THE NOTORIOUS BUTLER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 28

THE NOTORIOUS BUTLER.

£HE LAW TO TAKE ITS COURSE. BRISBANE, June 29. The Executive has considered the case )f Warton, alias Butler, sentenced to Jeath for the murder of Munday, and has lecided to allow the law to take its course. In March last a man named William Munday was walking to a lodge meeting in flPoowong, a suburb of Brisbane, when he tyas accosted by a man, who ordered him to " hand over his money, and quick." Munday attempted to close with the highwayman, who, however, drew a revolver )ind fired. The bullet passed through Munday's left arm, and lodged in his stomach. The robber decamped, and Munday's calls, ■brought assistance. He was taik«n to the ■hospital, and gave a description of his -assailant. Late that night Constable Hentaessy met a man answering to th& description. Noticing that his white coat bulged . put, the constable asked the man what he had under it. The man at once drew a revolver, but before he could fire it Hennessey struck him. on the jaw and knocked) him down, £U jyaa then handcuffed, and

il was found that he had two revolvers and a very large store of cartridges, Munday identified the man as his assailant, and the next night the unfortunate victim, died in th© hospital. The exceptional ability shown by the prisoner in defending himself at his trial attracted the attention of the Melbourne detectives, and subsequent inquiries showed that Wharton was identical with the notorious Butler, who created suoh a sensatiolv in Dunedin in 1830, when ho wa3 charged with the murder of Mr and Mrs Dewar and their infant in Cumberland street. Ho was acquitted on the charge of murder, but received sentences of 18 years and 10 years on charges of arson and sacrilege, the sentences running concurrently^