The Butler Tragedies.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7965, 31 October 1905, Page 4

The Butler Tragedies.

REMARKABLE CONFESSION. LIKE AND DEATH OK A NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL. (N.Z. Herald Correspondent.) HUNEDIN. Oct. 25. Echoes of Uic Butler tragedies are constantly being revived, and a remarkable Confession is published hire by the lhinediu Star, which is saiil to have been contributed by i.iie of the murdel'i l's associates. The identity of the author of the narrative is a secret, anil in the course of his story the wmcr says There was hanged in Brisbane not lons ago a man who ought to l'avc l«-(u hanged in Duneilui 'in years ago. Had the fate overtaken bun ihere, societv Would have been s.,ved nui.y '.re'.imis wr«.Mfts. That it:' was »uiliv oi the crime nothing '..n hi morn i-i-min, for his liemeai.oir r.nd admissions to me almost amount to a conies-.sioi(. Wharton us in 1 s one letter to mefiom Queensland he told me thai was his leal n.ui'.ti served under the name of Hutler a jrttence in gaol in Victoria f<ir highway robbery. I knew him there arid ?.f----terwarils. He was very proud of his scholastic ability, and always defend ed himse'f when in trouiile wi"i ti.e police, hut his ability m tiia! direction was Questionable, as in tlm highway robbery _ case lie askeil the principal witness a i|ue.;ti'.m (hat actually condemned li ni. Nevi ruleless lie Hoasted lo 'nehh.it ,'i .lei'eiiding himself in Dunedin he addressed the jury {or a whole day, and in cross-examination he heat the Crown jProsecutor at every point. A LADY IN BLACK. I was once walking with him in Gertrude-street, Kitzioy, when a ladym black with a baby in her arms asked to be directed to a certain tmii'-payment furniture shop. The baby looked at us and d, when, i\barton frowned anil walked rapidly away. On rejoining him 1 indulged in a little chaff, and asked him if it a little chart, and asked him if it was tlit* "tvidder" or the baby lie was. airaid of. He was very angry, lel-

dug me I was addressed and not li.ni. While drinking with him that afternoon, I rcleired again chaffingly to the widow and her IWiy. lie spoke no mole till we were again in the street, when lie said, "Come into the gardens and sit on one of lie seals. I have something serious to say to you." lie then asked me if 1 was ever in New Zealand. I n!!utlilu'ly replied "Yes." "Kver in iJiinedm i Again 1 said "Yes." "Ilo\y long ago "Oh. many veals a ; fo." lie sat silent for a shon iniie, and then said: "Lnul; hue, •' , you are the only liian 1 ewr made any kind of con/ii.int of. You are a good scholar, though I eouid teach vim a lot. We are iriinds, 1 ;Ojie, but if you throw-ol'f to me any ,1)1 ire, especially in company, about widows and 'babies, we Miall i|iiair.:l, ton will readily understand this ali.mi 1 tell you the reason, which I ntcnil to do, partly li,cause 1 know t'oii to be s illicit utly s, etc live and Hynsilw't' nut to talk—nut that yon could do me any halm ii you did—lartly Ik cause I believe you alread , .now (which I did not) « hat I was lie.' tried in Dttmtlin on a charge o:> billing a man, a wumn, and a child,, and, although innocent. the crime Aas nearly sheeted home to me. It ivs my own ability thai pulled me .hroi.-.j'i. Had 1 employed a profvsiional advocate I should not have e, n here to-day talking w you."

Ie then related the whole of I lis ase. and added :

cnnixkssary and ckui-x.. "Yiying to lire the house was unn e aiy. end Killing the baby was inne.ssai\' and eiu.l. I respici in man's life!" said Wharton, "for no

nan respects mine. A lot of m;n I i.'Vct* iMjurid have trad to |iul a

rope round my nick more than r.'e I hate society in gin.-ral, and n- ei' two ii.div,duals in |:irl-.f-.i-

I, If ever 1 visit New Zealand i-iii.ii there is a man thvle in iluoliee toiee iliat I may have to'

~;nate accounts Willi, hu- m.'ii \,li> ii:: tin- inul<icr ill IJunii!in lias, if nyihiiig. my sympathy, liut it seem:* ') me lii' iiiml not luue killi.l Hi' 1 child "

1 was si nick Willi tin l euilent <ii.' c.l regret l'!i" what he alleged iiiu;liii' hail done, ami was about to ,;>< ak win ii lie sloppn! me, ami said : "Now .1 iloii'l ever ask inmil a silly question as ,that." 1 skid "Wli.it Ilr replied, ' 1 Vo : i vir .ihoiu In ;• si, liu' ii 1 ill I thai .Iced, ii nil V" know peril ctly wi-II ;h.it, ginltv or innocent, lli.it qurs ! li.:i could only In' auswil, d on ■ .vay." Hi' sci iiii il quilt' indifliTenl as to my opinion. (!n ihr coiitr.iiy, I thought lit' rather court* tl my lielii'f in his guilt, as that enhanced Ik' hnllaiicy of his piriormance in -C"' i ins off in spite ol tin' damning ■viili'iic-.' anil ill,' legal l ■ It-nt an aye;! itjainsi linn. "I was to ask you nu'.liiiin of tin- kiiul," said 1, "fur you hail already told mc you Were innoccnl." lie repaid, •'(iood, :lit-n. Ij't iluu mil thv sul/ucl, an;! ni'vi't refer to it again, perhaps, in your mind, when you can if you like, roineiuher that I said the ..illing of the child was unnecessary and cruel.'' We; parted for Ijie night, and I ceriainly did not I dish ilie idea of meeting him again. WHAKTON AND BUTbKU, Ilis assertion lliat I was sicrelive is so far correct thai I sliould nevei' ha\f (lisclos.il the fact lliai Wliarion, in Brisbane, anil Butler, in New Zealand, weiv one and Hie same man, l/ut, thai I saw by the papers the ,\ew /.calami polic; were aware of it. It js p. rhaps as wijl for one ol tlial bo.ly ihal lie lias had he visile,l Dnneilin .'sain the life of a certain c.x-;lrtec live Would not have lit i n worth a U'it expensive purchase. Jintlir tile truth whin he said he rrspictnl no man's life, for lie argued ilia, mail was of no more importance than a do;;, for nature lesnei'inl one no more than Ilie other. "A volcanic eruption," said he "kills mice ami men with one hand.'' He hroodtd soinellines, and had deep tits of melancholy. "I iim getting old," he once said, "and my end is approaching. Inn do noi suppose I tear it, tor I helievc dealh to he total oblivion l ," and jn that state ■'"'at belief .las, Wliar,l(oll', alias liutler, me! his doom at the hands ol the common hangman.