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

e S THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1897. sioned by his arrest was in no condition ta present his case. Commissioner Heacock : “1 was about to have an officer sworn to identify er and to inform him of the gainst him, and of his rightto sel ai all stages of the yroceedings, ecould then fix a Gate for examination such ttme as would’ suit your conveni- vour Honor please,” said Mr. Dono- . Tisine at this juncture, “we appear r ‘he Government of Great Britain and 1 ask that Constable Conroy ve led to the st o eit was then sworn in as rapher and Mr. Stone opened smination. “What your name, residence and oc- cupation?” he asked the witness, who re- pired that name was_Micuael A, Con- oy, his residence New South Wales and ation that of a constable. yOUu cver see this man before?” (indi- s he?! know tie prisoner by the name of Frank “When did you first see him?” nber 10, 1896. 7 again?” ner). 0 was the im.hera . 15nould sa ber at the Bota ast time you saw him before about the 9th or 10th Gardens in Syd- o-day?” 1g on the ship out 6 o'clock this morn Swaanilde.” the bay ¢ bay of San Fra: “Do you know wh warrant not this man is nt was issued in tof your ac- sinte him in connec- pros g tour in Aubrey, Ne: by this name?” vou know Captain Lee , butIsaw he body at u saw at Glenbrooke? e British Government then nstable McHattie, whereupon the court asked if th osecution wished to erely for purposes of identifi- nd Lefore a reply could be given one asked for ten davs to prepare s is case. Commissioner Hea- ident 1o hay ation T need no or the prisoner e charge formulated at the chargeis and T I understand ¢ famuiar to hi oppose a © us ten day ne on this 1that the prisoner had ;. that b yace to T he ¢ ngainst This b e case it was no more than reason vs reparation. The nrosecution, on the other L ad had ent ) proceet Tuey for weeks and is m 1 that any unusual delay would involve greater | | | | | | | | expense. We v.ould ot oppose any ressonable oy And as M. L‘nrmug]s’nfixw s, five days se e ample case of this nature. e contiCenticmens 1_nave set ihe case for examination on next Monday, the 8th, st O Baaehbe—We would ask. if your Honor ase. that it be noted that this continuance cranted equest of the defense. B e CourtThe record will show it. The de- fandant will stand committed in custody of the Marshal until that time. The court then ad journed. The prisoner was taken right through the crowd to the prison adjoining the Marshal's office. He smoked and chatted, but there was a troudled look on his face. As soon as the commitment wss m:de out the prisoner was taken back to the City Prison, W hen taken to the Appraisers’ building a bali hour before noon and placed in a barred room to await the examination of e efiernoon, “Butier’ was agaia brought in contact with the reporters, and for come time. He wes smoking another gift cigar, and replied to questions, cynically, estingly, but never showed & sign of ening He was asked as to the reliability of the claim ol a woman at Vallejo who asserts that she is his wile and was married to him hers four years ago. *“Well,” he said, smiling pecuiiarly at his own wit, “iish ’s my wife, why doesn’t she come nd see her husband, now that he’s in oub.e? And she might bring a bottle lonz, 100. And, by the way, do you know she any money? She ought to come and offer sympathy,” be continued. And then some one asked: **‘Which would yo! rather h sympathy or_a boitle? “Weil,” he Yegan slowly, his ugly iittle eyes twinkling at the joke about to come, “I think I'd rather have the bottle.” g THE CONSUL’S DEPOSITION A Statutory Application for the Ex- tradition of the Prisoner. The text of the British Consul-General’s deposition made on spplication for the xtradition of the prisoner is as follows: In the matter of the application for the ex- tradition of Frank Harwood., o: wise called otherwise called Sampson. otherwise called Clare, othe wise cailed Lee Welle Under the treaty be tweeg the United States and Great Britain, conciuded Augnst 9, 184 lhe United Staces vf America, Northern Dis- trict of 1, to the Hon. W. W