The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 3, 1897, Page 1

i f X MORNING, FEBRUARY 3, 189 CLUTCHED BV THE LA ADUND HALF THE CL03 Butler Caught, Identified and Securely Ironed at the Golden | ‘ Gate. | {CALMLY SUBMITTED TO BE LED-TO PRISON. | He Was Known as Lee Weller, and Had Property of the Murdered Man in His Possession. | N\ AR ‘.\\\‘\ \ DR HATBAND. é STRYCHNINE WAS FOUND IN HIS| to Surrender. On the Way Up Here He Held Prayer-Meetings for the Crew—He Will Be Examined as to the Blue Mountain Murders Next Monday. 1 the man suspected of | men in the Australian bush, but and obedient man he was allowed to | work without molestation. The captain | tuought he had no authority 1o place the man in irons. He learned of the identity of his man sbout ten daysatter the Swan- hiida left Newcastle, the information be- ing contained in newspapers obtained | from the steamer Taupo. Aiter his arrest the prisoner was hur-| the man ac- lish ship Swan-|seized by the officers and charged with | m San bose vigil for whose goods are supposed to have been | Butler's ignorance of what the world knows did much to encourage him in his bold claim that he is Lee Weller. Butler was turned over to the United States Marshal about 11 A. M., and thou- sands of people were ailowed to see him. At 2P . be was examined for identifica- tion before Commssioner Heacock and the nearing of evidence of probable cause on the petition for extradition will come before the sime tribunal at 10:30 A. . Monday next. many three stolen by the prisoner. that charge months ago. One of th:e most important incidents of | the search of the prisoner's clothing the discovery of ten grains of sulphate of strychnine secreted in his hatband. He tried to induce Detective Ezan to let bim see it, expressed surprise that it had been found and professed that he knew not | whence it came nor what it was. Later in the day he said he hada never intended to is now in custody. significance of the possession of Har- | podies of Captain Lee Weller and other Harwood made weeks, boarded the good nd Australia, | wood's property lies in the fact that Har- | victims of the murderer were not discoy- n able corps fr wood 18 a mining expert in Australia, | ered until after the Swanhilda sailed, so am and arrested the 1d without resist tradition, resisting the application of two | young men, who appeared for Butler, for | a delay of ten day In response to v question asked | by the court, “What is your true name?” | the prisoner replied. in a clear tone, “Lee Weller is my name.”” Heseemed cool and | aeliberate. | Butler looks like a coarse Englishman | of the seafaring type. His eves are a| elogeish pale blus and bis juke Is heavy. | He speaks with a burr like some of the dialects of the north and is at times face- tious in bis manner. Since the Swanhilda left Newcastle the | Australian ofiicers have unearthed a great deal of damaging evidence against the su-pect arrested here yesterday. They | believe they can establish the fact that Butler was for some time engaged in the business of murdering men for tneir | money, shooting them while they were vracticaily digging their own graves un< der the belief, however, that they were prospectiag for gold. An account of every great criminal story i bracing a succinct stor: shed by THE CALL' service. Pt e CAUGHT AT LAST. Handcuffs, After Weeks of Waiting, Sharply Snapped on Butler's | Wrists. About 4:30 o'clock yesterday morning feature of the subjoined, em- of the murders, Australian news it ooked for and overdue from | the crime of murder. He seemed stolidiy | riedly driven to the new City Hall, and | castle, New South Wales, arrived at | indifferent and insisted that he was Lee | his effects were scheduled, a copy being | entrance to the harbor at half-past 4| Weller. Among his effects were found | kept by Captain Lees and one by the Aus- ! v | many of the private papers of th tralian detectives. The navigation papers | : of b < Butler, sup- | Captain Lee Weller, also song books and | of Captain Lee Weller were conspicuous posed to be the t cold-blooded and | other personal property of one Frank | among the more valuable pieces of evi- | 1 rer of the uge. He was| Harwood and of Captain Weller. dence. Itshould be remerabered that the crimes had lasted for on his part who is also known as Harwood who ha any other aliases, was serv- % before the mast as Lee Wi the me of 1 unfortunate sea captain for hosé- murder the prisoner must soon answer in the criminal tribunal of A tra t :eml Lis own life. The British Consul appeared by attor- svect did not seem surprised when | It transpired that Captain Fraser knew | ney and made the formal demand for ex- the Am:rica ard the Tug Is Lying Close Awei: Is Made From a Sketch Furnished by Captain Harry Marshall, The Swanhilda, the Pilot-Boat America and the Tug Active Inside the Farallones. The Ship Is In Irons Waiting for the Pilot From the man on waich at the lookout station on Point Lobos heard six sharp whistles | in rapid succession. | That was the prearranzed siznal by which the towboat that should bring in | the Swanhilda was to herald her coming. It was very dark, but the lookout did not wait for a closer inspection of the distant | Harvor shipintow. He immediately telephioned | in to the Merchaats' Exchange station on Mcigas wharl. Littte Jimmie Black was there to re- ceive the message. He in turn telephoned it at once to the residence of United States Marshal Barry Baldwin and then hastened out to arouse the officers and Australian detectives in the little harbor police sta- tion next door and to awaken the repre- sentatives of the press sleeping in neigh- boring small buildings. Their long vipil was at an end. Like men scrambling out of a house aflame came sleuchs, policemen and reporters. But there was ample time yet. Nothing could be seen showing the faintest light between the regular beacons on Fort