Butler's Return.

Hastings Standard, Issue 304, 23 April 1897, Page 2

Butler's Return.

HE GAVE NO TROUBLE TO THE POLICE. PASSAGE UNEVENTFUL. BEFORE LEAVING AMERICA HE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. (Per Press Association.) Auckland, This day. Frank Butler, alias Richard Ashe, in safe custody aboard the Manapoura, arrived to-day from 'Frisco. Detectives lloelie and M'Hattie and constable Eowe are in charge. Butler gave no trouble on the voyage. He behaved quietly. He read very little. He was supplied with whatever he wanted in the way of liquor, tobacco, and food. His guardians took turns of four hours each in watching Butler. Two men were constantly in the cabin with him. Butler took very little exercise outside his cabin, preferring to remain in his temporary cell rather than to go outside. He was not taken to the upper deck. He made no attempt to commit suicide on the voyage. Two staterooms were set apart for Butler and his guardians. Butlerjs was] as bare of furniture as possible. There was only a settee, clothing box, and two trunks left in it. An iron grating was placed outside the window, and another in the doorway.

It was originally intended to take Butler steerage, but the chances of the prisoner gaining assistance from the sailors and others were so many that Captain Hayward was strongly advised against taking the chances.

American news by the same steamer says that Butler cannot be trusted one minute alone. He was denied all visitors. Butler raised thick brown whiskers while in gaol, which has materially changed his facial expression. Talking of his return, ho said : —" If anything I think an accused mail has a better chance there than here. Good attorneys are always appointed. Where a man is too poor to pay them, he is given every chance to defend himself. If I go back I think I will liaye a woman lawyer. There are three or four there. I think it would be a proper thing to give one of them a chance in this case."

Sutler made an unsuccessful attempt to destroy himself on April 2, scratching his temple with his finger nails. Two guards were in the cell and two keep awaked they played cards. Butler was in a cot with his face to the wall covered over with the blankets, only the top of his head being visible from eleven till one. At first the guards thought he was** sleeping soundly save that occasionally the body twitched. At one o'clock one of the guards noticing the twitching and wanting to learn the cause threw back the blankets and saw blood on the prisoner's , face, pillow and beard. The blood cat no f from a deep scratch. Evidently he was •seeking the temporal artery after he hnd scratched, for while the pain was considerable he could not keep his body from twitching. Butler told the guards the scratching was an accident, but an accident it could not have been for he was at work with his hands for a longtime. Failing in an attempt to get morphine, apiece of glass in his tobacco pouch having been discovered before he had a chance to use it, prisoner's nails were cut short and the wound covered with plaster. This was the only means at hand to commit suicide. I.ater. Butler, after his arrival, expressed a wish to see the pressmen in order to contradict a statement in the 'Frisco papers that he had admitted killing Preston. The reporters being admitted he tiy.*n absolutely denied having made such a statement. He also said had he remembered the iSwauhilda being signalled things wouM have been different, because when the boat came alongside at 'Frisco and t the men were called up he thought it was for the health ollicer. He had a revolver in his possession fully loaded. If he had known why they were wanted there would have been a bit of a ulir.