Judge of District Cou States for the Northern District of California J. W. Warburton, her Briiannic Consul-General at the Port of S the State of California, United States of America, being first duiy sworn doth depose upon hs information and beliel and ain as follows: Frank Harwood, otherwise called S. Burgess, & British subject late o1 castie In the colony of New South Wales, Aus- lia, heratofore, to wit, on or about the 31st day of October, 1896, at Gienbrooke, within the said colony of New Soutn Wales, Australia, and within the jurisdiction of her said Britan- he jur sdictiun of the ar cular Stato unlawiul rethought, kili and mur- and thereof, did feloniously, w of and of iifs malice der one Lee M. Weller. Tat the said Frank Harwood, otherwise calied Frank Burgess, etc., is & fugitive from the jusiice of said coiony o New Soutn Wales and of the said her Britan Injesty and has fled to the United States of America, end Is now within the territory_of the said United nd within the Northern District o and within the the said_Distri tates for the Nort risdiction of the ct_Court of the ern District o1 Ca » crime of w . has 59, as ich the said Harwood, foresaid, been guilty wou ion and commitment for re if the same hiad been d_within the Northern District of | fornia or within the jurisdiction of the ct Court of the United States for the rthern District of California, Tuat the crime of which the said ¥rank Ha wood, ete., has 0, &s &ioresaid, been 1 by and included in the pro een Great Britain and t cluded aud signed the 9t been made by ner . \iannic Maj inary and Plenipoten Provisions of said treuty 1o Government of the United St rest of the said Frank Harwood, arged with the seid crime of murde That complainant’s belief is based raor tiury, the sai and MRS. LEE WELLER, Whoe Husband Is Said to Have Been Murdered in the Blue Mountains of Australia by Butler. tering law by which thi itnesses. I respect ys should be amply suf- the full merits ot his de- he sae for your Honor's man can ily submit not grant any such con- ent showing. As is well 10 the Gover aminalio e of two or 1 think, ree days Considering his lack of re ons in this aud the long sea trip and the di culty— Tue court—Does the aefense claim that it has witnesses whose stiendauce it wishes to secure? tprisoner informs us he has ake us somo time to me moment and as public prejudice | st the prisoner, we contend that ten days is even too short. Mr. Cormat suggesied that five days miglit be agreed to 45 a continuance. I'he couri—I think a matierof this kind | should be disposed of within a reasonable The defendant at the tame time hzs his rights, of course. This 18 a very ous charge, but in the absence of any wing that he could not be prepared in ay, I will sev the case for that time. Counsel for defense complained that €y had had no time'to investicate and prisoner bad been troubled by court—How would it be to take the for 16 prosecution? {r. S2one—We would prefer to have testi- 6oy inken all ut once and be prepared to roi-examine witnesses on behalf of tne pros. We do not think ten daysis an un- izble length of time in a case of this ent.” If it were a mutter of small import- ¢ we shiould not ve S0 insistent. As it is, © prisoner has not been in custody longer half a day Tae coprt—Wi Lion of ten dave? Mr. Slone—Yes, certainly, your Honor. The couri—You could hut be ready any pooneE “Mr:Stone—We have our doubls about that. The court—I am aware from newspaper read- you be ready at the expira- "ing that there are witnesses from s long dis- tance who are here at great expense. 