Family:William Butler and Ruey Dennison (1)

Murder and Suicide on Steer Creek! Henry Butler Kills Wife and then Drowns Self in Steer Creek, -- Domestic Infelicity Said to be Cause of Insane Act. Henry Butler was the principal in a double tradegy on Steer Creek, a short distance from the village of Orton, early Monday morning. About ten o'clock his dead body was taken from Steer Creek and laid beside that of his dead wife whom he had murdered earlier in the day. A series of events of a family nature, the result of a life of domestic infelicity, led up to this end tragedy, resulting in the deliberate killing of the wife by the husband, and later his suicide by drowning, leaving a family of children ranging in age from eighteen months to full grown. The news was telephoned to Glenville early Monday morning and immediately Deputy Sheriff George McQuain and Dr. Karl E. Trippett left for the neighborhood which had been stirred by the news of the double tragedy. When they arrived they found the dead body of Mrs. Butler lyint on the bed and the body of Mr. Butler was being taken from the waters of Steer Creek. According to Dr. Trippett Mrs. Butler had been killed almost instantly. The tragedy above referred to occured about six o'clock Monday morning. Mrs. Butler was shot while lying in bed, the muzzle fo a shot gun having been placed close to her right side and discharged. Owing to the closeness of the weapon the body was not badly mangled and the discharge had not passed through the body, but the impact was such as to cause almost instant death. There was no eye witness to the shooting. A son about fifteen years old, who slept on the second floor and who was still abed, heard the report and came down stairs. He found his mother dead in bed and his father leaving the house in the direction of Steer Creek with the declaration that he intended to drown himself. He went direct to the river bank, a distance of about four hundred feet, took off his hat and jacket, laid them together on the ground, and plunged into the river. He wore gum boots and his body was later found about one hundred feet below where he took the river. Squire John H. Moore empaneled a jury and conducted an inquest. The jury found that Mrs. Butler came to her death as a result of a gun shot wound at the hands of her husband, Henry Butler, and that Henry Butler came to his death by drowning, the result of his own act. The remains were laid to rest, side by side, in a cemetery near the village of Bennett, and about three miles from the scene of the double tragedy, Tuesday evening. Henry Butler was about fifty years old, was born in Gilmer County and had lived in Center District all his life. He was a farmer in fair circumstances, owned about 114 acres on which was a two-story house. His wife was a Miss Dennison. They had been married about twenty years and had ten children, ranging in age from eighteen months to about ninteen years. The oldest, a daughter, was married some months ago. Of the ten children, five were at home at the time fo the tragedy. The youngest child, about eighteen months old, was sleeping with the mother, and was trying to awaken her when discovered by some neighbors who had been called to the home. Mr. Butler was an inoffensive sort of a man, rarely left his farm and was considered quite incapable of the crime which has cast a pall over the neighborhood. He sold some cattle a few days ago, then went down to Normantown, paid off a few small accounts at the stores and made a few purchases. Thirty dollars of the money was found laying on a table at the home. Reports say that Mr. Butler had been in an ill humor at different times for some weeks, and that he had sometimes threatened to do what he did do, not only as regards his wife, but also in regard to other people in the neighborhood. So far as anyone knows there was no quarrel or words preceding the awful events of Monday morning. The five children at home at the time were still abed, and Mrs. Butler was evidently asleep when shot. The twelve guage shot gun which figured in the slaying could no where be found. The presumption is that it was thrown into the river by the desperate man. The bereaved children have the sympathy of all to whom this sad message may come.

1. ↑ FamilySearch: Unidentified database - please replace source when identified.

   West Virginia Marriages 1853-1970
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