The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-02-10
CAPTURE OF A FIEND.
HIS TRAlE OF BLOOD EXTENDS
ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

arrested on Arriving in saa Fraacisco-A
Remarks ably Cool vina!n-The Evidence
Agatns. Him is Regarded q, conciu-
sive.
san FRAScIsco, FEB. George
Edward Butler, alias Ashe, the mur-
derer, whose arrival on the ship Swan
hilda was so long expected, is now in
San Francisco iail. The Swanhilda
was sighted at 5:15 this morning COM
ing through the heads in tow Of the
tug Alice. The tug was to blow six
whistles as the signal agreed upon If
Butler was aboard, but detectives
waiting down the bay from Egg
wharf did not hear them and although
they knew the Swanhilda was coming
in they did not know whether Butler
was or board. Suddenlya red light
flashed out through the darkness.
This was another signal and the oti-
GERS knew their man was there.
The custom boat Hartley, which
had been placed at the disposal of the
police, was boarded IN haste by six de-
tectives, four newspaper men and four
revenue officers aud the little vessel
steamed rapidly away to the Swanhll-
da, which was met off Fort Point.
The detectives remained concealed IN
the cabin while the revenue officers
vent on boar[ the -Swanhilda to see If
Butler had been put in IRONS. They
reported he was not and the detectives
went on board and Butler was pointed
out and in second was handcuffed.
He denied that he was Butler, but was
positively identified by Detectives
McEattie and Conroy, who came here
from Australia for that purpose.
The captured murderer was taken
on board the Hartley, which soon
landed him at the wharf. The patrol
wagon was in waiting and he was
whirle6 Off to prison.
Although the arrest was complete
surprise 20 the suspected man, he
maintained remarkable coolness and
calmly putfad cigarette as he went
ashore.
1t was agreed that when the crew
lined up for inspection Captain Fra
zier was to slip in front Of Butler:
When the police came on board and
the men lined up Butler was the sec
ond man in line. Capt. Frazier
stopped an instant n front of him and
at tha same time Sergeant Bonner OF
the local police force covered him with
a pistol. Buffers hands went up Like
a flash. Irons were slipped over his
wrists and one of the most notable
criminals Of modern times was a pris'
oner. Desecti7es McHattie ard Con-
roy, who knew Butler in Australia,
Conroy having narrowly escaped be.
in : one Of his victims, were disguised
when they boarded the Swanhilda.
When they charged Butler with the
crimes attributed to him he protessed
entire ignorance and denied that his
rame was Butler. On the Hartley,
on the way to shore, the disguises
were removed and still Butler pretend
ed not to know his captorS.
The Australian officers are over
ioyed at the success of the outcome OF
the long and weary wait. Extradition
papers have already been served and
unless something unforeseen happens,
Butler and his custodians will sail for
Australia Saturday on the Monowai:
When his baggage was brought
ashore any amount of incrimipatlng
evidence was found carefully packed
in his beloneings-a photograph OF
Mrs. Weller, a pair of bluchers on
which were stamped the Weller name,
two watches, spectacle case and
watch chains with locket bearing
Lee Weller's name and number OF
books on the fly leaves Of which we're
the names of Weller and his wife and
many other articles recorded by the
detectives as positively connecting
him with the murdered sea captain and
prospector. The detectives are very
positive as to the:identity OF their prls-
oner and scout any possibility OF
mistake.
The known victims OF Frank Butler
the Australian murderer, it is SAID,
number fourteen. His trail OF blood,
it is alleged, reaches from New Soutn
Wales to the reefs OF Western Austral-
ia, where he is suspected OF similar
deliberate murders. His method was
to advertise in Eoglish and American
papers for partner to prospect rlcn
mineral districts. He stipulated tnat
the intending victim should nave
capital OF $50. He received many re-
sponses and whenever he took COM
rade into the wilderness to search Tor
gold he returned alone. As no one
knew of the partnership existing be-
tween ne and his victims, Captain Lee
Weller nd Ed Sorenson, their absence
excited much alarm. Butler had
sailed on the Swanhilda. The first
clue was discovered when the bodies
of Weller and Sorenson were found
by a shepherder. It appeared as
though Butler had induced the men
to dig their own graves in q pretended
search for gold. for IN the pit they
themselves had dug they wers found
buried. Evidence was found pointing
to Butler as the murderer and he had
assumed one OF MS victims names, as
on the Swanhlda's papers was found
the name Captain Lee Weller. Ihe
authorities in England were notified
and detectives started both from Aus
trsia and England to meet him on
his arrival at San Francisco. Accord
ing to these officers the list Of Butler S
victims IS constantly increasing. He
is an Englishman aged 20 years.
Boss Hanna Gets Left.