3 Donohoe—I was ubout to say that and ment, this | ed upon information recetved from her annic Majesty’s Government and from Sir 1 suthenticated copies of ion against said Frank te., charcing him with said mur- or his arrest for said crime, 1, and sundry depositions ail duly authenticated icrefore, your complainant prays your Bonor to issile’ your Watrant for the said ap- prehension of the seid Frank Harwood, etc. Brit Julian P the swor Harwood, der, & warrant fc Lyt |STRYCHNINE IN HIS HAT. Tan Grains of Polson Found by Detective Egan. One of the most extraordinary incidents of the day was Detective Egun’s discovery | Of ten grains of strychnine secreted in the prisoner’s hatband. Butler was evidently surprised when he saw that his package had been discovered and he made a desperate attempt 1o gelil: saying he did not know wkat it was, Speaking of the discovery Detective Egan said: “It is my custom to always look into a man’s hat. It is generally considered | that the hatband may hide small objects calculated to be of future use to the pris- oner. Ididn’t tell Butier I wanted to look at his hat, but took it off his head at once, In the band I found a closely wrapped paper inclosing ten grains of a white powder, which afterward proved to .be strychnine. ‘‘ ‘Heilo, what's this?’ I asked. Butler said he didn’t know, and reached out for the package, saying, ‘Let me see.’ ‘Oh, no,’ Lexciaimed, and I pocketed the stuff.” The powder was turned over to A. Me- Boyle, chemist and druegist, 504 Wash- ington street. He made an analysis and found it to be from ten to twelve grains of sulphate of strychnine. “Where did you get the strychnine and what were you going to do with 1t?” was asked of Butler by a CALL 1eporter yester- day afternoon in the presence of Detective Egan. “Idon't know anything about the ty's | | [Sketched from life by a “Call” artist.} FRANK BUTLER, THE ALLEGED MURDERER. stuff.” he said, continuing, “I am not go- ing to kill myself, you may depend unon it, or else I shoula have done it before.” | Further than this he would not discuss the subject. ince Butler has been 1n custo | have talked together several times, | Detective Ezan, “but he tried always to keep away from the main subject. He acknowledged, however, that he feit sure | of defeating the charzes against h *‘They can’t convict me,’ he ‘on these two charges, but, of course, they | may nail me on the charge of forgery or something else, but not on these murder | cases.” "’ | Inanother conversation he said: *1 did | not shoot Weller,” thus showing thaty he was familiar with the method of Captain Weller's death. Al g BUTLER’S PROPERTY. A Queer Collection, Some Articles of Which Point Directly to His Gullt. In Butler's effects were found a great variety of miscellaneous property. Some are marked Weller, some are marked Har- wood, some are not marked at all and some identify themselves. The list is & queer one and isas follow: Articles Marked ‘‘ies Weller”—A songbouk bound in red cioth and entitled Songs o1 Eugland,” by J. Hation, ani on ihe Ivlea in wriling the inscription Weiler from Arthur W. Palmer, Koad, Beadford Park a biok entitled Norie, and on th: Nuutical Tabies.” by J. W. flyleaf in writing the name sheet of music with the song Jack,” and the inscription “Lee We bis ‘old friend A A. A’; certiticates 36 of discharge of scaxien from the ship Aimaudine, No. 88 146, port of registrs Hull, “issued to L. M. Weiler. sccond mate, age 30. place of birth London, dated January 11, 1890; a master’s certificate of competency 1o Lee Mellington Weller, by order of tne Board of Trade, this 23d day of October, 1894, No. 04,630, dated London, Ociober 1, 1584, and by Joseph Watson, superiniendent; nu ¢ s certificate from the “Thuwmes Marine Officers’ Training-ship Worcester,” off Gree; bithe, port of London, issued inl Ma , 157 10 Leée Meliingson Weller for satisfactory scholastic work; & certificate of service dated Cardith, January 23, 1890, to L. M. Weller, as | second cfficer on board the Almaudine, at Hull, from July 4, 1889, to Junuary 11, 1590, | and signed by C.'S. Collins, master; & white linen shirt marked L W Th nge Marked * Harwood.” —A towel with fringe and red border and the letter H in one corner; a colored shirt with th “Robinton & Moffat, makers. Melbourn; murked H; fancy silk nandkerchief with b border and marked F H in on: coruer white silk handkerchief with C T embroid- ered in one corner and i marked in_another corner: a small yellow leather-bound pocket aiary marked *Heawood” ; a pair of brownish socks marked H; two \hite linen coilars, each marked “J. Dickson” and E H also; u col ar marked F H3 n fancy white silk hu kerchiel marked H; two waite flanvel 1 | ligee shirts, each marked H; & whito linen shirt marked Hin two places; a certificate of %00 character issued at Broken Hill, Dece ber 25, 1895, by the “Broken Hill Proprietary Company. Limited,” to F. Harwood aiter one. lurgy; & ceriificate from “The Schol of Mines, Baliarat,” stating that Frank B. Har- wood successiully passed i 1892 the April term examinations in chemistry; & New South all Lo T, ir duplical Frank Harwood, dated August 4. 