unday of Toowong. Butler
underwent his term of imprisonment in Littleton Jail. There his
reputation was most unenviable. He is described by a fellow prisoner as
ill-tempered, malicious, destructive, but cowardly and treacherous. He
seems to have done little or no work; he looked after the choir and the
library, but was not above breaking up the one and smashing the other,
if the fit seized him.

III

HIS DECLINE AND FALL

In 1896 Butler was released from prison. The news of his release was
described as falling like a bombshell among the peaceful inhabitants
of Dunedin. In the colony of Victoria, where Butler had commenced his
career, it was received with an apprehension that was justified by
subsequent events. It was believed that on his release the New Zealand
authorities had shipped Butler off to Rio. But it was not long before he
made his way once more to Australia. From the moment of his arrival
in Melbourne he was shadowed by the police. One or two mysterious
occurrences soon led to his arrest. On June 5 he was sentenced to twelve
months' imprisonment under the Criminal Influx Act, which makes it a
penal offence for any convict to enter Victoria for three years
after his release from prison. Not content with this, the authorities
determined to put Butler on trial on two charges of burglary and one of
highway robbery, committed since his return to the colony. To one charge
of burglary, that of breaking into a hairdresser's shop and stealing a
wig, some razors and a little money, Butler pleaded guilty.

But the charge of highway robbery, which bore a singular resemblance
to the final catastrophe in Queensland, he resisted to the utmost, and
showed that his experience in the Supreme Court at Dunedin had not been
lost on him. At half-past six one evening in a suburb of Melbourne an
elderly gentleman found himself confronted by a bearded man, wearing a
long overcoat and a boxer hat and flourishing a revolver, who told him
abruptly to "turn out his pockets." The old man did ashe was told. The
robber then asked for his watch and chain, saying "Business must
be done." The old gentleman mildly urged that this was a dangerous
business. On being assured that the watch was a gold one, the robber
appeared willing to risk the danger, and departed thoroughly satisfied.
The old gentleman afterwards identified Butler as the man who had taken
his watch. Another elderly man swore that he had seen Butler at the time
of the