Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-14
MASSAcRED BY BANDITS,
The Coils Train Robbers
Again Red-Handed.
A Posse Pursuing Them Led
Into Ambush.
Three Men Killed and Fourth
One Seriously Wounded.
Bandit Evans Crippled by One of the
Officers, but with His Partner
eontag He Made HIS
Escape.

By the Associated Press.l
SANGER, CAL, Sept. 13.-For more
than week Evans and Sontag, the Col
lis train robbers, have been staying in
the neighborhood of Sampson Flat. a
thickly wooded rough country, where
they could secrete themselves to GER
tain extent. They wandered around in
a radius OF few miles, and were re-
peatedly seen by parties knowing them.
Having heard of their whereabouts, De-
tective Will Smith and party OF elk
white men and two Indian trailers, who
had been brought from Yuma for the
purpose of tracking the robbers, had
been in that part of the country for sew
eral days. The posse was on its way to
Sampson Flat today, and had got within
two miles of that locality, when they
stopped at the cabin of man named
Jim Young. They stopped there to
cook some provisions, not expecting to
meet the train robbers in that immedi-
ate neighborhood. The poese was going
down a narrow trail, which turned in
plain view of anyone who might happen
to be in the cabin. They were proceed
ing leisurely, in Indian file, Wick d.
Wilson, deputy United States marshal
from Tucson, Ariz., leading, with Frank
Burke, deputy sheriff from Yuma,
next. A man named McGinnis fol-
lowed, and next came Warren Hill, one
of Sanger's constables, who was leading
pack animal.
They arrived at Young's cabin, and
Wilson and Burke, who had gone within
the fence, were within 10 feet of the
front door, when the door was suddenly
thrown open, and Evans and Sontag
came out quick az fash, and opened
regular fusilade of shots on the party.
Wilson and Burke, before they could
turn round or reach their arms, were
killed in their tracks.
At the time the shots were fired at
Wilson and Burke, Warren Hill was
tying his horse and the pack animal to
fence. McGinnis was standing along
side of Warren Hill. As soon as Wilson
and Burke had fallen, the murderers
turned their attention to the rest of the
party, and rapidly fred numerous shots
at them. One rife shot passed through
the neck of Fred Witty, inflicting an
ugly, though not dangerous wound.
McGlnnis was shot and dropped dead
by Warren Hills side. A charge of
buckshot was fred at Hill, but he
happened to be standing behind his
horse, and was not hurt, the horse re-
ceiving the entire charge.
The party was taken completely by
surprise, and did not have time to re-
turn the fire. The two Indian trailers,
however, discharged their weapons on
the robbers, but it is not known with
what affect.
The horses of the posse stampeded in
the tumult. The remainder of the
posse dispersed.
Evans and Sontag then Immediately
turned and went through the house,
out at the back door, and escaped, going
in northeasterly direction, and that
was the last seen OF them.
Will Smith and the Indian trailers
stayed to deal with the wounded men.
Hill started after one of the frightened
horses, and succeeded in capturing it.
He then carried the news of the disaster
to the Sequoia mill of the Kings River
Lumber company, and transmitted it to
the Associated Press correspondent.
Hill says they were going down there
to lie in wait for the robbers tonight.
In talking with Hill this evening, he
informed the correspondent that he
thought it likely that the robbers would
attempt to escape by coming down the
lumber hume on RATS, and that they
would probably stop all communication
for the time by cutting the telegraph
wires.
Sheriff Kay had been out with a posse
and came away sick, and had just ar
rived at Sanger when he learned of the
disaster.
Parties are being formed in all the
small towns of the foothills tonight, and
q large body of men will, in the next
few days, give the murderers hard
chase. 1t is now thought that the pos
siblllty OF the robbers escaping is very
remote, their camping outfit having
been captured, and it being assured that
their ammunition is not very plentiful.
An intimate friend of Chris Evans
told one OF the herders on the fume
that he had seen Evans q day or two
ago, and that Evans told him they were
going to leave the country in little
while, but not before they had had an
other crack at the Southern Pacific.
The same man stated that the friends of
the robbers were very numerous in that
part OF the country, and that they
seemed devoted to them, and that they
would supply them with bedding, food
and ammunition.
Warrants have been issued for the ar
rest of certain parties believed to have
afforded protection to the robbers, and
it is thought that this will have a favor
able result.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The Story. Of the Encounter, as Related
by Fresno Correspondent.
FRESNO, Sept. ia posse encoun-
tered Evans and Sontag at Sampson
fat today, and an exchange of shots