1896, and good uniil December 31, 1896: a ceriificate Jrom “The £chool of Mines, Baliarat,” dated Wood successtully passed in 1592 the April term exeminations in metallurgy and assay- ing. Some Miscellancous Froperty.—An old silk handkerchief containing three gold quariz pecimens; a goid hunting-case watch, No. 347059, without maker’s name; a fine- woven gold watchchain; & patent watchkey; & woman's silver brooch made froma Peruvian ver rope; u crown-shaped gold brooch set with rhinestones; & shor-woven gold wate chain; a woman’s plain gold bracelet; a plain gold ring; & woman's gold brooch set with three crystals in toree lttle crescents; a child’s small gold chain and Jocket; a brooch witk two lurge terminal pearls auda heart- shaped moonstone pendent from the middl an enamel scarfpin of soms yacht ciub; a jewel case; another smalier scarfpin witn a iancily cut colored stone; a large gold ring with two square knots {or & top desigu; | collar stud with a white paste stone; a man’s ring with a shieid-shaped bloodstone setting; small ourb fobchain with four small imita. tion diamonds in the fob; a silver huntine- case watch with & heavy siiver curo- chain, the outer case of the wach having the monogram C B and the date 1896; a pair of silver cuffiinks; s silver coilar-button; snother patent watchyey: two sovereigns, one of the date 1889 and tne other 1892. Songs on separate foiders oi sheet music entitled, “Rocked in the Cradle of ihe " “The Longshoreman,” *Tne Sailor's book; & small clock in alittle red tin case; & cabinet_photocraph of a ladylike looking young Engiishwoman, probabiy 30 | yenrs of age; & cabinet photograph of three | ung girls aud written on the back the names, ‘Ethel, Mary, Edith ;" a photograpbic view of the seashore with a bitof boulevard, whica the | prisoner explained was an English scane; a cabinet siz: photograph of the prisoner wea: “L. M. Weller”; a small pocket cyclopedis | marked “Lee Weller”; a small strip of paper with (be memorandum, “The original of this will, together with other documents beloug- ing fo Mr. L. M. Weller, are in possession of Messrs. Brown, Donaldson & Warinough ot 70 Lincoly’s Inn Field, Londom, solicilors’; u ear's service in the depariment of metal- | Wales miucr's rights certificate in the name of | August 26, 1892, and stasing that Frank Ha-- | | dollar, dated 1888, and surrounded by a sil- | 1 handsome end intelligent looking b 1 name, “Arthur V. Palmer,” written on the ck; « folding-holder containing two photo- graphs of young women; another photograph ot the prisoner in a leather frame; a photo- graph of a yo and sub- ed on the front, ally yours the name having been scratched off; small photograph of a woman in a little frame - formed of forget- me - nots an old sole-leather Gladstone a new beavy plaid banket shawl; a ligh waisteoat; ap of trousers; a large blue serge ¢ | cont; & white th: a hight-colored siik medi-up bow sik hauakerchicf; a pale pink flanneln ligre shirt; n i lar. “Admiral,” {16155 six pairs o ed b socks; n white linen shirt; & pair of d tweed tr ser v large silk weckerch! roon and white stripes; a new mackintosh overcoat; & black ren iy-made four-in-h white worsted scar | stouch hat; serge; a stick of shaving<soan in case; a | smail hand mirror; e cake of soup in the origi- ! nul wrapper; a black-handled razor, Kle made and ground in Hamburg; & razor-case; & penholder; & corkserew; an old pocket com- | pass; a leather cigar-case, with metal bind- | ings: a meerschaum pipe ‘and leather case; a liitle leather curdease, containing several bone collar buttons and a small maguifying glass; | acard of small white buttons; a vlain need | case and needles; a fancy ivory necdie-holder; 8 vairoi eyeglasses 1n a