Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-02-13

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 BIO
furnished. 1t was for this small sum that
tile murder was committed. Not q great
compensation for murder, but when
multiplied by murder succeeding murder
it amounted to large income.
Victims We're readily found, for hun
drcds of vcnturesome spirits are drifting
to Australia, particularly from England,
and there are few among them who have
not 60 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 a
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 ore 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. 90 as a COM
mon sailor on the Swanhilda under the
name of Captain Lee Weller
The last OF Buffers victims was named
Lesach, and he went from Sydney with
Butler and never returned. Finally his
oocy was found in the Black ranges, near
farkcs, and every evidence pointed to muir
aer. Nothing of value was found on the
oody. His remains were found in q very
shallow grave, which he apparently had
Jug with his own hands The Quite rea-
sonapie conclusion is that Butler directed
him to dig in the hope of finding evidence
OF paying ore, and when the hole was suf-
ficiently deep he was murdered and placed
In it after his money was taken.
Captain Lee Weller ard 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 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
Deen 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, suspiciou
was aroused that grew into almost conclu-
sive evidence that he had been the murder
a 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 . vssibla