The Murderer Butler.

Hastings Standard, Issue 257, 26 February 1897, Page 3

The Murderer Butler.

THE ACCUSED S CABEER

[By Telegraph.j (P« r Py, ■&s A ssuii it tit t)l Auckland, This clay. Under date San Francisco. February 4, the following particulars of Butler scareer are obtained from files to hand b\ the mail steamer this morning:— _ The Ion", wearv waiting of the N.S.W. detective*- Roche and Port, for the arrival of the Swatnhilda, on which a man named Builet-~*fc?pped at Newcastle, was rewarded by the arrival of that vessel after a voyage of 70 days, on Friday. February 2, with Butler on board, alleged to be the murderer of Lee \\ tiler. Preston. Lesagh, and others. The vessel stole into port in a fog, towed by the tug. and was two miles inside the heads when the colonial detectives, together with the local officers, boarded her. Captain Fraser lined up his crew, and Butler was pointed out. He ■was without any suspicion that the charges of murder had preceded him to this citv and was quietly placed under arrest bv Sergeant Bunner. There was no trouble, and he made no resistance. It turns out that this all-eyed murderer Is an Englishman, a native ot either Lancashire or Yorkshire, and that his real name is Richard Asher. He is an okl sailor, and in that capacity has visited nearly every part of the world, and. as is asserted, this track has been marked by blood. He lived under this name in San Francisco four years ago, and has been here twice. Before coming here or to Australia, he was in South Africa and South America with daring unusual even among desperate criminals, as he assumed the luuue and appropriated the property of each man he is supposed to have murdered, as he, alias Butler, arrived at "Frisco as a sailor on board the ship "Star of Russia.'' on October 11, 1891. He deserted with others from the vessel and found employment in the La Grande Laundry, on Thirteenth and Howard streets, as fireman. Tiring of this, he went to Astoria. Oregon, where on March 1, 189"2, he shipped under the name of Richard Ashe on the British vessel Scottish Glen for Hull, England. From Hull he wandered back to Australia, where he remained for many months, and on the ship Olive Branch returned to San Francisco, his name at that time being Frank Butler, as registered at the International Hotel there on June l.'J, 1893. Soon after he again left San Francisco for Australia, and then disappeared. He claims to have returned to England, but there is some doubt in connection with "this assertion, as lie admits that he was in Buenos Ayres since 1893 and before he returned to Australia to commit the crimes of which he is now charged. All sorts of people have flocked to the prison to identify the man with the aliases, but so far with little success. A woman arrived from a neighboring county to have a look at the prisoner because a man named Ashe had married and deserted her some years before, but she failed to identify him. for which, being a fine, buxom-looking woman, Butler confessed himself sorry.

Shortly after being lodged in the City Prison, and, in answer to a request by the reporter of a local paper, Butler handed him the following note : " I feel completely worn out. lam not in a mental condition to make any statement. It looks very black for me at present, but I shall have no trouble in clearing myself of all charges against me. I cannot understand why so much notoriety has been given me. It was no secret as to my whereabouts m Australia. I was not being hunted there, but within three weeks after I had left Newcastle I knew that officers of the law wanted me. I can only the public to suspend judgment until I can have a chance to present my case. This is as much as I can say at present. —Lee TV*jllf.r. '

A\T»n the officers arrested Butler they bwstied their prisoner into the after cabin. The murilerer sat at one side of the table and gazed defiantly at the little crowd that bad filed in.