case; a small pair of scissors; a hai? brush and an old comb; a metal match-box; eight thin plugs of very binck tobacco; a small footrule; a small bottie of Hymus for tootaache; a sheet ot mourning not with verses written in penci ; a eckbook on the E lish, Scotiisa and Australian Bank, Limi leaf the me *“Mrs. Coliin 0'Co; the outside the nam~ *Le r; two linen collars, size 164, marked Parratn’; acollar marked in Lwo p aces “J. Dickson two bits of paper with memo- a soiled long, a smail little oid black a sack coat and a vest of blue randa:a biack leather pockei-book with the initials ©*J. H. A.”’ in large rilt letters on the inside; a collar marked *“153 a certificate of discharge from the shin Anchoria, York, numbered ‘103”; a similar certi: from the same ship numbered “3"; a cer cale of character from ty~ berk Aimaudine at Fremantle, October 6. 1896; & shore-broker’s recelpt from Gorie Hollingworth and Rath- well, dated August 9, 1895; a small white- handle pocket-knife; & cheap black-handle ! | jsccknife; an Euglish bulldog revolver, 44- | caliber, with black handle and nickel-plated barrel somewhat taraished from use; a bag of | o when the great railroad strike was | cariridges and six loose cartridges found in the pocket of a vest. I i GRIM PREPARATIONS. A Cage Belng Provided on the Monowal to Take Butler Back to Australla. Should Butler or Weller, the so-called murderer, be extraaited before next Fri- day at noon he will leave on the Oceanic Steamship Company’s Monowai for Sya- ney, N. & W, and in that event the same steamer will probably bring back next Avril the account of his trial, and, in the event of his conviction, of his execution. | Yeasterday the detectives visited the | steamer, and the foreward ’tween decks | were measured. It was found possible to buiid a room large and comfortable enough to accommodate Butler, and should he be extradited the quarters, walled by heavy six-inch planking, will | be put up in less than six hou-s. The space reserved for the cage is the space | usnally given up to blooded stock sent from ~America to Australia, and vice | versa. Butler will be provided with a comfort- able bed, and willlive on tne best the ship | provides during his voyage to the An- | tipodes. Should he not get away on the Monowai, he will remain in the City and | County Jail until the Alameda sails, one | month from no A CHECKERED CAREER. | i | What the Supposed Wife of the | Prisoner Knows of Her Hus- band’s Life. | VALLEJO, Cav, Feb. 2.—Mrs, Etta ing s yachting cap; & photograph of a rether First Mate Thomas Meikle, | | | { | gon. | to man with | Butler, a resident of this city for a year or more, will go to San Francisco in the morning in company wtth her uncle, E. D. Hill, and Sheriff McKenzie of Napa to see ii she can identify the man Butler errested on the Swanhilda as the husband who mysteriously leit her in San Fran- cizco early one morning some four years ago. From the various descriptions she hus read and the picturesscen in the papers she is of the opinion they are one and the same person. At the time of meeting with Butler she was a young and prepossessing widow with her parents at Napa. Butler, who was quite a lover of horses, wus employed at the racetrack at Napa. Her brotber, a Mr. Hull, introduced Butler to his sister. After the marriage the couple remained in Napa afew days, from which place they moved to San” Francisco, where But- ler obtained employment in a livery sia- ble. He wasaiways kind and indulgent, and so far as able gave his wife all the money he could. After working some three months in the stable early one morning be told his wife that he had quit_the job and asked for what money was in the house. Mrs. But- ler handed /im aboat $65, all she had. From this amount he tossed her a $10 gold piece, kissed her gooo-by and told ! her he wouid not be home for lunch, but <0 look for him at dinner time. The din- ner time never came. Chief Crowley was given a description of the missing man, but failed to locate nim. TuE CALL gave an extended notice of this at tue time. Time passed on; a baby boy was born, which is now a heaithy inrée-vear-old child in the