The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-04

San Francisco, April 81 killed
Arthur Preston, but L did it in self
defense" is the startling confession that
Frank Butler, who leaves for Austria
liza today where he will be tried for
half score of murders made to deputy
sheriff in the county jail on Thursday
night.
1t was the first time he had admit
ted that he was in any way concerned
in the killing of the unfortunate men
whose deaths are laid at his door and
the confession was all the more START
ling because it came unsolicited from
the lips that have, ever since the iron
clutches of the law fell on Butler
maintained their owners innocence.
Yes, l killed him." resumed Butler,
s,but l had to do it to save myself i
advertised for a mate with mining eX-
perience, and Preston answered 1t. he
claimed to have done some work IN the
mining business and l did not ask him
many questions.
we went into the Blue Hills and
prospected for a while in locality /
thought ought to produce something,
and then moved to another place.
Here we had no better success, and
had found by this time that he knew
nothing whatever about prospecting,
and when he proposed to move further
north | refused because / knew that
there was no gold in that direction.
Then he became angry and said ne
would leave me and go on his own
hook. l was perfectly satisfied, for he
was no use to me, but l was angry,
too, at the way he talked, and told him
that he had deceived me about his
qualifications as a miner.
I'VE parted that night TO search in
different directions for gold and were
to camp together at night for the last
time When we came together again
at dusk he was ugly and wanted to
know why ] had brought him to
place where there was no gold. l told
him to go back if he did not like it,
and he grew furious.
.'One word led to another. and then
he reached for his gun. My rife was
standing close at hand and 1 grabbed
it and fired hastily at him. The bull
let struck him in the nose and went
through his head and he fell dead.
Il was very much frightened at the
result of the quarrel, for though
knew that l was justified, l had no
witnesses to prove my innocence of
murder. l concluded that the best
thing l could do was to hide the BODY
and leave the country, which l did,
digging hole the next morning and
placing the corpse in the position in
which it was found. AS God is my wit
ness l fired in self defense, and would
not have done so had he not tried TO
draw his gun on me.
las to Captain Lee Weller l do not
know just how he died, but l feel sure
he committed suicide. He was one of
party in which l was travelling and
he was very gloomy over the death of
his wife, who had died a short time be-
fore under peculiar circumstances. He
kept apart by himself most of the time
and one night when he did not return
to the party we started out to search
for him. We found his body on a hill
side with a revolver beside it and a
bullet hole through the head l wanted
to report the case to the authorities,
but the rest were against it, saving
that it would only result in our being
detained as witnesses and prevent the
prospecting tour on which we had lust
started. 1t was finally agreed to bury
the body and divide his effects among
the party. The articles that were found
on me and in my baggage when I got
here on the Swanhilda represented my
share. l thought it was time to leave
the country because of these deaths
that might lead to my arrest for Pres.
tons killing"
Those who heard Buffers tale were
not impressed with his version of the
Preston killing. for it has long been a
settled conviction in their minds that
both Preston and Weller were muir
dered by the sailor, but it removed any
lingering doubt in their minds that he
was the culprit.