The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-17

talked about searching parties did not ma
terialize. The authorizes, as well as
others, feared public ridlcule in case the
body should not be found.
Finally two men, having the full
strength of their convictions, being holder
than the others and keeping their inten-
tons secret from all but those who were
to participate in the search, went forth and
dug boldly for two hours and found moth
ing.
Digging is hard work and acts as dis
peller o. what the world calls illusions.
The party returned to Reedley with good
deal less enthusiasm than when it started
out. J. II. G..
VISALIA, CAL, May 16.-It is not gen.
orally known that William Wootton left
will. Indeed, the fact has just been dis
covered, though months have elapsed
since the final distribution of the estate by
the Probate Court of Fresno County. In
the adjudication of the property after
| Wootton was declared legally dead and
| the forged deeds to Sanders annulled no
will was found and no mention was made
of will.
Yet there was a will. Did Sanders find
it and destroy 1t while he had possession
of the old mans property and access to
many of his private papers? This is not
considered probable, and the whereabouts
of that will promises to become as great a
mystery as the whereabouts of the BODY of
the man whose estate it was designed to
bequeath.
The Will was drawn up at Visalia, and
Upton Lindsey and E. NJ. Bently of this
city we're named in it as administrators.
julius Levy, notary public, drew up and
witnessed the will, and himself, with Max
Bravaman, all of this city, signed the doc
ument as witnesses.
All these men named were Odd Fellows
and members of the same lodge at Visalia
with William Wootton. This is known as
Visalia Lodge No. "a. Both OF the admin
| istrators and executors named in the will
have died since the disappearance of
| Wootton, and it is thought quite likely
that the will was in the possession of one
of these. Wootton was quite an enthusi-
astic Odd Fellow. He took great inter
est in his lodge, and rarely missed any of
it's meetings, though he had to travel
many miles to attend them and remain at
Visalia over night.
Wootton was well known in this CITY
and in Tulare County, where he had MANY
friends. When it was first known that he
| Was mloSiuS bHo Ouu IcliOWS OI N1Sdlla
took the initial steps toward searching
for him, and later on it was through their
efforts great deal that Sanders was finally
arrested and brought to trial.
Not great deal of credence is placed in
the reported visions of the spiritualists at
Fresno, except by those of course who
believe in what is called spiritualism. Yet
Visalia is deeply interested in the search
and lives in the hope that one day the
great mystery Will be cleared and Woot-
tons last resting place disclosed.
julius Levy the notary public who exc
cuted William Wootton's will, says he
does not know what disposition was made
of the document. Wootton took it away
with him after it had been duly attested,
and no one can be found now who knows
what was done with it.
According to Mr.. Levy's best recollec-
ton the will left the bulk of the estate to
the testator's brother in England. There
may have been some smaller requests, but
there is no one living now who can re.
member to whom they were made. Should
the will be discovered its presence would
| probably not effect the status of the es-
tate, since the owner of the property is at
present the chief legatee named in the will.