Good Tem- plars’ Home for Orphans. Mrs. Butler came to Vallejo over & year ago and obtained employment as a cook in the Wilson House, where she remained for nine months. Finally Mrs. Butler learned, through Butler's relatives in Massachuseits, of bis roamings about the world; how he had sailed across the Atlantic to London, then to Australia and back to America, and on, he had started to bring a band of horses across the coniinent and had been detained. That Butler haa had some trouble be- fore their marriage his wife felt positive. He told her he had been all over the world before Le met her. Said he had been a cowboy in Texas and Colorado, haa once enlisted for five years in the United States Army, but when or where he did not say. Tn's is the one remaining inci- dent that she has been unable to verify through her correspondence. He de- serted after serving a few years and she bas since heard that he bad killed the captain of the company. He had been in Washington and Ore- In the forme: State he was a cornels ist in a theater. This she knew to be true, as his trunks were always full of music. The lady hearl he was engaged in stealing valuable jewelry in Washington, which be sold tn Sun Francisco. It came to her ears that he was driven out of Texas for stealing thousands of head of cattle. He was also engaged in herding cattle in North and South Dakota. After Butler had been gone several weeks Mrs, Butler received a letter at Napa addressed to him. It was written at Williamsette, Mass., and ran as fol- lows: 1 write these tines to motify you that the police are after you here and at Holyoke. Leave ihe place where you are at once. I write you as an old friend and correspondent. She recalled several incidents of his life just previous to his departure that go to “how he had accomplices elsewhere than in Massachusetts. el A G STORY OF THE CRIME. Graphic Account by an Australlan Correspondent of the Revolting Murders Attributed to Butier, and Thelr Discovery. The following special correspondence of THE CALL teils a fascinating story in chro- nological order of the heinous murders charged against Butler, the accused Aus- tralian murderer taken from the Swan- hilda, and it is the first authentic and de tailed account published in America: SYDNEY, Avstraiia.—The first in- timation the public had of the crimes was an announcement in the Sydney papers on November 26that a sea' captain named Lee Weller who, with another man, had been on an expedition to _the Blue. Moune tains for the purpose of prospecting gold, was missing. The other man had been seen returning Sydney. Suspicion was aroused. although the returning prospector, in re- ply to inquiries, said that “he had left his | mate at tbe creek, as he was not well.” A search in the vicinity was meade ana the charred remains of a pocketbook, known to have been in the possession of Captain Weller, were found. This dis- | | | | | | Mrs. { called at Mr. Thompson’s on Saturday, | | but scon came out for his chum, who then | precipices with zreat gul covery led to further investigation, and | the history of the crime, so far as it has at present been ascertained, can now be told in cbronological order. From the information now obtained by the police, with the assistance of the newspapers—for in this case the press re porters have verformed a great publi duty—it has been gathered that auring the early part of October aavertisements appearcd _in the Sydney papers to the fol- lowing effect: “‘Wanied, » mate to go prospecting;equal shares; experience not necessary. Auply 822 George street.’’ These premises are occupied by a Mr. J. Thompscn, who. condu a retresh. ment-room there. The advertisement brought about a dozen answers, the appli- | cants appearing in person. Among them was a young man named Arthur Thomas O. Preston, aged 20, the son of & well-known draper in Bristane, Queensiand. Young Preston, who was a studious youth, was staying at Synney. where for the past few months Le had been stulving geology and mineralogy, first at the Technical College and after- ward at the Syuney University. He was most quiet and Tespectable, an active worker in connection with the Newtown (Sydney) Baptist Sunday-school, a me ver of the local Christian Eundeavor Soci- ety, and he was a well-built young Aus- tralian. In Sydney he boarded with a | Williams at™ Redfern. When he| October 17, he had with iriend anu_fellow-lodger Fieiding. Preston went in him a voung named Robert | by himself, went in with him. ! Fielding saw two men there, and_was introduced to one of them. He could not recollect the man’s name, but subse- quently he identified a phote as that of the man. The nicture was that of a man staying at Mr. Thompson’s, who went by the name of Harwood. Thisman told Pres- ton that he was a qualified mining expert and bad sold a share in & mine at Nyma- zee, N. §. W, for £2000. After a conversa tion with ihe man Freston agreed to go prospecting with him, and on the follow- ing Monduy evening the two set out by train for Emu Piains, a small station at | the foot of the Blue Mountains, about forty miles from Sydney. on the Western | Raiiway. Preston apparently had little | mouey with him when he went away, not more than £30, but the ciothing he took has afforded means of cer:ain identifica- tion. By a coincidence, Mr. Thompson, | the reireshment-room keeper, traveled by | the same train, but in ‘a different car- | riage. He saw Preston and the man known as Harwood get out at Emu Plains, and Harwood then told him they would camp for one night outside the township and go on in the morning. Harwood, who had a regular arsenal of weapons, three re- | volvers, a knife and n Winchester rifle, at | his lodgings, bad the rifie with him’ at Emu Plain: Six days afterward Thompson saw Har- wood in Sydney and eaid, **Hello, are you beck again? “What's the matler with you?” ~Harwood replied, *-Oh, that young feillow was 100 soft, he petered out and 1 | came back to lock ior another mate.” | A few aays after this the advertisement | for a prospecting mate ‘appeared again | with a different address, ‘401 Pitt street,” | which is the Metropolitan Hotel. In re- ply to the advertisement tuis time came Captain Lee Weller, a retired master ma iner who arrived in Newcastle a months ago as a passe South Esk from South Afr few er in the ship ca. He wasac: companied by his wife and tieir intention | was to proceed in the South Esk to Amer- ica, but the miners’ strike at Newcastie de- layed the vesscl, which was bound with | coal for the west'coast of America. While | the vessel was thus aelayed Captain Wel- | ler came to Sy to see a friend, R. Lackham of the Sydney Bulletin office. While he was here s wife died suddenly from Leart disease on Loard the ship at Newecast! o ad occurrence aliered the captain’s intentions and he decided to remain for a time in this colony. | Soon aiter Mrs. Weiler's death he came | to Sydney, and, after an interview | the advertiser at the Metropolitan H Welier and Harwood, the advertiser, then went under the name of Bat Sydney by train for Glenbrook, the sta- | tion beyond Emu Piains, on the Mountains. Weller kaa with him a large | brown sea chest waen e left bis lodgings, but this was placed in the luggage-room at the Sydney railway station, and it was subsequently cailed for and taken away | by a man who was not Weller. | A few days later Harwood or Butler (we will call him Butler hencefo:th) was scen by some railway men returning to Sydney | alone. He said his mate w 1. About a_fortnight. a ter a search was commenced for the missing men. Or November 25, one iocal constable ana some residents at Glenbrook found the burnt remains of some clothing and the rem- nant of npocketbook bearing the letters | “R. A. Lackh’—which was_identified as a portion of a book given by McLackham to Captain Weller. The ashes of an old campfire were found and not far away | vere discovered @ pair of trousers marked “F. H,” a biack leather lezging with *“Jar- man, maker, Brisbane,” on the inside, | and 'a serge coaf, under one sleeve of | hich was an aperture as if made by a | nite thrust. The suspicions'of foul play were thus confirmed. A strong body of police, including sev- eral young natives who are expert bush- men, and several detectives, were at once sent up from Sydney