The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-05-28
Run DOWN AT LAST.
Successful Result of a two Years
Search for a California
Murderer.

Los Angeles, Cal, May 22.-Deieciives
Of this citv have made startling discOv-
erv that Springer. the notorious Cotton
murderer, hose remains wer- supposed 10
haYe b EN- found IN the mountains near
San Bernardino, * alive, and has made a
statement If the circumstances of the kill
Ing OF his young wife two years ago, and
his subsequent movements. Springer is
located In mining town on the coast,
here lac fled after the tragedy. He has
been seen and identified BY two men who
know him well. To them he stated that
he had killed his wife in sudden fit Of
anger. lie then fed to the noun
taius. Just ut daybreak he met i
tramp, when The idea occurred 20 him TO
kill the tramp and. changing clothes with
him, make the officers think that Springer
had committed suicide. Without a word
Of warning be shot the tramp. In chang
ing clothing he forgot about his wife's Jew
elry and Left it in the pocket Of the gar
ment which h. put on ms victim. He al
so left pistol In the tramp's hand. lie
hen left the scene Of his second crime. 1t
was the tramp's body that the detectives
saw that was found a few weeks 90 and
taken for that of Springer, owing to the
jewel and pistol that were found upon it.
Those who have seen the murderer in his
present hiring place represent him as al
most crazy from brooding over his two
crimes. The detectives refused to state the
place where they have located him, but
say an officer is now on Tie way TO arrest
him.
The story of Springer's crime reveals
one OF the fOule crimes 10 California an
mails. On January 4, 1887, compile ar
tiyed al Cotton and registered as William
Pierce and wife. The rext day at noon
the dead body of The woman was found in
bel id a room, with the head broken by
blows from blunt instrument. probably a
w-hammer, Which was found on the
bed, and the he ID was ne irly cut off, evil
deltly with dull knife. The walls of he
room were spattered with he woman's
blood and brains, and everything indicated
she had made desperate resistance. The
woman's handsatchel hal been rihed and
IN attempt made TO destroy all traces of
The i6e1tity of the pair by burning papers
in the fireplace. Several photographs bad,
however been overlooked, and they were In
the original envelope in which they had
been sent by San Francisco photograph
er to Miss Katie Handorff, at B Iyermore,
and that was found TO have been the wo-
MAS name. Her gold watch aud jewelIy
were N ssing
The man disappeared several hours be-
fore the crime was discovered. He headed
towards the mountains aud the last trace
os him was found only short distance
from San Bernardino. Although the fugi-
tive had only a short start of his pursuers
he eyaded capture, and the search for
him was as dismal failure AS the long
pursuit Of tascOtr, the murderer of old
millionaire Smell, of Chicago.
Large rewards were offered Tor his cap
ture, but the detectives Oulv succeeded in
learning that his real name was William
Springer, gambler, who Undue d the un-
fortunate woman To- go to Cotton to buy
real estate. He thought she carried con-
siderable money II her satchel, and this
was the cause OF the crime.
Several months ago the body OF a man
was found in the hills back Of San Bernar-
dino with bullet hole in the skull. The
clothing represented that worn by Spring
er, and the Identification of the murderer
seemed to be completed by the discovery
Of several articles OF jewelry, which were
known to have been stolen from the dead
woman's satcbel. The lack Of her watch,
however, excited the surprise OF detectives,
and several declared that the body was not
SpriDger's.