Table of Contents
THE SANCHEZ FILE, Chapter Twelve
Enter George W. Crane
On May 23, 1855, Encarnacion Sanford made her third appearance
as a widow before the probate court in the death of husband Henry
Sanford. She asked that Nicholas Ashmore be named as the administrator
of the Sanford estate. It was valued at $2500, mostly of cattle and horses.
A few weeks later she changed her mind about Ashmore and
asked that attorney George W. Crane be appointed as administrator.
Crane was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1827, the son
of William Crane, a hide and leather dealer.
Coming to California in 1846, Crane joined Fremont's California
Battalion. In 1850 he was elected to the state assembly from Yolo County,
but on a recount was unseated.
Following this he moved to Monterey. Two months after
meeting him, Encarnacion Sanford and Crane are married. He is 33 and she
is 36. As her fourth husband, he becomes known as George the IV.
Before they were married the couple had signed a pre-marital
agreement, although it was called an indenture. The details are hard to
believe.
Crane pledged his love to her and promised to be a loyal
and faithful husband. As a token of his affection he gave her a 5$ gold
piece. Encarnacion in return, deeded to him and his heirs forever, her
entire interest in the Sanchez estate.
The document drafted by Crane is specific as what he is
to receive:
Her share of the three ranchos with their 44,000
acres; 2500 head of horned cattle; 500 sheep; 100 head of horses, mares
and colts; 10 yoke
of oxen and all personal property including homes and
other structures.
I am personally acquainted with Encarnacion Ortega
Sanchez, maker of the instrument and was present when she made her X, being
unable to write. The contents were interpreted to her in my presence
and she acknowledged fully that she understood the contents.
What could have been Encarnacion's motives in giving everything
she owned to Crane? Wealth had brought her nothing but grief. She was asking
Crane to assume the responsibility of raising six young children by two
of her husbands. She knew the Sanchez estate was still in danger and Crane
would have to devote all of his legal skills to protect the estate.
Finally, was Crane tempting fate by marrying a woman whose
three previous husbands had met tragic deaths?
In Monterey many people still believed that Roach had
hidden the Sanchez treasure and was awaiting the right time to dig it up.
Monterey was consumed by rumors and suspicions.
Two friends of Roach picked the wrong time to leave town
on an innocent trip by horseback, leading a pack horse. The men were Isaac
Wall and Thomas Williamson, prominent and well liked members of the community.
As they rode out of Monterey someone stalked them.
New York
Times,
December 12, 1855
Monterey, California
ATROCIOUS MURDER OF TWO FUNCTIONARIES IN MONTEREY
HON ISSAC B. WALL, Collector of the port of Monterey,
and T.S. WILLIAMSON, an officer of the county of Monterey, were murdered
on the 10th instant. The first reports were received here by express and
telegraph, and produced an intense sensation throughout this community.
Messrs. WALL and WILLIAMSON
were on the road from Monterey to San Luis Obispo, and
were assassinated when about 25 miles from the former place. They were
both shot through the head, from behind, the wounds being apparently made
by rifles.
WALL had upwards of $1000 in a belt upon his person, and
WILLIAMSON, $150, also in a belt. None of this money was taken, from which
an inference is drawn that revenge was the motive of the assassination.
It may be, however, that the murderers intended robbery, but were alarmed
before they accomplished their object, and to this hypothesis there is
some evidence, to wit that WALL'S saddle bags were opened, and his papers
strewn about, his pistol was stolen, as also was a ring which was taken
from his finger...
He was well known throughout the State, and had a host
of ardent friends. At present there is a mystery hanging of this tragic
occurrence which time can only clear up.
A party of outlaws, presumed to be connected with the
murder, was traced to the Salinas River, where they made a stand to resist
an arrest from a company of men who were in pursuit of them. A fight ensued,
in which two of the pursuing party were killed and two wounded, according
to the accounts received by telegraph from San Jose, although subsequent
advices, represent that but one was killed. The whole county round about
Monterey is in a state of great excitement, and determined to arrest the
murderers. They cannot possibly escape.
The Monterey Sentinel had published
a more detailed account of the murders.
Sat. Nov. 17, 1855
Monterey,
HORRIBLE MURDERS
Our community was thrown into an intense state of excitement,
on Saturday last, by the report that Isaac Wall and Thomas Williamson had
been murdered and that their bodies lay exposed by the road side.
One of the most fiendish and diabolical murders has been
committed in our midst, in the open broad day light, that we believe to
be unparalleled in the annals of crime in California
Wall and Williamson started from Monterey on horseback
on Friday about noon, Wall was going to his former home in San Luis Obispo
and Williamson to the newly discovered placers of Santa Ynes.
They spent the first night at the Guadalupe Ranch of M.
Malarin and left the next morning about 7 o'clock. About 9 at the Gonzales
rancho on the opposite side of the Salinas river shots were heard.
Afterward there came a horse saddled and bridled, but
without a rider, and was found to be wounded in the back,
the ball having passed through the part of the leather which covers the
horses back behind the saddle.
Another horse came in afterwards, much frightened and
without his rider. The people of the rancho discovered the body of Wall
in a small ravine just off the main road.
The body had been dragged from the road a short distance
and then thrown down the ravine. Wall had been shot in the back part of
the head, the ball coming out at the right eye. Also a ball had passed
through the wrist of his left hand so himself and horse had received three
balls in all. The clothing on his person was not disturbed much, but his
pistols, spurs and ring that had evidently been forced from his finger
was gone.
The saddle bags of his packed horse was rifled and the
contents scattered, and the bullets missing.. it is said they were Minnie
rifle bullets. Upon further examination the body of Mr. Williamson
was found about thirty yards from Mr. Walls, but was secreted in the bushes
. There were marks showing where the unfortunate men fell to the ground
after receiving their death wounds and where the bodies had been dragged
to the ravine, and then thrown down. Mr. Wiliamson's face was bruised from
being dragged
with his face downwards; he was found to be shot
at the thickest part of the scull, the ball could be could be felt with
the finger and was afterwards extracted.
It appears that the robber did not effect their
object with the first shot, for he had received another, evidently
with the muzzle of the pistol placed very near his head, from the fact
that nearly his whole ear was torn away with the force of the shot. Mr.
Wall had one thousand dollars confined to his person in a money belt, but
which was undisturbed.
Mr. Williamson had some two hundred dollars, also concealed
which was found on his saddlebag, but his pistol was gone. the villains
had evidently taken alarm and fled.
On November 16, Governor John Bigler offered a reward of
$1000 for the
apprehension of the murderers. The suspected killer,
not identified in the New York Times story, was Anastacio Garcia, a notorious
outlaw. The deputy slain in the gun battle at the Garcia home was
Joaquin de la Torre.
Garcia was wounded but managed to escape and make his
way to a hide-out near Los Angeles. When Mrs. Garcia attempted to join
her husband, she was followed and Garcia was arrested.
Brought back to Monterey he was charged with the murders
of Wall, Williamson, de la Torre and two others he had committed the previous
year. Garcia was placed in the Monterey Jail awaiting trial.
On February 17, 1857 a visitor entering the jail found
the sheriff and jailer tied up. Upon being freed they went to Garcia's
cell and found his body hanging from the rafters.
The motive for Garcia's murder has never been found. Perhaps
he knew too much about Roach's activities. His killer or killers were never
found.
Chapter Thirteen