Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-27
THE ROuNDA TRAIN ROBBERY,
Interesting Developments in
the Sontag Trial.
The Coil of Evidence Tightening
Around the Defendant.
Express Messenger Roberts Identihe'
Him as One of the Robbers-Strong
Corroborative Testimony Given
by Others.


by Others.
BY the Associated Press
FRESNO, Oct. 26.--In the Son tag trial
today George Roberts, the express mes
senger, told the story Of the train rob-
berry.
"How does the defendant compare
with the man who entered the car, az to
voice, size and general appearance p
asked the district attorney.
SIN my own mind am perfectly sat
isfied that he is the man who entered
my car that night" impressively an
swered the witness.
The answer caused futter of excite
ment among the spectators. The pris-
oner became nervous and whispered to
his counsel. Roberts was then with
drawn.
At the afternoon session the cross
examination of Express Messenger Rob-
erts was resumed. The whole story
was gone over again and the witness did
not deviate from the testimony given by
him on direct examination. One i'm
portant point of his testimony conflicted
with Engineer Phipps' story. Phipps
stated that the robber who seemed to be
taking the leading part, and who 10
believed to have been the defendant,
had Canadian accent. Roberts testified
that he had heard the defendants voice
since the robbery, and it was like the
voice of the robber who treated him 90
roughly. He did not notice, however,
that he had a fOraiOn Qccant
The defendant asked the witness a
number of questions for the purpose, as
he stated, of showing that the witness
was under undue influence of the ex-
press company. They were objected to,
however, by the prosecution, and the
objection was sustained.
E. G. Osborne, deputy county clerk,
testified as to the amount of money in
troduced in the evidence.
s. de Noel, of Visalia, the next wit
ness, said he saw the defendant in Visa
liza at dinner the day after the robbery.
Sontag eaid he was on the train at the
time, on his way from San Francisco,
and that the passengers were badly
scared. He told witness that he sat in
the next coach to the express, and that
he did not get out of the Car during the
robbery.
E. Ward Bradley, of Visalia, driver of
how he met the train from Goshen that
prisoner rode in the bus with the wit
ness to the hotel. They went into the
saloon together, and Sontag told him be
was on the train that was robbed,
and other matters connected with
III IN IL
hibited q screw = head that he
told the witness that he was in passen-
ger coach, and that he wente out at the
rear end of the coach. Witness saw
John sontag in Visalia ABOUT three
hours after that, about g. O'Clock in the
morning. He last saw George Sontag
about two weeks previous to the rob-
berry, and George said he was going to
San Francisco.
Louis Ness, a barkeeper in the Palace
hotel in Visalia, said he saw the defen-
dant in the bar room of the hotel on the
morning of the train robbery, about 5
O'Clock. Sontag said he was on a pas
senger coach, and went out on the plat
form.
Deputy Sheriff George W. Witty, OF
Visalia, was asked as to what he
knew about the physical condition
of John Sontag. and Attorney Cald.
well, TOR the defense, objected
strenuously. He said an attempt was
being made to make the defendant a
vicarious sacrifice for the sins Of his
brother John. The objection being over
few days before the robbery, walking
18th %1ao - <>f
estate if you saw John Sontag in the
company of the defendant after the
robbery" said the district attorney.
The witness answered he saw the de-
fendant and his brother at the house OF
Chris Evans, August 1st, between noon
and o'clock. When witness entered
the house, he told the prisoner he had
heard he was on the train at the time OF
the robbery. and that the sheriff de-
sired to ask him some questions rela-
tive to the affair. The descendant hesi-
tated, then said: "All right; will CO. !"
The defendant thereupon accompanied
Will Smith and the witness to the sher.
IFS Office. Witness admitted that he
went to Evans house for the purpose OF
arresting George Sontag. Chris Evans
was in town at the time, and John Son.
tag was in tile house with the defend
ant. He offered no resistance.
Charles F. johnson, a Visalia consta-
BILE, testified that John Sontag was at
home few days before the robbery.
He walked with a perceptible limp, and
was quite lame. On cross-examination,
witness admitted that he was not sure
he saw John Sontag 10 days before the
robbery, or earlier than that time.
The court adjourned until 8 O'Clock to
morrow morning.