Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-20


murdered his wife, and the evidence
against him was as follows:
His wife, a vaudeville actress, had
left him the preceding spring and had
refused to return to him. The prin-
opal cause for this separation ap-
peared to have been his inability to
support her in comfort, so that she
preferred independence. with the GER
tatnty OF moderate income through
her own efforts, to the tiresome rou-
tine of household duties in the home
of a man earning a clerks salary.
During the unreasonable months Of
July and August she had earned a
livelihood by posing for moving pic
ture plays. Sanford had repeatedly
visited her at her apartment to be-
seech her TO return to him. He had
been heard TO utter threats in case
she remained obdurate. On the occa-
sion Of his last visit previous to the
tragedy his wife had been heard to
order him out OF the house, and she
had forbidden him TO modest - sur
Their.
One week later, at nine o'clock in
the morning, the maid who came IN
daily TO clean the apartment found
Mira. Sanford lying lead in a chair
with a deep stab wound Immediately
beneath the right arm. Death had
evidently been almost instantaneous.
for there was no sign OF a struggle.
and the woman's face was as tranquil
as though she had flung herself down
upon the cushions for a brief rest
after the labors OF the day.
The chief witness against Sanford
vas the woman who rented the apart
ment adjacent TO Mrs. Santord's. She
testified that she had met Sanford
upon the stairs on the preceding eve
ming. had seen him enter his wife's
apartment, and subsequently heard
the sounds of a violent alteration,
after which Sanford left the house in
q condition of intense excitement.
Two hours or so later she heard him
return and ring Mrs. Sanfords bell.
She heard voices raised in alteration
in the apartment and heard Sanford
again leave, but IN a stealthy and
secretive manner wholly unlike his
usual method Of departure. She heard
him creep down the stairs and list
ened at the wall. but could make out
no further sound next door. Doubtless
the murder had already been accom-
plished.
The weapon with which the murder
had been committed was found in a
contiguous building lot next day. 1t
was a Malay kriss, knife with an
incredibly keen edge, which Mrs. San
ford had owned. and the murder had
been committed with an upward
thrust. Upon the right side Of the
ivory handle, when the blade was held
edge upward. we're the blood-prints OF
four gloved fingers.
When called in for the defense
urged Sanford to plead guilty to man.
slaughter. told him there was every
reason to hope that he would escape
with a sentence of fifteen or twenty
years. In the FIRST place. the fact that
he had worn gloves, in the second
the fact that the weapon had beer
taken from Mrs. Ssuford's wall, where
II had hung, clearly indicated absence
of generalization; while the jury
would show every consideration to q
But Sanford obstinately insisted thai
he was innocent. He admitted thai
he had called on Mrs. Sanford the
evening before the tragedy to induce
her 10 return to him. She had refused
he said, and tainted him with tn,
story OF n rival for whose sake she in
tended to obtain a divorce.
4 was only half convinced, in spite
Of the vehemence of Sanford's denial
I have heard criminals assert thei
innocence most convincingly, only Il
admit theiT guilt after conviction.
Have you any theory as to Wit
the murderer was?" asked.
The man she tainted me about,
cried Sanford He had been poster
ing her for weeks to divorce me ant
marry him, had threatened her witt
death unless she consented. She pre-
tended to me that she intended I,
comply; but know In my heart tina
she always loved me. II / had onl.
earned more money she would hav
come back to me. Do you think
should have hung round her 70
months without some reasonable hope
I tell you she hated that fellow; sh
Just tried to play each of US OF
against the other"
Sanford insisted that this man hal
been the second visitor on the nigh
OF the murder. and had slain Mr.
Sanford in a Jealous rage when sh
finally refused to marry him. But b
had never seen him and knew nothin
of his identity.
That was all had 20 go upon. Tn
woman in the apartment next to Mr..
Sanford's admitted that she had nc
actually seen Sanford return on tn
night OF the murder. She was cor
WINGED. however. that the second wis
itor was he. She had no reason 70
this conviction, but she was all til
more certain OF IT,
was willing to believe that Sal
ford had had rival for Mrs. Sar
ford's affections. and that he had fr,
Quently visited the woman. Probabl
she had been holding on both me