The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-22
HIS TRADE MURDER
CAREER OF THE NOTORIOUS AUS.
TRALIAN MAN.KILLER.

whore and XIII Him For whatever II
Might Find Upon His victim-Th
| eearch For His Victims' Remains
| How Two Fool Plays Spoiled Hi
| Game.
| London, Sept. 21.-Chambers' Journa
| thus summarizes the life career Of Franz
| Butler, the notorious Australian muir
derer:
Readers Of the newspapers will hav.
observed, among other items OF cable
graphic news, paragraph from Sydney
New South Wales, announcing the con
vlction and sentencing to death for muir.
der, and later, on July is, the execution
Of the notorious Frank Butler, whose
surrender to the colonial jurisdiction BY
process OF extradition was made by the
San Francisco authorities in February
last. The criminal Jurisdiction in Sgd
ney has considerable number of aliases
from which TO choose, as this fellow in
careering around the world, sometimes
as sailor, frequently as a soldier, some
times deserter, once West Australian
policeman, and always as a scoundrel,
was in the habit of taking a new de-
parture in nomenclature at all times
when prompted either by the exigenciee
OF career wholly criminal, or, a might
be, in an occasional spirit OF bravado or
caprice. He was indifferently Frank
Butler, Frank Harwood, Simpson, Clare,
Ash
Burgess-a list which is probably far
from exhaustive. Lee Weller" and
Burgess" he temporarily borrowed from
two of his victims respectively so called.
The events crowded into this paper
cover little more than the concluding
six months, and are, in short. merely the
finishing fringe OF blood-stained career.
Our immediate concern with Butler falls
between the dates of August, 1896, and
April, 1897. What Is left unrevealed may
be not inaptly inferred from a remark
made by him in a moment Of unsophis-
tication TO Detective Roche on the voy-
age from San Francisco 10 Sydney: Il
ought TO have been hung fifteen years
ago." Before his execution he had, how
ever, confessed to six murders.
About November Of last year fumors
were heard in Sydney Of persons who
had mysteriously disappeared from all
knowledge whether Of relatives or
friends One of these was a young fel-
low named Arthur Preston, of respecta-
Die parentage and irreproachable ante
cedents. Another was Captain Lee We'll
er, sea captain by profession and more
or less of world rover by choice; but
n All respects a man of worth, held in
good repu e by those who knew him. Yet
another was a man named Burgess. As
'umor began TO CONCEAL il got to be rei
nembered that both Preston and the
cal Lee Weller had been met with, not
Is one party, but separately in company
r the person subsequently identified as
Butler. in the neighborhood Of Glenbrook
n the Blue Mountains, somewhere about |
orty to fifty miles from Sydney. In
amping in the ranges. the professed OBJ |
ect, as effusively explained by Butler |
D chance wayfarers, was that of pros |
Getting for gold.
About mid-October Butler, under the |
las of Glare" had put up for about |
WEN a. lIiC INdiiLOdu DlIsIIS INOOlIlS,
ieorge Street Sydney, the proprietor OF
'hich. Mr.. E. Thompson, subsequently
as having had his attention
ERECTED 70 an advertisement, Wanted,
mate for prospecting trip in equal
1ares,'" bait which, as subsequently
ppeared, was the one systema tically
sed by Butler for the entrapment OF his
ictims in the first instance. From Mr..
evidence given at Preston's
lquest-if for the moment events may
2 Slightly anticipated-it would seem
lat Preston must have responded 70
u,ler's (alias Clare's) advertisement, as
1 October 10 last the two set out to-
3ther for Glenbrook, Thompson being
leir accidental fellow passenger as far
Emu Plains, point on the railroad |
bout five miles short of the ultimate |
stination. Three days later, on the
ght of October %, Preston and Butler
ere seen together by one George Camp
IL, at the head of a gully near "Nu-
anita"
From that date poor young Preston
from human ken until the
ternoon Of December 8, when mis- fes-
ring remains were discovered by
arch party aided by a black-tracker,
lich for days had been patiently al
ough not very hopefully investigating
e forest recesses in q very rugged line
country, on the chance Of being able
rescue the youth If in need, or alter ,,
lively of discovering any possible trace
him. In a gully between the Numan-
and Linden platforms OF the western
lin line Of railway. and about ten miles :
gher up the line than Glenbrook,
1und Of freshly turned earth under
ky ledge attracted attention. On this
ing upturned the party, which includ-
several police officers. came upon
lat was left upon the earth's surface
Arthur Preston, with a gun-shot
,und through the skull, from which .
attn. in the language OF a professional
;ness who gave evidence before the
-oner mus, have practically instan.an-
is. Notwithstanding the processes OF
cay, the features were clearly defined
IN lie, ana the Identification Of The ;.
,Jim was complete.
ne murder OF Captain Lee Weller i
: !i,tie more than repeat OF that oc =
as;on. From the laying OF the ad-
-,ising bai- until the discovery of the
mains. me means used were Amos; | =
n;ical. an! the short interval De =
cen the Two events indicated a nefa-- =
: activity suggestive OF a de;ernina- ~
n 20 get through as much work as | >,
'ible before flying the country. Lee n
slier. wsll-set figure up in ne prime :.
his days. was last seen alive ani in | n.
hers company on Oc10oer 81. His 4
81 body. in quite a horr.fying attitude, 8
: found on Sunday. December 9. in a \
ertej gully a Nct,e more than a mile =
n G.enbrook Railway Station. The q.
ve vas aboui three zee. long. and the =.
"a effect - ne comprssslan neces- l.