The Mansfield Tragedy.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 3897, 13 May 1899, Page 2

The Mansfield Tragedy.

(United Press Association—Copjiißß (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) HP 1 (Reoeived 9.45 am) MELBOURNE, Tni.®» At the inquiry into the tragedy, the dootor who made tuMHP I mortem , stated that Bntler’i have been cansed by a sharp bnt tbe body was so deosyed ulfjjpl traoe of a wonnd had might have died from natural traces of poison were found in tbtPHp [Last Saturday’s cables told arrest of Anastasia Butler, the deoeasod, on the obsrgs of tißßjp murdered him. Of the crime far as it was disclosed by stages of the investigation, Argus says that it was probably on the afternoon of Easter April, or possibly on tbe Easter Monday, 3rd April. 74 year of age, and had lived trict for 50 years. Misfortune tha family, so it is reported, sad UilfjH tho hnd on which they M farming His wife di *d • ago. About tour years ago Botin to live in a cottage at Mtßifi'H ! of his two boob hue not been Marsfiald for 13 years, and the about Maot-fidld until two or ago, when he loft tor a sitnation at Mnlwaln, N«w Sooth Wale*, a man namod Taylor. 40 years of ago The Anastasia, who is aboot 35 ye»n remained single, aod was in Mr J Buckland, an auctioneer field, at a house about a mile her father lived. Butler no means of his own. Hie Bt-em* to havo oome from hie eot S rath Wales and from hie The daughter visited him genera ■ or twice a week, and wonld occasions leave him a supply of and a little money. She called E inter Saturday, when he told wanted to go away for an needed money to dj so. She told had no money with her then, bfll quontly agreed to let him have tho following day (Sunday! ingly on Sunday afternoon, 3 o’clock, she again went to and gave him a £5 note. tives oonjeoture that tbs committed in the large room Bnnduy afternoon or night, morning. It is probable that tbe® knocked (he old man down; dead, and his body lay on tbe*P tho post mortem stain marks the front door. The body Uy some days ; at any rate, lon* leave that stain. Then the m® 1 ® 1 turned, dragged tbe body back door, set alight to tke some other inflammable matsrik'i H|

jj, hoiM, expeotiog it to bora down gapletelj. Unfortonately for thot KboßO, the floor, ond, in foot, oil the Mttof* *' •* hardwood. The Are mnat tlt , imooldered a long time, for it berat a large bole in the inoh thiok birdwood whiob forme the floor before it wti l ont. Tbe murderer, who waa appraatly a norloe in erime, returned min, and, finding that the fire had biled, became frightened to try any farther; to put the deoompoeing, halfbant, ghaatly remaioa in the bag and the hag on the rabbiah heap in the backyard, pulled up the alaba of wood (Mi the back door, and threw them roughly aeroaa it; then re-entered the beau, bolted the back door from the jaaid*, want out of the front door, looked jl aad took tbe key away ]