The record-union., 1892-08-09
Special to the REcoRD-UN1ox.

neighbor of the Evans family, saw a
team driven into Evans barn near town.
at $50 o'clock tonight. He believed the
occupants were Evans and Sontag, the
escaped robbers. He Immediately sent
boy to town to inform the officers. and
100 men were soon surrounding the place.
Sheriff Kay stationed men at all the roads
and in the fields There was no near ap.
proach made to the barn, but team was
sent to town to bring out Frank Byrd,
brOther-in-law of Evans, and have
him go into the house. But he refused,
saying Evans or Sontag would kill him
as quick as anyone. When the Associ-
ated Press reporter left the scene about
TO o'clock the question of getting the
Evans family out of the house was being
discussed. When the family are out of
the way the barn will be fired and the
house also. if necessary.
Sheriff Kay received word to-day that
Evans had bought team from party
on Sand Creek, sixteen or eighteen miles
from the city. 1t was not believed the
man was daring enough to come on the
plains and return home. The man who
saw the team 60 into the barn is reliable.
Men have been sent to town for more
guns and ammunition. The officers are
not positive yet that the men are in the
barn, but they state they were not at all
surprised at the news that the bandits
had returned. They intimated they had
expected such move on the part of the
robbers.
LATER.-About IL o'clock Sheriff Kay
awakened Mrs. Evans, and asked if her
l.,
was not, and she got up from bed and ac-
companied Kay to the barn with lighted
candle in her hand. At the barn door she
hesitated moment, then entered the
barn.
There was no sign of wagon or the
men.
THE ROBBERS BELIEVED TO BE ON MIG
GER CREEK.
REEDLEY, Aug. 8.-A telephone mes
sage just received from OroSi, in the foot
hills, twelve miles from Reedley, says the
robbers are on Niger Creek, ten miles
from Orosi, surrounded by posse of over
fifty armed men.
There were no new developments, but
the officers are very sanguine and conf
dent of the capture of the desperadoes, if
Provisions are sent to the posse from
Visalia. The chase will continue with
increased vigilance.
John Sontag stopped at the new Reed
ley Hotel July 22d. He was very talka-
tive and astonishingly profane and spent
the evening in the hotel drinking beer.
Scholss, drummer for Calm. Nickels-
burger 81 Co., shoe manufacturers of San
Francisco, was there and Sontag made
him drink till they emptied four bottles.
Sontag told Landlord Ayres that he was
going to Squaw Valley to join his brother,
then they were going shooting.
LOST THE TRAIL.
VIsALIA, Aug. S.-All but two of the
Visalia posse in pursuit of the robbers
have returned, the last coming in this
morning.
The robbers were traced to Niger
Greek, where the trail was lost. 1t is sup
posed they are in the brush near where
the mule and cart were found.
The party visited Evans mine at Samp-
son Flat and found dynamite and caps
hidden away. A bundle of letters adj
dressed to George Sontag were there m
earthed from his wife in Minnesota, adj
dressed to him at various points, showing
he did not come directly from the East,
as he claims. These letters are a give
away on him.
An effort was made this morning to or
ganize a party to go to Inyo county with
Detective Will Smith. Those approached
refused to accompany him, saving thew
had no confidence in him.
The hills will be full of men tonight
Sgain, and the pursuit will not be aban-
doned until the last hope is gone.
Deputy Sheriff Witty is still cheerful.
He has pain in his side and there is
some fear of pneumonia. AS soon as pos
sible he will be removed to his sisters in
Alameda County to get out of this hot
country.
THE ROBBERS SHOT AT.
VISALIA, Aug. S.-The shooting at the
robbers, which was reported yesterday,
was confirmed to-day by the two men
who did it. Their story is that they fol-
lowed the trail of the mule and cart to
Niger Creek, twenty-five miles east of
the city. The trail finally turned back
toward town. Soon they saw the mule
hitched to a tree hundred yards from
the road and in deep canyon. Here
they waited until they heard the voice OF
one man calling another. Finally man
approached the cart, struck match to
light cigar or pipe, and the watchers
fired two shots at him withiWinchester
rifles. The men in the canyon then made
Tor the brush.
This shooting took place at o'clock
Saturday night. AS the two men were
alone, they waited for help, which did
not arrive until the next morning. The
men who shot at the robbers claim to
nave found blood in the canyon. and
thlnk they wounded one robber. They
say the robbers, after the shooting, went
10 the horses they had stalled in the
prush TWO hundred yards away, and rode
OH toward Wilcox Canyon. They fur
Their claim to have found footprints of the
horses the next morning on the trail.
rms statement is not verified by the
party who arrived on the ground Satur-
day morning. majority of those re-
turning acknowledge that the trail of the
robbers was lost, from the fact that the
pursued had got among the rocks. where
no footprints were Left.
There's high mountain north of Nipoer
Greek, and once on top of it the rohbers
could see two or three roads LEADING tn
the mountains, and along which tho t',re
suers have to travel During tbe 5sy-
time the robbers could sec over tba
plains for six or eight miles. and tho dIet
raised on the roads by travellers wonld
be plainly visible. Water is handy. and
supply for the day could be Obtained at
night. 1t is not likely the robbers could
escape east across the mountains. as All
the roads are still guarded since Fridav
night. There is a possibility, however
that they could take the bacll-track and
gain the Coast Range, travelling at night.