The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-17

to the searching party and hundreds of
men helped to swell the number of the
BY this time suspicion became well de-
fined and it was now believed that Butler
had made away with the other men VINO
had answered his advertisements. On
property of young Preston, was found
within half a mile of the campfire where
the articles belonging to Weller and But
Ter had been found and a few days after
ward Preston'S body was discovered IN a
shallow grave at the head of gully lie
had been shot through the head his body
had been stripped and doubled up in mar
row trench.
WELLER'S BODY FOUND.
Efforts to find the remains of Captain
Weller were now redoubled, and the search
ers We're finally rewarded by finding the
body of the seaman buried in a small
trench, precisely like that which concealed
the remains of Preston. Wellers grave
had been dug on the banks of small
creek. Meanwhile Butler had left Sydney
and had taken up his abode in Newcastle,
N. S. w. He had gone to the Sailors Home
and had registered there as Lee Weller
He had presented Weller's certificate at the
home and had stayed there about week.
Butler was traced to the Sailors Home at
Newcastle, and an accurate description OF
him was given by the superintendent, lie
left Newcastle and returned to Sydney.
Here he engaged himself second mate IN
the Hawaiian bark Hawaiian Isles; using
the name of Captain Lee Weller. Inc cap
tain of the Hawaiian Isles decided that he
did not want Butler and released him from
his engagement. Butler next apphed TO
Captain Fraser of the ship SWanhllda,
bound for San Francisco and laden with
coal. Captain Fraser engaged him as a
seaman and Butler became one OF the crew
of the Swanhilda. The ship sailed from M
port two days before the first evidence OF
Buffers crime came to the surface, and
the murderer felt sure that he had escaped
detection. *
merous evidences of other crimes came to
the knowledge of the police and the PeopIe:
1t was learned that during August FRANK
P HarWood had gone prospecting with BUT
Ter and was never seen afterWard. IN sep
TENDER another well-known man in sydney
named Lesale was known to nave gone
prospecting with Butler. LeSale dld not re-
turn, and it is certain that Butter dlsposeu
OF him in the same manner IN Wnlcn ne
treated his other victims. Frank Camppell
is another young man who answered But
lers advertisements and VINO mas never
been heard of since the two letd Sy6nneyd i Gn
appearance another young man. whose
name is not known, was seen IN ButIer s
no doubt that Butler caused the death OF
him also.
The police traced Butler from Newcastle
back to Sydney and learned that ne mao iaa
shipped on board the SWanh1lda unoer the
name of Lee Weller The Sydney police
lost no time Two detectives were sent out
by steamer to San Francisco. The Swan
hilda is a, slow ship, and the. steamer rap
idly distanced it, landing the detectives
long before the slower boat heaved WITHIN
sight Of the heads. Another detective was
dispatched to Scotland Yard, Loa LONDON TO TO
prepare a requisition for the extradltlon OF
the murderer. The cabl- was set IN mot1oh'
and While Butler was sailing the blue Pa
cific all arrangements for his arrest on
board the Swanhilda were MADE py teie-
enanh The captain of a passing ship in
formed Formed Captain Fraser of the swanhilda
of the mans crimes. Butler was not put
in irons as he was "a quiet and ethclent
sailor. When captured on the Swanhilda he
denied that his name was Butler, claiming ming
oape were found articles belonging to a
nnumber of his victims especially captain
Weller sufficient to convict MN many many
times Information from Australia since
his cantiJre shows that Butler masqueraded
under many names, and the number Oh the
murders he is guilty of must forever re-
main a matter of speculation unless he de-
cides to make a confession which Is by no
means likely. H.'