UNSOLVED ND - Niagara, Six nude bodies buried in crawlspace, c. 1906

[Inthedetails]

Inthedetails, Augusta Hanke was a widowed German immigrant who obviously moved from New York to somewhere in North Dakota prior to working at the Butler farm, unless she saw a ad in a newspaper. I would also say if it is 2 women and kids murdered, were also widows or single mothers, and would most likely only go to the Butler farm because of a ad. I can't see them coming from long distances away. And if they were married I'm sure their husbands would have come looking for them.

Yes, I agree that the victims were likely widows with kids, if indeed they were his housekeepers and children as is speculated.

The town of Niagara ND was founded by New Yorkers. I'm assuming Hanke traveled to North Dakota with her husband and became widowed while there. Doesn't matter, since she wasn't a murder victim and was able to return to NY, thank goodness for her.

 

[StarrChance]

Does anyone have a middle name/initial and date of birth for Butler?

 

[Inthedetails]

Does anyone have a middle name/initial and date of birth for Butler?

Born Dec 1848, according to the 1900 Census. He was born in New York, and I'll look for his hometown and middle initial.

ETA: He lived at one time in Lockport, NY, but was originally from the eastern part of NY. Not sure where.

ETA one more time: Looks like he was born in Niagara County, NY.

 

[StarrChance]

Thanks just found this from find a grave (love the Internet)

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=150168356&ref=acom

Birth: 1849
Niagara County
New York, USA
Death: Oct. 22, 1911
Jamestown
Stutsman County
North Dakota, USA

The Ward County independent., July 01, 1915
Minot, Ward County, N.D.
-----------------
After Butler's death his remains were shipped to the old home, Middleport, N. Y., and the estate, which was quite large, was divided amoung relatives living in that state.
------
6 bodies were found under Eugene Butler's farm house after he had died in 1911. Butler was held at the State Hospital in Homer, Stutsman County several years before he died. It is believed Butler murdered the 6 people sometime before he entered the Asylum in 1904.
---
Death: October 22, 1911 Jamestown, Stutsman County, aged 62 years.

 

[LotsaLatte]

I don't believe the Augusta Hanke worked for Butler necessarily. I think she and her children lived with her brother in 1900. Either on the next farm (as brother is listed as "head") or in a house on Butler's farm (as there is some question in my mind about the census taker's record of house numbers). I *think* she could have worked for him but maybe not. As well, if I could actually read the brother's name, I could search further for him. Like where he was in 1910 when Augusta and her children are back in New York. Did he marry and move, die, etc.? I am trying to rule the brother out as a victim, I guess. You guys are awesome, by the way

 

[LotsaLatte]

And I agree that Butler could have put out ads for workers. That seems pretty common back then.

 

[LotsaLatte]

Also, are we convinced that the bodies were Butler's victims? The reason I originally asked if anyone else lived in his house from 1904/1906 until 1911 was in case maybe someone else was the killer. But then again, he was in an asylum so yeah, probably him.

 

[Inthedetails]

Also, are we convinced that the bodies were Butler's victims? The reason I originally asked if anyone else lived in his house from 1904/1906 until 1911 was in case maybe someone else was the killer. But then again, he was in an asylum so yeah, probably him.

I was considering it could be someone else until I read that he was paranoid about widows and spinsters wanting to marry him - and that paranoia was reported when he was committed to the asylum in 1904, long before anyone knew about the bodies.

 

[LotsaLatte]

I was going to try to make a factual list/timeline but I honestly don't have a lot of proof for any facts to list lol. I think the only consistent facts are that there were 6 bodies discovered under a house in Niagara ND. Sigh....

 

[LotsaLatte]

If we ever find out the ages of the victims and they turn out to be mostly children/teens, we could also try to rule out any Orphan Train kids. I don't believe that is the case here, but would want to just cover that base as well as any others you all can come up with.

 

[LotsaLatte]

Does anyone have a middle name/initial and date of birth for Butler?

It says December 1848 on the 1900 census, I believe. But I haven't found his middle name or initial or if Eugene might be his middle name. Who knows? Lol

 

[byo]

Is there any info to be gleaned from the message boards at Ancestry?
I'd take a quick peak at Butler, Hanke, and Niagara ND.

 

[Inthedetails]

I was going to try to make a factual list/timeline but I honestly don't have a lot of proof for any facts to list lol. I think the only consistent facts are that there were 6 bodies discovered under a house in Niagara ND. Sigh....

I think we could come up with some dates - when he arrived in Niagara, when he bought the property and built the house, when he was committed, etc.

But, I just had a brainstorm I want to try. None of the widows on the 1900 census for Niagara are his victims as we find them alive on later documents. However, there could be wives who became widows between 1900-1904 when he was committed. I'll look through the newspapers for obits for those years in Niagara. Might be another goose chase....

 

[52bruno]

Inthedetails: Butler bought property twice, once 1890 then again in 1894 as shown here.http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/resul...|cty=035|ln=butler|sp=true|sw=true|sadv=false

 

[Inthedetails]

Inthedetails: Butler bought property twice, once 1890 then again in 1894 as shown here.http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/resul...|cty=035|ln=butler|sp=true|sw=true|sadv=false

Thanks! That makes sense when you look at the property map I posted upthread. He had plots that are adjacent but sort of perpendicular to each other. He had quite a bit of land.

 

[52bruno]

LotsaLatte: I know you were trying to find out the name of Augusta's brother to see where he went. I finally found her husbands first name its Frederick or in german Frederich. I found a 1892 New York census, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903...D-2NG:69521101,69788401?cc=1529100&cc=1529100, I am now trying to find the marriage record to come up with her maiden name.

 

[Inthedetails]

LotsaLatte: I know you were trying to find out the name of Augusta's brother to see where he went. I finally found her husbands first name its Frederick or in german Frederich. I found a 1892 New York census, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903...D-2NG:69521101,69788401?cc=1529100&cc=1529100, I am now trying to find the marriage record to come up with her maiden name.

Another route would be to look in the Buffalo NY newspapers for an engagement/marriage announcement. (Often the marriage is the year before the first child is born....not always, but that's a good place to start looking.) Let us know what you find.

 

[LotsaLatte]

Augusta Hanke and her children were in Buffalo, NY in 1905. I am still looking for her brother.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV1L-F3P

 

[Tony1902]

Just my ethno-historian two cents:
Those of you doing the census research--are you using Ancestry or LDS or an a line-read of the actual census reel? The line reads provide far more accurate records for historians because they're easier to manipulate.

 

[LotsaLatte]

I look at the actual census whenever I can just because there ate so many transcription errors.