Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-16
FROM THE EAST BY RAn
CALIFORNIA.
The sespe Murder-SpragueI Interviewed
The story of His Connection With The

The sespe Murder-Sprague Interviewed
The story of His Connection With The
Affair.
SAN BUENAvENTURA, August 14th.-The
case of f. w. Sprague, now in the County
Jail here, under sentence of death, the respite
granted him by Governor Perkins expiring
| on the 9th instant, is exciting great interest
here as the time finally fixed upon for his
execution draws near, and the question
whether his counsel will be able to secure for
him a further lease of DISCRIMINATION OF
the death penalty imprisonment for a term,
or for life, or to obtain full pardon-is being
discussed in all circles. The publication in
the Free Press this morning of dispatch
from San Francisco, stating that one Marion
Smith, who is now in San Quentin, writes
that he sew the More murder committed, and
that Sprague was not in it, and giving the
names of the murderers, which are suppressed
for the present, has caused some excitement,
ard the fact that petition is in circulation
representing to the Governor that there are
new developments in the case, and asking
him to interpose with the Executive power in
such way as to him the case may seem to
demand, has increased
THE PUBLIC INTEREST
In the case, which had presented some extra
ordinary features. The murder of T. Wal.
lace More, large landowner on the Sespe
ranch, took place on the 9th of March, 1877,
and the supposed perpetrators of the outrage,
f. A. Sprague, j. S. Churchill, J. d. Lord,
Jesse jones, John Curlee, J. III. Swanson
and man named Cook, were arrested on the
2Sth of March, 1878, and charged with the
crime. All have in some way or another
been acquitted except Sprague, and he
stoutly maintains his innocence. There are
strong, bitter and threatening expressions
against the condemned man on the part of
some. while others favor the theory of his in.
nocepce. Mr.. Brooks, now District Attor-
ney, but formerly of Sprague's counsel,
boldly expresses his confidence in his former
clients innocence, and says he believes the
petition for executive clemency will receive
the signatures of nine-tenths of the residents
of the county. Others, however, give Just
the opposite figures. Through the courtesy
of Sheriff Detroy your reporter was accorded
an interview with the condemned man this |
afternoon at the jail The interview took |
place in the presence of the Sheriff and Dep
uty Sheriff. The reporter was ushered into a |
well-lighted apartment and introduced to the |
prisoner, who received him affably and invi- |
ted bin to be seated. On being informed |
that q dispatch was to be sent to the press in !
regard to his case, Sprague remarked that OF |
the
APPARENTLY CANDID PEOPLE
Who had visited him during his imprison- |
ment, some had done him justice in reporting |
his conversation perfectly, while others had I
lied about it aud misrepresented him almost |
without exception. However, as a rule, the |
reporters had treated him fairly. |
In response to questions he said g / am
allowed to see visitors freely, and believe it is !
the intention of the Sheriff that all shall be
None are turned away ex- /
cept, perhaps, such as call at unreasonable
hours. 1t will be two years and five months
on the 2Sth instant since | was brought here. |
During the first year my health was poor,
and | came pretty near dying. This last
say my general health. / am suffering
from an accident however. Five years ago |
[ was thrown from a horse and nearly para
lived. Since | have been confined here, with |
no manual labor to PERFORM | am recover
ing"
Reporter-Y claim to be innocent of this
crime, of course?
Sprague COMPATIBILITY III claim to be inno-
cent. All in the wide world ask is justice
fairly and squarely meted out.
Rep.-I hear some very bitter expressions
against you from some people, while others !
speak of you favorably as usual in such cases.
Sprague-There is good deal of bitter
ness against me on the part of some. The /
very men who are crying s. Hang him hang
him - have gene to sleep at my place and en-
joyed my hospitality for years, were foremost |
to turn against me in my trouble.
HOPES OF EXECUTIVE cLEMEycY.
Rep-Do you entertain hopes Of executive +
clemencv!
Sprague-I have hopes of executive inter
ference, certainly. | have nothing to base
those hopes upon. however, except the merits |
Of the case Just as it is. 1t seems tosIne that |
no fair-minded Governor on a candid exami- |
nation of my case, as it has been presented,
could fail to interpose.
Rep.-May | ask, do you expect to be par
doned. or to have a Communication of your sen
tence?
Sprague To be pardoned That's what l |
expect, if | get justice.
Rep-I understood that the murder is sup
posed to have been the elimination of land |
feud, in which yourself and others were con-
cerned?
Sprague-I know nothing of the murder or
what caused it. l had been one of the prime
movers in, and conductors of, the suits il the
contest between the settlers on the four league
rancho in this county, known as the Sespe
Rancho which we claimed to be Government
land, and L. Wallace More, who claimed to
be its owner. Since my arrest the Secretary
Of the Interior has decided it to be Govern
ment land.
Reps there anything particular you
wish to state in regard to your present
situation?
Sprague-I only wish to say in few words
that we can show as plain as can be shown
that the principal testimony against me was
bribed testimony. Jesse Jones, who pro-
fessed to turn States evidence, recanted after
the trial was all over. They rearrested him,
but had to discharge him. Itwas for perjury,
arson and murder. | hear he is in Arizona.
La regard to Hickerson, witness who soon
expected to die, and who testified that / con-
fessed the murder to him, l can show abso-
lutely that he was offered $1,000 by lawyer
to testify against me and make the testimony
to the prosecution. When he Oh
jected TO doing this, as he must so soon die,
the argument was urged, and it finally pre-
vailed with him that the 81 900 would be a
legacy to his family. Another witness was
forced into testifying against me by the fact
that there was $1,000 due him on piece of
and the money would otherwise lie
After testifying at the examine
ton he went away to Oregon to avoid being
at my trial, but they followed him up and |
compelled him to come back one argument |
used being that if he did not return and testify |
the 81, 600 would be withheld from him. He |
would never get paid for his little sand lot of |
q ranch.
THE FEELING AGAINST HIM.
Rep.-What reason can you assign for such
animosity against you?
Sprague with considerable warmth -Well,
I have talked good deal, and perhaps fool 7
ishly. I have talked against the land monop-
olist, in season and out of season, and they |
hate me with an undying hatred, and would
break my neck with rope at any moment
to stop my talking.
Rep see in the Free Press this morning
a dispatch from an inmate of San Quentin,
stating that he saw the murder committed,
and that you were not the murderer.
Sprague-In regard to that dispatch, you
know as much about it as l do. The man