Jerry and Linda Butler

Notes from conversation with Mrs. Alton Edwards, April 23, 2000

Mrs. Alton Edwards is 93 years old and living in a nursing home. She remembers the Butler's of Cypress Church well. She and her husband lived in the Butler home place. They tore down the original house and built a new one.

Mrs. Edwards attended Lambuth College and was a school teacher for 40+ years.

She was witness to John Butler shooting Jim Ballentine. Jim was working with Mrs. Edwards father cutting timber. John Butler thought his wife Hazel Permenter was seeing Jim Ballentine since they used to be sweet hearts. Mrs. Edwards saw John Butler shoot Jim Ballentine while Jim was plowing. He also shot Hazel Permenter and himself.

The preacher William Butler was very sick at the time and died within 24 hours before or after the shooting. She does not know where John or William are buried but guess that it is at Scotts Hill.

After John's and Hazel's death, John Paul was raised by his widow Aunt Mary and his uncle Bob who lived together. She thinks that Bob and Mary moved to Quincy, TN between Alamo and Trenton.

John Paul was in the army and started collecting coins. He later donated his extensive coin collection to the College of the Ozarks. The college educated his daughter for free because of this. He was also the curator of the collection.

Mrs. Edwards had a Butler friend who was a sister to John Butler. She died when only 5 - 6 years old. She was born in 1906 like Mrs. Edwards. She was taken by horse drawn hearse to Scotts Hill for burial.

Festus Butler operated a store in Bells and taught at Emison School. Mrs. Edwards started school at 4 years old under Festus as a teacher. He had a son named Charles who taught school at Friendship.

George Butler and Hesco Cook had three daughters who were school teachers.

In the 1920 census, John and Hazel Butler are living in the William W. Butler household. Jim Ballentine is living in his father's house nearby. According to my sources, Jim Ballentine is the person shot by John Butler not John Ballentine as reported in the news reports.

The Courier-Chronicle; Volume XXVI No.23--Humboldt, Tennessee; June 6th,1924.

SAD TRAGEDY ENACTED NEAR BELLS

News reached Humboldt this morning that John BUTLER, of near Bells, brother of Joe BUTLER, of Humboldt, had in a fit of insane jealously probably, shot and killed his wife and a neighbor named Ballentine, and then turned the gun on himself, inflicting probably fatal wound. From the best information to be had this morning, BUTLER, who is about 30 years of age and a veteran of the World War, had shot his wife and then walked into a field in front of his place, shot and killed a neighbor named BALLANCE,who was plowing there. He then walked back to his house and shot himself. The load passed near Butler's heart and he is not expected to live. Mr. & Mrs. BUTLER had one little child. It is said that Butler, who served as a soldier in France and was both gassed and wounded in battle, had not been normal since he returned home.

The Courier-Chronicle Humboldt, Tennessee Volume XXVI No.24 June 13,1924

Bells, Tenn. June 7th--The bodies of John BUTLER, who died Friday evening at 6 o'clock,from a self inflicted gunshot wounds, and that of his wife, who he shot and killed Thursday morning, rest in different cemeteries. The body of John BALLENTINE, also a victim of Butler's shot gun crusade lies in the cemetery, in which Mrs. Butler was buried. The funeral of BALLENTINE was held Friday morning at 10 o'clock at the Cypress Methodist Church, services conducted by Rev. J. C. W. NUNN. The remains were buried in Cypress Cemetery. Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock, in the same church, the funeral of Mrs. BUTLER was held by Mr. NUNN, and the body was laid to rest in Cypress Cemetery. Hardly had the funeral party returned home before BUTLER with the mortal gunshot wound in his chest breathed his last. His funeral was held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the residence, conducted by Rev. C. C. NEWBILL and the remains were laid to rest in Bells Cemetery. A child of two years survives the BUTLERS. Ballentine was unmarried.

Commercial Appeal, Memphis Saturday Morning, June 7, 1924

THIRD VICTIM DIES IN BELLS SHOOTING
John Butler Shot Self After Killing Two-Succumbs

Bells, Tues. June 6, - John Butler who yesterday shot to death his wife and John Ballentine, a neighbor, and then turned the gun on himself, died here this evening. Butler shot himself in the chest with a shotgun.

Butler, a World War veteran, was wounded In the head in France and was said to have suffered mental aberrations. It is believed this was the cause of his act, as there had been no domestic difficulties in his home, neighbors said.

Opening fire on his wife with a shotgun yesterday morning, Butler killed her instantly in their home, then walked a short distance to a field where Ballentine was working and shot him dead. He retraced his steps to his back yard and there placed the muzzle of the gun against his breast and exploded it.

Two of the largest crowds ever assembled attended the funeral of Ballentine this afternoon for Mrs. Butler from the same church. J. C. W. Nunn officiating at the service.

Compiled by Jerry L. Butler, sources: Mrs. Marvin Norville, Virginia Legget, Alton Edwards.