The San Francisco call., 1897-01-19
FORGER SANDERS
AGAIN IN COURT
Twice Convicted, He Still
Strives for Free
dom.
Third Trial of the Man Who
Last Saw William Woot-
ton Alive.
Beginning of Another Chapter in the
Mystery Yelling the Rancher's
. Disappearance.

FRESNO, CAL, Jan. 1s.-The third trial
Of Professor w. A. Sanders for forging the
name of William Wootton to $4,000 draft
on the Kutner-Goldstein Company OF this
city was begun before Judge Webb IN the
Superior Court to-day, and before evening
four Jurors had been sworn.
The case involves the mysterious disap-
pearance of Wootton from his ranch in
the foothills above Reedley nearly three
wears ago. Although sufficient evidence
has never been gathered to prefer the
charge. Sanders is believed to have been
responsible for Wootton's disappearance.
Wootton was last seen at his ranch on
January 81, 1894, according to authentic
information. He was then seen driving
eWay with Sanders by farmland named
Charles Rohloff. Since then no trace OF
him, either dead or alive, has ever been
found, although a determined search was
made At Sanders second trial the de-
tense had witness who claimed that he
had met the aged rancher in San Fran
cisco after February 1.
The Jury evidently did not believe the
witness, as it took them only forty min
utes at the conclusion of the trial to
arrive at verdict of guilty. At Sanders
first trial, which was held in June and
July of 1894 the jury disagreed. The Sec
ond trial took place in April, 1895.
Upon his conviction Judge Webb sem
tenced the professor to ten years. i'm
prisonment at Folsom. The defendant,
when refused new trial, appealed to the
Supreme Court which last September
reversed the denial of Judge Webb and
granted a third trial.
The same attorneys appear in the pres
ent trial as in the former two. The pros
ecution is being conducted by District
Attorney Snow and Samuel ]. Kinds, who
is employed by relatives of Wootton. The
defendant is represented by Frank Il.
Short and F. E. Cook.
The prosecution claims that it has some
new and very imp portant evidence to pre-
sent against Sanders at this trial, which
will prove beyond question, they assert,
that he is guilty. What this new evidence
is cannot be learned, but the men back OF
the prosecution are not given to making
statements OF this kind that cannot be
relied upon.
The alleged forgery for which Sanders
is on trial is believed to have been but a
beginning of a wholesale execution of for
geries whereby the defendant expected TO
gain possession of Wootton's wealth after
having got the ranch out of the way.
The prisoner says that a man named
John Knausch, who, as Sanders testifes,
"had the longest beard of any man in
California" purchased the ranch from
Wootton, and that he (KnauschJ trans
ferred the property TO him (Sanders) &C
cording to huge speculative scheme they
had form uated.
The prisoner says that Knausch was
present at the Wootton house on jar 1ary
81, 1894, when the big deal was consum-
mated. But the defendant has succeeded
in finding only two witnesses who ever
saw or heard of the mythical John
Knausch. When placed upon the stand
at the last trial these two men gave en-
tirely different descriptions of the man.
The mystery surrounding the disappear
ance of Wootton has never been surpassed
in the States history. For miles, toward
source and outlet, Kings River has been
dragged for the aged rancher's body, ii
being the general supposition that San
ders disposed of him there, but never a
trace was found.
Sanders is nearly go years of age and the
two years confinement in the county jail
here has told seriously on his health. He
appeared in court this morning looking
pale and emaciated, and expressed the
fear to CALL correspondent that he would
not be able to bear up under the ''torture' y
of the three or four weeks the trial will
last.