The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-24
HELD UP KING WHITE,
How a Round Valley Man
Enforced a Claim for
Money.
USED SHOTGUN LOGIC.
Daniel Woodman Compelled His
Ex.Partner to Square"
Accounts.
DEEDS SIGNED ON HORSEBACK.
One Individual Who Held His Own
Against the Mendocino County
Car.


Z. White, which tend to throw light upon
the character of the cattle king. Wood
man is the man who held up White and
forced him to sign promissory notes to the
amount of $29, 500 in payment of claim
Woodman maintained he held against
White. This took place on June 8, 1894,
when Woodman lay IN wait in a creek
three.quarters of a mile south of Covelo,
and when White rode by on his way from
town early in the evening, Woodman
called to him TO halt and, at the point of a
pistol, forced White to sign the notes.
What occurred there is best told in Whites
own language.
81 saw Dan Woodman on the Sth of
this month June, 1891 in a creek about
three-quarters of mile south of Covelo.
first saw him there about 3 o'clock In the
afternoon as.I went to town. He was ~
ing on the northwest side of the creek, and
wore goggles. | passed by and went to
town. 1 next saw Woodman about $50
o'clock in the evening as | was going from
town. l was going pretty fast and l loped
into the creek. He was on his horse facing
me, and yelled Hold on there; I've got
YOU and brought down big pistol. Get
down there, he says. Il have been a long
time waiting for you. killed your man,
and 1 am going to kill you. Get off the
horse 1 says, 4 would rather not
"One word brought on another. Then
he said, L want you TO sign some papers,
Says l, All right, l will sign whatever
you have got l wanted to put my hand
in my pocket for pencil. He says, Don't
put your band in your pocket; l will kill
you in an instant. l says, I meant to
get pencil He says, I got pen and ink
for you l think l says, You are pre-
pared I never had man come at me in
that style before. Then he got out his pa
pers. When he got the papers out to sign,
he still wanted me to get down. l told him
could sign them there. The last OF them l
signed on my leg. l says There are about
$25,000.' He says Yes, about S25,000.' 1
signed the notes because he told me he
would kill me, and he had pistol and
large sized Colts revolver think forty
four caliber. He says Il will kill you.
You have hired somebody to kill me- L
never did that says. He says Well
and he kinder grinned, they will swear to
it anyhow, no matter whether you said it
or not At that time couple of women
have monkeyed around here until these
two women came up Then L got away.
Then he says, Now, if you have any more
monkeying in court l will kill you any
how"
On this occasion White signed five
$4,000 notes, four al $1,000 and one at $500.
One that Woodman had prepared, amount
ing to $1,000, was not signed owing to the
appearance upon the scene OF the women
mentioned by White in his statement.
White at once came to Ukiah. where he
secured a warrant for the arrest of Wood
man. Two trials OF Woodman were had
On this charge, but on each the jury dis
agreed, and thereupon the District Attor-
nev, percelvIng that a conviction was i'm
possible dismissed the case against him.
Woodman still retains the notes, and
has expressed his attention OF collecting
the amo UNITS.
A man who came to town few days
ago stated that he had met Dan Woodman,
with his family, leaving Round Valley en-
route TO Hum boldt, and Woodman stated
to him that he had been given ten DAYS in
which to leave the valley. Who forced him
to leave he would not state; but Woodman
has few enemies in Covelo, and who those
few are every one knows.
The basis on which Woodman relies for
his claim against the cattle king is con-
tract, entered into between White and
W OOQnan on the 1SIn Jay OF June, 1854,
whereby White leased Woodman all his
interest in certain ranches known as the
Alder Point ranch, the Murphy ranch,
Dobbins Creek ranch, Sherwin ranch and
Buck Mountain range, ali in Humboldt
County, and the Van Dusen range in Trim
ity County. There was also leased TO
Woodman by the cattle king a half-inter-
est in 10000 sheep, which were owned
Jointly by the two parties 10 the lease.
The lease was to remain in force for two
years, and White was to receive $4,000 per
annum as rent.
Woodman had in the meantime incurred
considerable Indebtedness in Humboldt
County and was being pressed by credit
ors. OnAugust 4, 1885, he executed bill
OF sale of his interest in 10000 head of
sheep to White for an expressed considera-
ton OF $500. On August II, 1855. the
creditors OF Woodman filed petition ask
ing that Woodman be declared insolvent
and setting forth his indebtedness,
amounting to $53l3 rs. In this petition it
was alleged that Woodman had on August
3, 1885, transferred to White about 5000
head of sheep and that the con-
sideration moving from Woodman
TO White was $4,000, paid by credit
ing Woodman with the amount
of the sale upon pre-existing indebted
ness from Woodman to White Suisse
quently John S. Murray was elected assig-
nee OF NOOdIndn estate, and at once as
such assignee brought suit against White
for certain personal property, which it was
claimed Woodman had transferred to
White in payment of a pretended claim.
Upon the trial OF the case, much interest
ing testimony was brought as tending 10
show the relations of Woodman and White.
A verdict for $3.50 for the plaintiff was
rendered by jury. Anappeal was taken,
but the court below was affirmed in its
rulings, and the verdict stood. The action
was originally brought iii Humboldt
County, but transferred to this county
owing to Whites residence here.
After Woodlands discharge in insol-
vency he always maintained that the
transfer of stock over which the suit was
brought was with private understanding
between him and White that as soon as
he had extricated himself from his fnan-
cial embarrassment White would reconvey
to him the property. Bearing on this
point letter, written by the notorious
John ID. Wathen, more commonly known
as "Wylacky john (who was killed by
Clarence White, a brother-in-law of the
cattle king, while engaged in securing evil
dence against Clarence's sister, who is
Mrs. frankie White), to Woodman, in
which he cautioned him not to "squeal,"
Will be of interest. Wathen, as is gen.
orally knoEn, was Whites private secre.