A Notorious Criminal.

Hastings Standard, Issue 48, 22 June 1896, Page 4

A Notorious Criminal.

ARREST IN MELBOURNE, f Ar.csus.j Evidently suspecting that he had something to do with the sticking up case in Hawthorn, Melbourne, recently the detectives arrested Robert Butler, a criminal with a record dating back to ISGO. His names have Ken many—James Wilson, George Lee. George Donntlly, A c. From 1 *''>'■> to IK7-> Butler operated in Victoria, serving various sentences. Then he went to New Zealand, where h»* was sentenced in IksO to 1M years' imprisonment for burglary and arson and to 10 years (concurrently) for robbing a church. The principal crime laid to Butler's charge in Dunedin was the Cumherland-stivet murder. Someone had entered a two-roomed cottage occupied by Jae.:e, D< war and bis wife, killed them with an axe, a::d set the building on fire. The tire was discovered in time to save the premises and di-eOM r the n.iirder. I li tint chrd v,..s -■irT.'fa.ii d. > t i 1 fell on But lor 1 :ht n hl.'ymi t 1 : it t-anspin-1 iba: h - ha 1 1 Ft D 1 1 1 at an early hour after the hie, ami mid h-.Hed ?■ ;r a time at a spot overlooking tie 1 town, whence be could -ee whetjier th- tiro had ]"-o\.d e>t" ct i.d or not. Tit- r- w,- ;• long trial, e\ri-ing imi.;,n public 11U . rest, and Butler surprised everv one by the ability with which he cm"-examined wit ne •••«•; and addressed tb" jury. He obtained an acouittal. The police then proceeded aggai t him for breaking into the re.-ldcnce of Mr Stamper, .--.•lienor, and hettii g i r on tire. lie pleaded guilty, and received the sentence of I s years aln.'dy 1 lentioned. 11 is term of imprisonment ran out, bv romis-ions, in IK9J. Five v.? !-.s atro Detective M'Manamny learned that Butler was in Melbourne, and it was deemed, prudent to watch him. T' tective Didton was assigned the duty of ■' shadowing " the suspect, subsequently Detective Wilson and Hawkins were given the task* in turns. Th y found him extremely cunning. He never walked two blocks without going through a lane, and lie would change faib s \eral times on a journey from th< c.n to the suburbs or from the suburbs to the city. _Now and again the n. •< i\t- lost him altogether, but they always managed to pick him up again, though his place of abode was changed with as much frequence as his name. At lodginghouses he was a mystery; he tried to escape inconvenient questioning by saying he worked for a newspapers nd had to go into the country on business trips at short notice. Eventually Superintendent Brown of the Detective department considered it would be wise to arrest him. On Saturday night Detective M'Manamny, with Detectives Hawkins and Dalton, came across him in Clarendon - street South Melbourne, and took him into custody. He was lodged in the City Watchhouse, and when searched was found in possession of what appeared to be a false beard, a reel of cotton, two candles, some matches, Are. The article taken to be a false beard is a peculiar device in short hair, which if wrapped round the face would give the appearance of a stunted growth of black whiskers, to explain what he used it for, he said it was a razor wipe. At his lodgings was found an overcoat which reached almost to the ground. The ostensible charge lodged against Bntler is that he has entered Victoria in less than three years from the completion of his sentence in New Zealand. He is about 30 years of age. There was a dramatic scene at the watc-hhouse when Mr Mainwariiig. a retired detective, aged 72, identified Butler as the James Wilson that lie had arrested in 1861 for sticking-up a pedestrian in Fitzroy Gardens —a crime that led to his getting five years' imprisonment. Butler said he recollected Mainwaring. He is short of stature, and of thin to medium build, and he wears a moustache. There is not much in his appearance to suggest the man of many crimes. Bntler was brought before the City C'onrt and remanded. On the way out he started violently when two women, who were near the court door, caught his glance, and signified by an inclination of the head that they recognised him. He passed on quickly, and when in the cell behaved like a man who has lost his senses. He passed his hands through his hair, beat his fists against the walls, and walked excitedly to and fro. M'Manamny had noted the recognition anil had quickly learned that the women were relatives of the prisoner, who desired a conversation with him. He told their desire to Butler, and the prisoner calming down said, " Yes. I suppose so. let them come in. I would not have careel for anything so long as they did not know." The interview was not a long one, but it distressed the prisoner considerably, and he beat the cell walls with his hands, and even with his head, as he walked exictedly up and down. Later he became calm, and smilingly told M-Manamny that it was more than likely he would commit suicide before he came to trial on any charge preferred against him. IDENTIFIED F< >K THE STICKING UP. Mr Alexander M'Phee, who was stuck up and robbed in Hawthorn, after dark, saw Butler at the watchhouse, and promptly said he had no doubt as to the identity of the man. " I have no doubt that is the man who robbed me, and would be prepared to swear so to the best of my belief," were his words as he scanned with interest the features of the prisoner. When shown the wig 01* false beard, Mr McPhee was even more positive. Butler . made no remarks upon the question of iilentification. He merely shrugged his shoulders. Subsequently Mr Power, of Clifton street, Richmond, scrutinised the prisoner, and said he believed Butler to be the armed burglar who visited his residence on the 18th May, and, when discovered, pretested pux-

