Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-03
Poultry Dealer and Wife
in Tolls
WILLIAM SALTERS FOUND TO
HAVE BEEN SLAIN
DETECTIVES JONES AND BOYD
SECURE FULL CONFESSION
After Two Months Search Blood
hounds of Law Run Down Ono
Who Admits His Work
Caused Death

he uoSged persistence of Detec-
tives Charles Jones and Bruce
Boyd resulted yesterday in the
arrest Aof man and woman on the
charge of killing William Salters, a
veteran, August IA, after the coroner
ana other detectives had decided the
death was accidental and had aban-
doned the case.
The persons under arrest are Willis
Earnsting, ostensibIy a poultry dealer,
and his wife. The man has confessed.
According to the statement made
TO the police by Earnsting. the latter
saw Salters had money, enticed him
to rooming house where he and
Mrs. Earnsting were staying and
there. in struggle by which he hoped
to wrest the victims cash from him,
tell on him, causing injuries that re-
suited in DEATH
Appalled, at what he had done, but
determined to clear himself if possi-
Die, Earnsting confesses he dragged
the BODY down into an adjacent alley |
and stood by while a swill wagon |
driver forced his horses on to the |
prostrate and unconscious form.
When the driver, alighting, found !
the body and turned to Earnsting with |
an appeal to call the police the man
who had placed the inert form there,
said he, walked away with a shrug of
his shoulders and a ribald remark.
What connection the woman may
nave with the case, or how much she
knew of the death of the aged victim,
the police are not prepared to say but
she will be held pending further in
vestigation She will be put through
trying ordeal tomorrow, when the
police will put on the screws to extort
from her full statement.
Verdict Accidental Death"
coroner's jury had returned a ,
verdict to the effect that William
Salters, "A years old, who was found ]
sdying in an alley near Sixth street
between Spring and Main streets {
shortly before midnight August IA, I
had come to his death from accidental 7
causes. At the time of the finding of :
the body in the dark alley nearly two
months ago there were many indica
tions pointing to the fact the old man
had been brutally murdered.
But following a half-hearted investi- |
cation by Detectives Ritch and Rob- |
erds, who reported the old man had !
become intoxicated and was run over T
and killed by horses attached to
swill wagon, an inquest was held, De-
spite the fact the relatives of the dead 81
man and others who were familiar
with the case insisted it was mur-
der a verdict of accidental death was c.
returned.
At the inquest the testimony of Sam
uel White, driver of swill wagon, who :
WAS Ille IISI ppISOI TO uISCONCI lIlt |
body, to the effect that his horses prob
ably had stepped on the body, was l.
taken as sufficient evidence to warrant Pt
a verdict of accidental death.
At an autopsy performed before the
inquest was held DR.. George W. Camp Su
bell found Salter had sustained frac-
lures of fourteen ribs, which had been
torn away from the breast bone and Pr
had pierced the vital organs, causing
ieath.
Immediately on his arrest yesterday r.
1arnsting was taken into the office of
Chief Dishman and subjected to Wig
)rous questioning. At first he denied II
having had trou bic with anyone, evil n
lently thinking the verdict of the coro-
lers jury freed him from all suspicion. st.
His Indifferent attitude soon changed, o.
lowever, when link by link the de- ii
ectives revealed their knowledge of his Fec
,uilt. Then the Suspect became greatly cl
Xcted and made a full confession.
Makes Full Confession Hu u,
81 did not intend to kill the old man. i'll
only wanted to get his money" Earn Ru1
ting, according to the police, began his c
tory. 81 met him in a saloon, and ii
fter seeing him display a considerable Coy
mount, decided to take him to room II
t 5151s South Main street, where my
-ife and L were lodging that night, and Pen
)b him. Of
''The old man was quite drunk, and
was an easy matter for me to per- Disc
lade him to accompany me. We went "
4 porch at the rear of the rooming al
Duse. 1t overlooked the alley, and
ere was no chance of being observed
nolested because there was a door r.
aiding to the place, and this l closed.
MY main object was to take all his !
oney L did not want to hurt him. o.,
got SIS from him, when he seized me, W,
e we fao d struggle. l forced him pl
a ba !
lr weight broke the lock and the door Pari
w open. He fell to the floor and I ia
Il on top of him. of
1T rendered him unconscious, and
cked him up and half carried. half India
agged him down the rear stairs and Bo
d him in the alley Off
I hardly had time to lay him down
len swill wagon came along. I saw
, driver get off the wagon when the
rses stopped and run to the body.
e horses did not step on the body. Autor
The driver then came to where snort
s at the entrance to the alley and
d:
There is a drunk lying there; go r,,r
an officer If1F
"A policeman is the last person syou
mt to get in a case of that kind [
him, and walked away"
Wife May Be innocent
no Iand1od, Of +ba ,ooro,,,,, l,o,,.a -. BLl
" e.o,'th STaI,, 49, nouae ell The
"a - ~, It.j' .nta Niiol ques- retuT
heard the noise on the rear porch uras
the sound of "A person falling vio- ana
tly to the floor. She said she TSnar
ught nothing of the matter at the bamt
e, but when she read in the papers Ali
old man had died in the alley, she inal
CONTINUED on Page si1) tutiol