trying to
persuade her to go to sanatar-
ium. That she was mentally de-
ranged when the act purported to
her was done is the opinion of
authorities. DIR. Kenneth Buxton,
husband of Mrs. Thelma Buxton
and son of the murdered woman,
was at Washington College con-
ducting classes when the tragedy
occurred. He was Immediately
notified. He accompanied Mrs.
Buxton to the Kent county jail
when she was removed there by
Deputy Sheriff Bennett. Sergeant
Webber of the State Police arrived
in town from aston hardly an hour
following the crime to take finger
prints of the green-handled hatchet
which was covered with blood and
lying near the body. The Coroner's
jury rendered verdict that Mrs.
Efie Buxton came to her death at
the hands of her daughter-in-law,
Mrs. Thelma Buxton. The latter
was ordered held for the crime.
The case will be tried at the Oc-
tober term of Court at Chester
town, Md