The record-union., 1895-02-11
MURDER WILL OUT,

How the Identity of the Guilty Par
ties Was Discovered.
a RECoRD-UNIoN reporter has been
keeping pace with the officers in their
work on the case, and this is how he tells
the story of the discovery of the identity
OF the murderers:
The first really authentic clue to the
identity OF the Weber murderers was OBJ
tanned by officer W. z. Rutherford.
while engaged in tracing the perpetrators
OF robbery that occurred on December
10th IN the town of Capay, GoIo County.
when the store of w. faudy was robbed
OF quantity of gloves. three blue COM
blnation coats and two pairs of gum boots.
Portions OF the proceeds of this robbery
were offered for sale by George Sprout,
who was acting as a go-between for his
brothers Joseph and William, who, in
company with ''Shy Red" alias Ander-
son, alias Sands, and another man named
Hagerty, were under suspicion OF having
committed not only this particular rob-
berry, but were also wanted for the loot
ing of store at Woodland and the blow
ing up OF Z safe at Latrobe.
The officer captured George Sprout on
the street one evening, a few days
after the commission of the Weber MUIR
der, and openly accused him Of being an
accessory thereto. This Sprout stren-
uously denied. but admitted that his
brothers and their pals had committed
various burglaries.
sPROUT OWNS Up.
Rutherford then told Sprout that he was
convinced that his brothers had also com
mitted the Weber murder. At first
Sprout absolutely denied that his broth
ers had participated in the crime. but
eventually weakened and acknowledged
that they were present. He promised-if
1t could be arranged that his brothers be
allowed TO turn States evidence-that he
would betray the other guilty parties into
the hands OF the police. This was agreed
upon, ana he informed the officer where
the proceeds of the Capay affair were Sc
creted.
In the meantime the clothing worn by
the murderers had been discovered and
taken to the Police Station.
WILSON OBTAINS A CLEw.
Officer Wilson obtained information
that led him to suspect the same parties
of being implicated in the murder. and
also learned that Ellis Harlow had pre-
sented q coat to Shy Red" Harlow
went TO the police station and positively
identified the garment.
II has also been learned that on the
night of the Weber murder ''Shv Re0D
borrowed a pistol at the Steam boat Sa-
loon on Front street, which be has not
returned 10 its owner.
NANDEELNGS OF THE GANG,
On the Sth of January the Sprout gang
came back TO Sacramento and arranged
10 procure room in the Gleeman HOusa
at Third and ] streets. After the COM
mission of the Weber murder ,on the ID
of january they left Sacramento and
made a trip up through Marysville to
Red Blutf, returning by way Of Willows
and " oOdland.
on their return to the city they COM
faH vii
him a new canvas coat. part of the pro-
cseds of a recent robbery, telling him 10
dispose OF it and procure some opium.
ON that day, the Sth, they were seen on
FronG street by Andrew Black, who nOti-
FED Officer Wilson, but they could not
again he found.
As George Sprout was walking along
Third street, toward X. be ran into the
clutches Of Special Officers FITZGERALD
and Warner, whe arrested him on sus-
picion. The others witnessed the arrest.
and fearing that George SprOut might
prove fsithless, they lied the city, going
TO Oakland.
George Sprout. alter being locked m.
made repeated Inquiries for Oflicer
Rutherford, saying he had something to
tell him. The following morning when
rutherford reported al the station he was
informed that Sprout wanted 10 see him.
He went 10 the prisoners cell, and there
lGaAlG % NLO t'ASSS4SS VI tue gang in
Sacramento.
But THEY HAD SKIPPED.
Rutherford then laid all his information
before Chief Drew. and requested that
George Sprout be allowed his liberty.
This was agreed upon, ana the latter then
secured the city in search of the murder
ers. but without success, as they had al
ready ted.
on January Goth officer Wilson placed
George Sprout under arrest on a charge
of vagrancy, aud pending his trial he
made many important confessions 10
Serreant Plunkett and Officer BALI. all
OF which have helped forge the chain con-
Meeting the gang with the murder of the
WebeTs.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT CLUE
was obtained by Sheriff Johnson in the
following manner. on January Sd man
giving the name of Lee Atkinson was
brutally beaten in the vicinity of Twelfth
and * streets, and Sheriff Johnson, while
Investigating the matter, found that q
man had purchased new pair OF shoes at
q secondhand clothing store on *, be-
tween Second ana Third.
After paying for them he removed the
pair be wore and threw them into a cor
ner OF the store, put on the new ones, and
disappeared. The shoes were literally
soaked with blood. The Sheriff produced
his book of criminals photographs. and
the dealer Immediately identified William
Sprout as the party who had purchased
the shoes.