suit by threatening to shoot with a Beth r again shrugged his shoulders, but »ud nothing. The bea.d \\ identified as part of some property stolen on the 10i.h ult. from the --hop of Mr Edward Dickens, tobacconist, of 273 Clarendon-street, St. Kilda. Between 7 and H o'clock 011 the ( veiling of the 10th ult., while Mr Dickens and. the members of his family were absent from the shop, someone gained an entrance through a back window, and carried away from the shop three tortoiseshell-bandled razors a.id one white-handled razor, together with one short brown wig and one 1 thick wig. The detectives were communicated with at the time, but could not trace the stolen property. However, Mr Dickens was sent for, and he identified as his property the razors found in the possession of Butler when he was arrested. The false beard found upon Butler was also recognised. It was a portion of the black wig cut down so as to form a beard with a stunted growth of black whiskers. IX I.IIVK AS A I'KISONF.H. Wiiile serving a sentence in the Dn.ii diii (iaol Butler formed one of a gang of -jirNoners which was employed cutiing down a bill adjacent tp the prison and sending away the roek, iVe., to be used in reclaiming a portion of the harbor. While thus laboring in the open his fancy wits attracted by a nur-H'girl who daily brought her young charges into the vicinity of the hill on which the convicts were employed. He mid.led to her always as lie passed, and it: a friendly way she returned his greeting. Now and again when the overseers w>_re not looking he contrived to >_ r et near enough to her 10 s; t y •• (:oo<) ilny," and. she. pitying his position. answered him as sympathetically as she could. Butler was in love, and the impulse made a new man of him. lie spent the rest of his con linemen t polishing his manners, brightening his literary accomplishments, and acquiring such arts as he deemed would most commend him to the girl of the hill. As soon as he was released he sought her, and w:>s not deterred from pressing her to ir.( et him when he found siie was the niece of a warder in the gaol. He told her of his love, and promising reformation, begged her to marry him. His reading helped him to eloquence, and his ardour gave him courage and audacity, but all were wasted. The girl refu-ed to listen to his suit any longer than she was absolutely compelled, and as soon as he could she ran to her home. Her lover was not easily denied. He followed her in her daily walks, and pestered her so persistently that at last she complained to her uncle. The warder acted promptly. He called upon the detectives, put the ca.-e to them, and asked that Butler should be given an oilicial hint to leave the town, and the detective complied, and having found work for Butler on a dredge in the harbor told him to go to it at once. Butler expressed himself to be quite willing to accept the wrtVk 011 the dredge, and promised to go immediately. The detective saw him start, and was quite satisfied for a day or two that he had gone. Then came the sensation of the murder of the Dewars. The crime was a mystery, and one of the detectives who commenced the investigation admitted that a solution seemed hopeless. At last he said to a comrade, " Let us walk along the wharves ; we may pick up a clue." The two strolled along together, and were met by the nur-egirl, the niece of the gaol warder. With tears in her eyes she complained that Butler was still worrying her, and was making her life miserable. Wliereever she went she met him, and she was afraid that lie would do her some injury, became ho had begun to threaten her. '•But," said the detective, who had sent Butler to the dredge some days before, " he has gone out of town, and won't worry you any longer." The answer startled him. The girl said, " No, he has not. I saw him yesterday and the day before. He was hanging about the bush behind our house calling for me every time I went into the yard." An intelligent look passed between the detectives as they told the girl they would sec that she was not further annoyed. She hastened joyfully away, and with an exclamation—'• The Cumberland street murder ! Let us find Butler ! " —the two detectives commenced a hunt for the criminal, and arrested him without much delay em a charge of being concerned in the murder