MURDER TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10560, 10 April 1920, Page 2

MURDER TRAGEDY

LOVE AND JEALOUSY . HUSBAND ACQUITTED AFTER. THREE TRIALS. Jealousy being probably the most common and tragic of masculine weaknesses, by tlie same, token is perhaps the most easily forgiven failing by a jury of men. Criminal records show an almost negligible number of murdei convictions in cases where “the unwritten law’’ has been the defence (says an American exchange). But a corollary to this long-recog-nised axiom has been established by the recent acquittel in'" Brownwood, Texas, of Harry J. Spanell, central figure in one of the most amazing love, jealousy, and murder tragedies of a decade. The verdict, in effect, places in the same category with those wronged under the “unwritten law,*’ a husband obsessed with the thought that he had been taken advantage of by a friend. New phases of jury psychology also are raised by this remarkable case, which had- a rich background of wealth and romance. SHOT WIFE AND OFFICER.

Spanell, on the night of July 20th, 1916, shot and killed bis . beautiful young wife, rich in her own right, and Lieutenant - Colonel , Matthew Cab braith Butler, U.S.A. For the double slaying he was three times tried for his life. He was acquitted of the murder of his wife, at the first trial, on grounds that the bub Jet which killed her ivae intended solely for Colonel Butler. Later he was convicted of the murder of Colonel But. ler, but a second trial resulted in the verdict recently, of riot guilty. Spanell did kill his wife and he did murder Colonel Butler. An army board of inquiry,- which made an exhaustive investigation of the conduct of Colonel Butler, found the army officer’s conduct towards Mr and Mrs Spanell was unimpeachable—merely that el honourable friendship, , How, in the face of these facts then, did the jury decide Spanell not guilty? Has justice miscarried, or has a court of justice merely observed New Testament exhortations of forgiveness, disregarding the older law of an “eye for an eye’’ and death for him who spills the blood of another f These are questions, which can be answered by the individual conscience only after a thorough examination of the facts in the cgse as presented in the evidence.

Spanell is a man of culture and a love for the arts. A few years back ho was. professor of music at Baylor University, jn Walco, Texas, While he held the chair of music, there went to tho university a beautiful young girl, Crystal. Holland, daughter of a Texas cattle man who had many other financial interests. Love of music was the common ground upon which they first met, and gradually, the congenial. friendship developed into « 'beautiful.romance, resulting in their marriage. Spanell loft the university teaching staff and went to Alpine, Texas,' to' manage, the. Holland House, a hotel owned by his' bride’s father. WIFE SOCIAL. FAVOURITE. Mrs Spanell, youthful, beautiful and vivacious, was a social, favourite, and attracted many which perhaps created, dho "green-eyed mon ster” in the heart and brain of her husband, .which, eventually, was .to, become unleashed and cause the terrible tragedy. When clouds of possible war hovered along the Mexican border, prior to tho great war. in Europe, there went to the Holland House Lieutenant-Col-onel Butler, a married man with, a family, and a gentleman from an old South Carolina family. They were cordially received by the Spanells, and wore frequently together. That nothing more than an honourable friendship existed between Colonel Butler and Mrs Spanell was the finding of the Army Board of Inquiry, but Spanell charged that his wife was insulted by an Army officer. He said she told him on one occasion that "something had happened,” and when pres-, eed for an explanation she said she “couldn’t tell him.’’ Further than this, no light was thrown on the matter at tho three trials. ~

It was evident, however, that Spanell suffered great mental agony, and who knows what dark shadows passed through his mind in the profligate flights of his unbridled imagination P At any rate, the result came on tho night of July 30th, 1916, when Spanell invited Colonel Butler to accompany him and Mrs Spanell on a motor ride in the Spanell machine. Several witnessed tho start of this fateful trip. They testified that a few minutes before the .three entered the car Colonel Butler and Spanell were chatting gaily. The .husband assisted his wife into tho rear seat of the machine and bowed Colonel Butler into the tonneau beside her. He leaped into the front seat and took tho wheel.

Perhaps the exact details ot what followed in the next 16 or 20 minutes never will be known. Adduced from tho evidence tho events and 1 their sequence were as follow: TURNED AND FIRED.

Spanell drove to a quiet and dark residential section of tho little town. Reducing the speed of the motor to a minimum, he suddenly turned and fired a volley of shots into the .tonneau. Colonel Butler, struck in the face dud body by bullets, sank down dead. There was a cry: "Oh! Harry; don’t shoot^me!”

But Mrs Spanell had received a death wound, and foil expiring across the ’ body of Colonel Butler.

’ Spanell stopped the engine and left tho car. Some time later he walked into the Alpine Courthouse, and surrendered himself to the authorities. News of the tragedy spread quickly; and there was such a revulsion of public opinion against Spanell that he was spirited out of tho place to a nearly town leSt an attempt to lynch him bo made. How jealousy can prompt a man to destroy the one dearest to him in the world has long been a problem discussed by psychologists without definite conclusions. And Ithe reaction on Spanell cam© only a few minute® after he had surrendered, dazed, to the authorities. He sat in his cell, crying hysterically: Crystal, come back to me. Let us lire again together."