Evening journal., 1897-01-23
MURDER HIS BUSINESS.
Australian Detectives After a
Noted Criminal.
AWAIT HIS ARRIVAL AT FRISCO.

Frank Butler Charged With Having Killed
Nearly Score of PeopIe-Lured Them
to Australia to Work In the GoIdfelds,
Then Murdered Them Tor Money.
SAN Francisco, Jan. 23-Frank But
Ter, the Australian murderer, whose known
victims number IA, is on board the Brit
ish ship Swanhilda, from Newcastle, ~
S. W. due at this port within a week To
avert suspicion, he shipped as an honest
sailor fancying himself secure under the
name and disguise Of one of the men he
had killed.
Out near the Farallone islands the rev
enue tug Hartley is cruising about, await
ing news from the pilotboats that are on
the lookout for the Swanhilda On the
Hartley are Detectives McHattie and Con-
stable Conroy Of Newcastle and half doz-
en- deputy United States marshals.
Detective Roche Of the colonial police,
who reached New York by way of London,
having left Newcastle when it was learned
that Butler sailed on the Swanhilda, is
steaming across the continent to join the
party awaiting the murderer En- route he
stopped in Washington and secured extra
dition papers.
When the Swanhilda arrives, officers
will board it and place Butler under ar
rest II he is not already in irons. 1t is be-
lieved the latter will prove the case, as the
Swanhilda was spoken by an outgoing
steamship, and in response to signals the
captain replied that he knew the Austria
liam fugitive was aboard. Possessing such
knowledge, he would hardly permit But
Ter the freedom of the vessel.
Buffers Sanguinary Career.
Captain Lee Weller, alias Frank Har-
wood, alias :. Burgess, alias Simpson.
alias Glare or Frank Butler, as the latter
IS generally supposed to be his right name,
is easily the most desperate murderer since
Jack the Ripper closed his career among
the wretched habitues of London S White
chapel His trail of blood, it is said leads
from New South Wales to the reefs Of
western Australia, where, in Coolgardie
and other camps, he is more than suspect
ed of similar deliberate murders.
The list of missing men with whose dis
appearance he is known TO have been con-
nected numbers IA. In fact he made a
business of murder, his method being TO
advertise in English and American papers
for a party to engage in prospecting in a
district rich in minerals A stipulation
was made that the victim must have $50
capital
OF course many a poor fellow fell into
the trap, entered into partnership with
Butler and went with him out into the'
wilderness for gold, never to return.
Two of the crimes for which Butler is
wanted are the murders of Captain Lee
Weller and Ed Sorenson near Sydney about
Sept. 1. Butler enticed these men from
the city, and neither was ever heard from
afterward. As no one knew of the part
nership existing between Butler and his
victims their absence excited much alarm.
Bodies Found by Sheep Herder.
A vigorous search was instituted at the
time but no clew was discovered until two
days after Butler had sailed from New
castle, when the bodies of the victims were
found by sheep herder. Through the
mock search for gold Butler had literally
forced the men to dig their own graves. In
the pits they themselves. d,made he buried
his victims, throwing in a few handfuls Of
dirt
On reaching the vicinity OF these rude
graves a shepherds dog scented the bodies
and brought the herder to the spot. The
authorities were Immediately notified and
the bodies taken to Sydney, where, upon
being searched, evidence was found point
ing clearly to Butler as the murderer.
1t was learned that Butler had a few
days before-Nov. 27, TO be exact-taken
passage on the four masted ship Swanhil-
da, which left Newcastle, n. S. W, coal
laden, for San Francisco. He had given
the name of Captain Lee Weller, as that
name appeared in the ships papers as one
of the crew.
Since then the three Australian detect
ives-McHattie, Conroy and Roche-have
been racing around the world to head off
Butler, and within a few days he will be
in their custody. According to these Off
GERS the list of Butler victims is constant
ly increasing, and his criminal career is
likely TO prove one of the blacklist ever re-
corded.
Butler is 40 years Of age and rather
handsome. He is an Englishman.