The record-union., 1896-03-09
Is RATRN THE MURDERER !?
Belief That II Was He Who Killed the
Two JapS.
He is Now in Jail and Identified as
the Man Who Was in Their
Company.


dered ex-Sheriff James Lansing some
thirteen years ago, and who was re-
leased from the State Prison last
spring. is in the County Jail with a
strong suspicion hanging over him that
he is the man who last Tuesday muir
dered the two japanese on the railroad
between Gait and Arno.
One Of the Japs, it win be remem-
bered, was brought here wounded on
the evening of the shooting, and Sheriff
Johnson had a talk with him at the
County Hospital that night. He told
the Sheriff that himself and murdered
partner Travelled by rail from Fresno to
Stockton, and started to walk from the
latter place to this city. They fell in
with a Russian who said he had just
come from the mines and was on his
way to Sacramento, and they Travelled
along together, the Japs sharing their
food with him.
Arriving at a point about midway
between Gait and Arno, early on Tues
day afternoon, the Russian drew pis
tol and shot one of the japanese dead
and wounded the other and then robbed
them. The wounded man said the muir
derer was of medium size, wore dark
clothes and a black derby hat. He had
dark mustache and the rest of his face
was covered with a stubby beard of
several days growth. From the Jap
who fell dead he took a silver watch and
some money, and from the other a pis-
toll
On Saturday Sheriff Johnson heard
that a Russian answering the descrip-
ton Of the murderer had obtained en-
ployment on the ranch of ]. Rutter,
near Florin, and with Deputy McDon-
aid he went to the Rutter place to in
vestigate the matter. He found the
man chopping wood. The Russian said
he came from Stockton and went to
work for Rutter on Tuesday
This latter statement Sheriff John
son found to be untrue, so he placed him
under arrest. Mrs Rutter said he came
to the place on Wednesday, the day
after the murder. The man was found
to answer the description given by the
wounded Jap (who died a few hours
afterward). except that the Russian
wore besides a mustache and stubby
beard a short chin beard, or goatee. He
had dark coat and black derby hat,
as described by the Jap.
Another suspicious circumstance is
that he carried two watches. One. with
DOCKET
of his vest, and this is supposed to be
the one stolen from the murdered jap
anese. On the way to this city the pris-
oner when asked his name, said it was
Simon, and subsequently admitted that
it was Simon Raten. He said he had
come from the mines in Calaveras
County and last Monday got on train
at Stockton, but was Tut off He de-
Of,
Japs, but singularly enough was him
self the first to speak of the murder the
Sheriff not having asked him anything
about it.
The watches he claimed to have
bought in Arizona, and the silver one
(the other is nickel-plated) he said
would not run. 1t had stopped at
o'clock Sheriff Johnson has since dis
covered that the watch is all right and
keeps good time.
While searching for the murderer on
Wednesday Sheriff Johnson found some
section men at work On the railroad
near Gait, who had seen the Russian
and the two Japs as they passed along
the track on Tuesday. Yesterday. in
response to a request by the Sheriff.
four Of these men came to the city to
as the man whom they had seen with
the Japs.
The four men, James Shea, William
Jeffrey, John Hartman and Patrick
Kearney, were taken into the jailyard
and about thirty prisoners, including
Raten, were marched before them.
Without hesitation, and without know
ing one prisoner from another they all
identified Raten as the man they had
seen travelling with the Japs a few
hours before the murder.
After Raten was sent to the State
Prison for shooting James Lansing
while trying to escape arrest for mur-
derous assault on a man on K street
Lansing having headed him off in an
alley-he acted so queerly that it was
thought he was insane. SO he was sent
to an asylum. Subsequently he was re-
turned to the penitentiary to serve out
his term Of life Imprisonment but Gov
ernor Markham commuted his sentence
and he was released a year ago last
month.
Since then he has been in the East,
and even tried to call on President
Cleveland, but was not allowed to enter
the Presidential mansion He has also
been in Arizona, and drifted back 20
Sacramento a few weeks ago, saying he
was in search of employment.
There is already quite a strong cir
cumstantial case agains. him, but Sher-
if Johnson expects to obtain more evil
dence connecting him with the murder
of the Japs.