By Richard Senate –
The murder of Thomas Wallace More remains one of the greatest mysteries in Ventura County’s history, with unanswered questions that continue to intrigue. The case even captured national attention, drawing headlines in newspapers across the United States.
In the early morning hours of March 24, 1877, five masked men crossed the Santa Clara River to the More Ranch near Bardsdale (modern-day Fillmore). Armed and intent on violence, the men set fire to the barn. When ranch owner Thomas Wallace More rushed out with four of his workers to save the livestock, three of the attackers opened fire,fatally shooting him.
The ranch workers—Juan Olivas, the wrangler; “Jim” Tot, the Chinese cook; Jose Ramerias, a Chumash vaquero; and George Ferguson, the ranch foreman— witnessed the ambush but were unarmed and powerless to intervene. Ferguson later recalled hearing one of the killers shout, “Die, damn you, die!” as More was shot eleven times at close range.
The killing stemmed from a long-standing feud between More and local settlers over water rights and land boundaries. Known for his arrogance and unwillingness to compromise, More had alienated many of his neighbors. Tensions escalated over time, with threats exchanged by both sides.
Upon learning of his brother’s murder, Alexander More—a wealthy Santa Barbara landowner—took charge of the investigation. What began as a pursuit of justice quickly turned into a personal vendetta against the settlers’ league that had opposed Thomas. Although tracks near the Santa Clara River suggested five attackers, Alexander had seven men arrested, including Frank Sprague, leader of the Sespi Settlers League.
A high-powered legal defense team, later discovered to be financed by California’s notorious “Big Four,” represented the accused. In the end, only Sprague was convicted. Another suspect, John Churchill, confessed to the murder but died in jail before sentencing. Sprague was sentenced to hang, but the governor commuted his sentence to life in prison. He served only a few years before being released.
One of the witnesses, the Chinese cook, received a generous payment and returned to Canton, China, where he bought a house and land.
The full truth behind the murder may never be known. The trial, held at the old courthouse on Santa Clara Street in Ventura, was closely followed in the Ventura Signal newspaper. Some observers noted that the reporting contained oddly specific details not found in the court records—suggesting possible insider knowledge.
Even today, much about the case remains cloaked in mystery.
Side Note: One individual involved in the case later relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah. In an interview with the Deseret News, he claimed to possess secrets that would “blow the lid off the More murder.” The next day, he and his wife were found shot dead in their bedroom, while their children, asleep upstairs, were left unharmed.
