The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-07
THE W0OTON MYS1ER REVIVED
Second Trial of w. A. Sanders
for Forgery.
How the Sight of Gold Made An
Uid Man Tremble.
Romantic Features of Celebrated Care
I'm Fresno County-No Tidings of
the Missing Rxnchcr.

FREsSo. Feb, 6.-The second trial oil
Professor william A. Sanders OF Selma,
for forging the name of William Wooton
to draft for $l400. began today. This
case involves one of the most remark
able and mysterious disappesrsncea on
record, It's details are picturesque and
romantic in the extreme and in the his
tory there is a strong flavor OF dime
novel plot and intrigue. Not quite
year ago Professor Sanders was arrested
on the charge of having murdered the
man for the forgery of whose signature
he ia now ON trial. But the absence oil
the corpus deficit made 1t impossible to
proceed with the murder trial. On
Sanders first trial for forgery the jury
disagreed. This was great surprise to
those familiar with the evidence against
Sanders until it became known that one
Of the trial Jurors was also one OF the de-
fendsnt'a bondsmen.
THE SIGHT OF GOLD.
About this time last year William
Wooton, q wealthy rsnchsr Of squaw
valley, near Reedly. this county. who
lived all alone excapt Tor the compan-
ship OF hired man, on ons of the
most valuable and picturesque ranch
properties along thu foothills OF the
Sierra Nevadas, disappeared from vision
under most extraordinary clroum"
stances, though they were not known
to be extraordinary until Professor San
ders began to tell his version OF bis
friends and patrons disappearance.
This was. briefly, that on certain day
two men, John Knsusch and Oliver
Graves, carried bag of gold containing
$40, 900 over tortuous mountain path
and down into the rear entrance OF
Uncle Billy Wooton's lonely cabin.
These men were friends OF Sanders.
They came to buy the Wooton ranch.
Wooton ct first refused to sell his prop
e.ty for $4,000. Then the men poured
out the gold coin on the deal table. and
promised Wooton check for 5000 on
a Los Angeles bank. The sight OF SO
much gold unnerved the old man. He
accepted the bargain. put the gold in
Sanders buck board, and drove off with
Sanders, Knausch and Graves toward
Reedly. His hired man. Chas. Rohloff.
saw him drive away (though he saw no
one on the premises that day except
Professor Sandsrs).
This is Prof. Sanders own story. told
by him voluntarily to the friends of
Uncle Billy Wooton before there was
thought to be anything strange In the
old mans absence. Presently letters
purporting to come from William
Wooton began to arrive at Reedly.
Some were addressed to Sanders and
some to other friends OF the absent
ranchsr. In q general way these lstters
told the same story that had already
been recited by Sanders, but in the va
rious accounts there were many wide
discrepancies. Sanders own statements
varied materially with each recital,
anG it was not long after the appear.
ance OF these letters shat grave suspi.
cions were entertained by the friends Of
the missing rancherlss to Sanders CON-
nection with the disappearance.
STRANGE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS.
Upon investigation it was found that
Sanders had made trips to Mojavs,
Barstow, San Bsrnardino and other
points from which the letters purported
to have been written, on the very dates
upon which they were mailed. Several
OF these letters TO Sanders gave him
authority to sell certain stocks and other
properties and to collect bills due
Wooton, and authorized him to per-
form many strange and unusual
financial transactions. in Wooton's
name, but for the personal profit OF
William A. Sanders. OF course, a part
OF Sanders story was that Knausch and
Graves had decided to him the most val>
liable acres OF the Wooton ranch, and
the alleged Wooton letters gave Sanders
authority TO take full possession OF the
entire ranch. Sanders was not slow in
following the advics contained in these
letters. and when Sheriff Scott finally
came TO arrest him for the murder OF the
missing rancher he found the professor
established as lord and master of not
only the Wooton lands, but of all the
cattle and appurtsnancss thereto, be-
sides ali the financial assets OF the miss-
ing Uncle Billy.
Both before and after his arrest
Saunders acted in very strange way.
To some he partly confessed the crime
which he was charged. and to all who
would converse with him be told the
most romantic, as we'll az most unreas-
enable tale OF the present wherea bouts
OF Wooton and the manner Of his dissp-
pearance.
| THOSE STRANGE LETTERS.
| The letters were examined by experts
and compared with voluminous speci.
meme OF Professor Sanders hand writing
and pronounced to be rank forgeriss
At once vigorous search was insti-
tuted for the body OF the missing raneher
The heirs in England offered larg,
reward for Willism Wooton, dead Of
alive. and this WAC supplemented by
further reward offered by the state OIL
California. The best detectives in the
state were employed upon the case 70
many weeks, and scores of volunteer
searching parties secured the foothills
and irrigatinq bitches for the miseinr