The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-24
TESTING THE FEE LAW.
Action to Be Brought by So
Iano Justices and Con-
stables.
TWO sHERIFFs UNDER ARREST.
Serious Complications Growing Out
Of the Kidnapping OF
Prisoner.

FRESNO. CAL. April % - Professor
" Sanders Is guilty. At $50 tonight the
Jury brought IN j verdict to that effect
after only & few minutes deIberation.
Only one ballot was taken.
The crime for which Sanders has been
:. convicted was that OF forging the name OF
William Wootten 10 draft for S140O. To
prove the defendant guilty. however. re
iduired the establishing Of facts that also
prove that Wootten was murdered by his
e friend. and 1t was the wish Of Sanders at
torneys 10 avert this charge that caused
such a stubborn fight 10 be made IN his
defense.
Wootten was an old rancher, living near
Reedley, II this county. He was an
EngIishman and owned much valuable
. personal property IN addition 10 his farm
Of about 5000 acres. He lived IN little
cabin with one workman, a Dane, named
Charles ROhlOf. 1t was learned that he
had relatives IN England, but beyond this
almost nothing was known OF his history.
He had no family and seldom spoke OF
himself
Professor ". 4. Sanders lived near BY
and mad become very friendly with the old
able education, and for many years Of his
long residence in Fresno County he had
taught schools. Altogether he was the
last man who would be suspected OF one
Of the most coId-blooded, deliberately
planned murders ever committed IN the
county.
For many months previous TO the COM
mission OF the crime, Professor Sanders
had, so It appears. been laying his plans.
He told Wootten that an old friend OF his,
John Knausch, wanted TO look over the
ranch, with the intention OF buying.
WOotten told his hired man, RohIoff. who
was the closest friend the reticent old
rancher had, that he was well contented
with his quiet home and would live there
to-the end OF his days Within a few days
papers had been fled IN the County Re
corder's Office showing that the ranch had
become Sanders. Wootten was missing.
According TO Sanders story. for he was
compelled 10 tell i story TO avert suspicion
from himself, Wootten had finally decided
10 sell the ranch 70 knausch. On Febru-
ary l. 1894, so the professor said, Knausch
and a companion named r. L. Graves had
gone 10 Wootten's cabin By a roundabout
trail carrying with them $4,000 IN gold.
Sanders had met them at Wootten's cabin,
and although at first the old man refused
to accept any offer he yielded when the
gold coin was poured out on the table.
II addition 10 this amount, knausch and
Graves gave him check on Los Angeles
bank for $25, coo. After the sale was made
all four men left for Fresno. Sanders and
'WoOtten going one way with the gold and
the other two men. who are now known 10
have been myths, going back over the trail
ROhlof was pIowing IN q field near the
road and he noticed that Wootten sat on
the seat like corpse. Sanders said that
e.. .Wootten took the train from Fresno or
70 some other station, and that several times
afterward be had received letters from
him.
These letters, as well as others, sent to
different friends Of W0oten's are now
known TO have been mailed by the mur-
derer 10 direct suspicion away from him.
The crime for which Sanders was finally
brought to trial was that OF having forged
the old man's name 10 a draft on the Kut-
ner-Goldstein Company for S14O0. It is
now known that this Is only one Of many
forgeries that were necessary TO cover the
murder.
Great excitement was caused all over the
State by the news Of the mysterious disap-
pearance. At the close of the first trial.
which was bitterly contested, the Jury
stood seven TO five in favor OF conviction.
The second trial closed at s:45 tonight,
after having been in progress two and q
half weeks.
Judge J. r. Webb instructed the jury
and told them that he would wait until 10
O'Clock for their report. It was generally
believed that the jury would not agree and
would have to be locked up for the night
Many people were still waiting anxiousIy
IN the courtroom, however, when at $50
the jury sent word 10 Judge Webb that
they we're ready to report They filed into
their seats and Foreman L. r. Williams
announced that they had found the de-
fendant guilty
Sanders looked blank for moment, but
gave no other sign OF emotion at the result
OF the trying ordeal Of the past few months.
His attorney, Frank H. Short, informed
the CALL correspondent after the trial that
the case would be appealed. 1t is very
likely that Sanders will have to answer to
other charges Of forgery, and also for per-