Point to the south and on the more distant Polnt | Bonita to the north of the Goldan Gate passage through which the ship must come. The littls revenue cutter Hartley, lying close un to and almost hidden by the neight of the wharf, fired up and got ready to leave at a moment’s notice with the small party of officials and writers gathered in an expectant, eager group and watching for a towboat’s lights to show from behind the sharp profile of the old abandoned fort that stands as a south- ern gatepcst to the entrance to the bay. As they were still scanning the murky width of waters Mdrshal Baidwin arrived in acoupe. He had made arrangements to have one near his house ready for use on short notice. A few ‘moments later two newspaper men arrived_from down- town press agencies, where they had just finished sending the last of the night's news East. The crowd was complete, all the neces- sary functionaries were -on hand, yet nothing showed around the point. 4 Perhaps it was half-past 5 o’clock when very nearon a line with the edge of the fort a bright flash of light, followed quickly by another flash, brizhtened for a moment the dark horizon. It was the towboat’s signal. The long-expected Swanhilda was behind that flash. No time was lost in scrambling off the whar! and down to the deck of - the Hartley. Every one seemed eager to be in at the death. There was a sudden slushing sound’ of violently disturbed er. A man had, in his hurry, nfssed his footing and gone overboard between the boat and the piles. His head popped up alongside. Some one pulled him in over the low gunwale and as the shivering victim of the unexpected’ early morning prunge was helped to his feet the others recognized him as one of the late arrivals. Iuwas Agent Jones, who had come post hsste from the Associated Press Oflicel downtown. The cutter got under way immediately and steamed down the bay to ‘meet the floating home of the arch murderer. Directions were given by the chief officials to the men crowded in the cabin. | The United States guarantine officer was aboard. No oge but the doctor and the American officers were to show themselves when the incoming ship should be near at hand. The Australian detectives and the press represeatatives must remain in the cabin until the proper moment or the murderer might cause unnecessary trouble, or, perhaps, despairing, atiempt suicide should he suspect anything other than the ordinary health and customs in- | spection damiliar to sailors entering a for- eign port. Just opposite the Presidio the Hartley passed alongside the Alert and a moment latér bumped gently against the starboarl side of the biz Swanhilda. It was too dark to distinguish faces on deck. Up the pendent rope-ladder that was thrown over the side climbed Boarding Officer Sprague, captain of the customs watch, and behind him Sealing Officer ing a Chance to Tow the Big Four-Master Into Port, The Above Picture Ferguson, also of the customs service. Fol- lowing in succession up over the side of the ship went Dr. Rosener,:the quarantine surgeon, United States Marshal Baldwin, Police Sergeant Bunner, D tive Egan, Detective Silvey and Officer Ferguson. None of the police officers were in uni- . and there was nothing to give *'But- ler’” a hint of their real business. Se t Buuner went aft atonce in search of the captain to ascertain trom him if “*Batler’’ was already in irons. “Butler” was not in irons. But the cap- tain declared that he had a suspected mur- derer aboard and had known it for six weeks. But his name was not Butler but | Weiler. He had thougnt it better not to arrest him as the man wasa good worker and was not aware that his secret was known. Coming quickly forward, the sergeant ordered the mate to muster the crew for inepection by the Health Officer. Up the men came from the forecastie in twos and threes and fours, and formed e line along one side of tihe deck. Some were bare- foot. There must have been thirty men, including the Chinese cook, in that irregular, close- formed line that was not a dress parade. Caationing th= officers in a low voice to make no sign, the mate with Ezan and Ferguson very near to him, and the gray- haired but erect and active old sergeant close behind, passed slowly along in front of the men, peering into their faces. They moved slowly along, scannin each face. They had got half way down the line. They were directly abreast of the main hatch. In alow undertone the mate, pausing opposite a seaman of ordi- Many wera dut half clad nary size, murmured, “That’s your man,”” and a slight gesture left no doubt as to which one he meant. Already close up, the sturdy-built Egan and the tall, wiry Ferguson together made a sudden thrust for the man's wrists and gripped them as in a vise, while Sergeant Bunner, flashing a eleaming pistol toward the man’s head, commanded him to throw. up his bands. Bug nds. The offt stantly and had he could make th It was a proud moment for Detective Egan as he drew out his own brivht steel handcuffs and snapped them on the wrists of his prisoner. Detective Silvey had in the meantime | gone round behind the line to cut off a possible attempt of the murderer to jump overboard, but the precaution proved un- necessary. Then for the first time the Australian | detectives were permitted to show them- selves. Conrey came first, and after nim was McHattie, the faces of both well dis- | guised by false beards. Conroy was to identily the man. He alone of all the officers knew and was | known to the murderer. He stepped up to him as he sat on the edge.of the main- | hateh. | “He's the man,” said Conroy, after only a moment’s look athis face.. *Did you ever see me before?’ asked the Australian leuth, addressing the captive. *“No,” an< swered the man the crew knew as “Weller.”” | Drawing himself up and still engaging | Butler's attention, Conroy, standing very Murderer Butler and His Attorney, Leonard Stone, in Courts