THE CONVICT BUTLER.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 125, 24 April 1897, Page 2

THE CONVICT BUTLER.

HIS ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND. INTERVIEWED BY PRESS REPRESENT ATI VES. HE DENIES MAKING ANY CONFESSION. (l!Y TELEGRAPH. —OWN correspondent). Arcivj-AND, Fjusl Night. R.M.S. Mariposa arrivctl from San Francisco this morning, after a smart and pleasant voyage. The chief interest in hcrariival centred iu the presence of Bntler, of mimler notoriety, and the id'y curious assembled in great numbers to watch the steamer come in. Duller en- e no troiblc on the voyage. Shortly after the steamer was herMied at the wharf B itlor intimated to Detective Roche that he would like to see some Press ioprescntntives. He explained that he wanted to contradict the statement that appeared in one of the San Francisco papers that he had admitted having killed Preston. Under these circumstances JVto'tive Roche decided to allow Butler to be interviewed. Butler, who was heavily ironed, was lying on I.is bunk. Ife was dressed in a grey t\\ eed suit, and was smoking steadily. In his hand was Pearson's Magazine, which he had been leading, lie appeared remarkably cool, and fcemc.l rather to enjoy the attention of the Pressmen Everything had been removed from the cibin but the bunk and st'ttee. Butler at once rose and proceeded to make his statement. Referring to his cap'ure at Sin F.aneisco, Butler said : "Had 1 remembered the Swanhildtt being signal'ed \<y the Taupo, and known what it was for, things would have been different. Thee would hive been no Swanhihla. Winn the boat came alongside at San Francisco 1 thought it was on the ordinary business of the health officer, and when we were called up I had no idea that I was wanted. I only thought it win the health officer on business when I was called. I had my revolver fully lea led under my pillow, and if I had known I was wanted there would have been a little bit of a stir. I could have shot six of them if I had wanted.'' He then mentioned why he wanted to see the Press men, and emphatically denied that he had ever admitted lulling Preston, lie practically denied all the statements that have been cabled out here as being made by him at San Francisco. He tli tiled that he knew Burgess, and lefuscd to make any statements regarding Weller and Preston till he arrived in Sydney. He then once more dntied that he lnd trade any of the published statements, and stated that the published statemen's relative to any confessions made by him were a fake. The interview was not a long one, and Butler shortly afterwards resumed reading his magazine. At o o'clock this afternoon Bntler was sitting on his hunk smoking. Both h's legs wore light chains. Ue was clothed in yellow-coloured pyjamas, and had a light and airy appearance. Seated opposite hin were two Sydney detectives and Chief-Detective Grace and Acting-lhtec-tive Bailey. Butler lias a great aversion to being looked at, and once during the day he threw the book at his cabin wall expressive of his disgust. He is reported to have told one of the detectives that it lie lnd known the police were waiting for him at San Francisco he would have run the Suauh Ida on one of the Pacific Islands.