and two aboriginals, blackirackers attached to the police, were brought from up-country stations. All the most suitable men of the Sydney | police were dispatched to take part in the search, and soon clews to the mysterious disappearances were obtained. Piece by | piece and skein by skein the twisted threads of the mystery were slowly but | surely unraveled. = Residents in the neigh- | borhood of Glenbrook and Linden, | smasll station a few miles further on, | brought forward information of having seen Butler first with Preston and after- ward with Weller. | The country all around these two places | is of the wildest and most rugeed char- | acter. Ou the rise o the Biue Mountains, ‘ | | 1 Glenbrook is the commencement of Leavy mountainous country, rank, wild Austra- lian bush, here and iliere u thick belt of gum_trees, here ana there steen and rocky es or ravines in between, thickly covered with scrub and tangled undergrowth. Half a mile from | Glenbrook station, where the camp-fire wa<and where the burnt pocket-book was found, was the scene of Weller's murder. The search parties divided into two sec- tions, one to seek Weller or his corpse, the other to look for Preston or his re- mains. Tne search for young Preston was sadly successful. Following up the clews given by residents whbo had seen Butler and Preston together the searchers, who had been much struck with Butler's evident | knowledge of the locality, came across | their tracks on Tuesday., December 1. Near a guily not far from Linden a flannel undershirt marked “A. T. O. P.” was| found, the garment being slit down the center with a knife. “This was late on the Tuesday. On the Wednesday their iracks were found going in the direction of Faul- conbridge, where £i: Henry Parkes, late Premier of the colony, lies buried. On the Thursday their camp was found at the head of Numantia gully, a deep and tor- tuous ravine covered with a labyrinth of thick timber and scrub. Tne guily runs for two miles, where a steep declivity ends in aiittle creek. i Three of the searchers, separated from | the others, were Constables De:laney, | Hardiman and Shelley, ail young natives | with bush experiencel They only re- cently joined the mounted police and are not vet out of their probation. After a difficult march of a mile or so they rounded a big bouldsr and sawa small sandy patch. Delaney’s bush | knowledge told him the ground had becn | recentlr Jdisturbed. Prodding a stick in he found the soil yielded, an. at the third thrust withdrew the siick with a poriion of black human hair on it. Calling bis mates the three set to work digging with | tneir hands, and a foot below the <urface | a human head was uncovered. It was Preston’s. The rest of this portion of the story is | soon told. When the discovery was made | the sun was setting, and the officers in Continued on Ninth Page. NEW TO-DAT! One of the [SO00000000I0000000C] Seven [000000000/00] Wonders At beven. [00000 0000 If any one would have told us that the people were going %o turn owt in such large forces as those that got into the Big Store yesterday, strong as the attrac- tion was, strong as the magnet?, strong as its drawing power, we would have never believed, it. The long concourse of people kept filing in and out way be- yond the closing howrs to attend the final 7 days’ sale of Swits and Overcoats at --$7.00— Above yow see the clever Swits. We know of howses getting twice 7 for Suits not nearly as good, and they're not many blocks from ws, either. The Suits above are in fine All-Wool Cheviots, Blues and Blacks, Tricot Lawns, Hand- some Overplaids, in Havana Brown and neat Gray effects. well goods built on awfully swell lines. Twice 7 would be nearer the price, but as these are the last days of our great sale we say --$7.00- FOR PICK. Above we show yow the Over- coat at §7, in Kerseys and Wor- steds, those beawtiful English Kerseys, cut long and medium lengths, with deep velvet collar, in blwes and blacks, clever goods. Yes, yow'll pay twice 7 for ‘em in other stores, but we’re on the last days of all our dreat sales, so yowr pick at -—$7.00-- RAPHAEL'S (Incorporated), 9, 11, 13, 15 Kearny St.