The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-03-18

Australian goldfields. This was done by
advertising in the newspapers for persons
to engage in mining in rich districts, with
the only requirement that $50 capital be
furnished. 1t was for this small sum that
the murder was committed. Not a great
compensation for murder, but when
multiplied by murder succeeding murder
it amounted to large income.
Victims were readily found, for hun
dreds of venturesome spirits are drifting
to Australia, particularly from England,
and there are few among them who have
not e1O. Being strangers they are anxious
for advice and help from an experienced
prospector, as Butler represents himself to
be, and soon fall into his plans, which
promise large profits on small invest
ment of money, time and labor.
The next step is an easy one. The un-
suspecting victim follows his guide into
remote district and is never heard of again
unless his dead body is found. Butler then
returns for another victim who has the $50,
goes off with him to repeat the tragedy, as
grave after grave of murdered men is left
behind.
The victims are simply missing. Friends
and family at home are told that they
went prospecting and had not returned.
Not an altogether infrequent occurrence,
but one that became so very frequent when
ever Frank Butler operated that suspicion
was aroused and he fed the country, ship
ping from Newcastle on Nov. ~ as COM
mon sailor on the Swanhilda under the
name of Captain Lee Weller.
The last of Buffers victims was named
Lesagh, and he went from Sydney with
Butler and never returned. Finally his
body was found in the Black ranges, near
Parkes, and every evidence pointed to MUIR
der Nothing of value was found on the
body. His remains were found in very
shallow grave, which he apparently had
dug with his own hands. The quite rea-
sonable conclusion is that Butler directed
him to dig in the hope of finding evidence
of paying ore, and when the hole was suf-
f1ciently deep he was murdered and placed
in it after his money was taken.
Captain Lee Weller and Edward Soren-
sen were murdered by Butler with the
same details near Sydney about the LIST
day of last September. Their friends be-
came alarmed, instituted a search, and,
with the help Of dog, found the bodies
two days after Butler had sailed from
Newcastle. These men had apparently been
induced to dig their own graves.
How long this murderous business has
been conducted, and to what extent it has
been carried, can at this time only be con-
jectured; but, since the authorities are sat
isfied that Butler is the murderer, and in
Vestigation is being extended, the crimes
apparently grow in appalling numbers.
At first the cause Of SO many young, Wig
orous and well armed men being missing
and the discovery Of the bodies Of apparent
" murdered men were matters of great
mystery, but when in every case the miss
ing man and the dead body were in some
way associated with the same person, and
that person was Frank Butler, a suspicion
was aroused that grew into almost conclu-
sive evidence that he had been the murder
er in every case.
Then began search on the part of the
authorities for Frank Butler, and it was
found that he had travelled over broad ex-
tent Of country, under different names, al
ways had money without having visible