This is the true story of Charles W. "Charlie" Butler, the first son born in Alton, Franklin County, Ohio (by a second marriage) to the talented Dr. George Washington Butler of Virginia and Ohio-himself a second generation doctor. Blue-eyed, curly-haired Charlie was born for success. He was intelligent, charismatic, and handsome, with a wealthy and influential father willing to assist him in any way possible… What went wrong? This adorable little boy grew into the most feared and hated man known in several states. Brief biographical sketches, rich with genealogical detail, are provided for Charlie's father, George Washington Butler; his mother, Margaret A. Clover; his wife, Lavina Abigail "Abbie" Sheehan; his son, Harold "Harry" Arthur Butler; and Charles W. "Charlie" Butler. Transcripts of letters and excerpts from newspaper articles further illuminate the impact that Charlie had on his family. School friends and relatives who played an intricate part during Charlie's crime spree days are also touched on. A chronology of Charlie's arrests for a variety of offenses (from disturbing the peace, violent assaults, and finally the murder of his wife), along with a very detailed account of the 25-day trial for the murder of his wife, attests to his total disregard for the law as well as his vicious nature. On October 10, 1884, Charlie finally paid for his brutality when the trap door opened on the scaffold and the noose snapped tight. A lineage chart of the Butler family, a Clover family relationship chart, vintage photographs and illustrations, and a full name and place index add to the value of this work. The CD-Rom is the Clover Genealogy.
Joanne V. Thomas
2004, 8.5" x 11", paper and CD-ROM, index, 118 pp.
ISBN: 9780788425974
101-T2597
