Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-07
A DANGEROUS MAN HUNT.
Coils Train Robbers Selling
Their Lives Dearly.
Surrounded in a Barn, But Are
Allowed to Escape.
Another of Their Would-Be Captors
Shot and Killed.
Deputy Sheriff Witty, Shot Friday, May
Die Also-The Desperadoes Nov
Thought to Be Safe in the
Mountain Fastnesses.
By the Associated Press. |

By the Associated Press.l
VIsALIA, CAL. Aug. 6.-Evans and
Sontag, the Coils train robbers, were at
Evans house at IL O'Clock last night,
and after eating supper went to the
barn. Five or six men standing guard,
discovered the team in the barn lot, not
having seen them come in. Undoubt-
edly they returned to secure the hidden
coin, as hole filed with fresh dirt was
found in the barn.
About 1 20 am, Deputy Sheriff Oscar
Beaver, who was helping to guard the
place, saw the men at the barn and
opened fire. Shots were returned by
the robbers, wounding Beaver SO that he
died at 6 O'Clock this morning. Fifteen
shots were exchanged, Beaver firing
eight. Some of his shots wounded the
horses so that one had to be killed.
While the members of the guard were
attending Beaver the robbers escaped,
about 2 o'clock, on foot and wentin
northerly direction, and three miles
from town tried to borrow horses from
an acquaintance. The officers in pur-
suit traced the men four miles north
east, where they entered field. 4 The
pursuers' horses gave out and they re-
turned to town. Twenty or thirty men
then started in pursuit on horseback.
TILE DEAD DEPUTY.
The remains of Oscar Beaver, shot by
the train robbers this morning. were
forwarded to Lemoore, his home, this
afternoon. His wife was visiting in Rio
Vista and was telegraphed to come
home early this morning. Beaver was
unconscious several hours previous
to his death. Seventy-four small
shot were found in his body. The death
wound was made by buckshot in the
abdomen and chest. He was a fearless
man and had always been in demand by
sheriffs when desperate work was re-
quired. A large delegation OF friends
from Hanf0rd and Lemoore accompanied
his remains home this evening. The
funeral will probably occur tomorrow.
The robbers undoubtedly escaped
from the barn while the attention of
the guard was called to Beaver. None
of the guard would approach Beaver
after he fell to the ground. Frank
Byrd, brother-in-law of Robber
Evans, who was at the house, was called
in doing 80 by ,ex-Sheriff Overale.
However, Beaver lay where he fell
twenty minutes and his groans could be
heard blocks away.
TEE TRAIL oy THE ROBBERS.
It was probably 2 O'Clock this morning.
when Robbers Evans and Sontag left
the barn and started north, towards the
mountains. The officers did not leave
in pursuit till after daylight. The men
were easily traced along the road for
four miles, when they took to the fields,
where no tracks were left. About
O'Clock this morning they were fourteen
miles from town and called at the resi-
dence of ex-Supervisor D. V. Robinson
for drink of water. A few miles fur
ther north, they came to the ranch of
Harvey Ward, with whom Evans
was we'll acquainted. They told
Ward they had killed man
in Visalia and wanted Ward
to supply them with team. Ward
told the desperadoes they could have
mule and cart They accepted gladly,
as they were evidently tired of tramp
ing; besides Sontag is just recovering
the use of leg that was broken a few
weeks ago. Ward states the men ap-
pesred in cheerful mood.
HEADING FOR THE MOUNTAINS.
At 8 O'Clock this morning the two
fleeing desperadoes passed the residence
of ]. M. Dyer, seventeen miles north
east of visalia, going towards
Stokes valley. They espied team
coming down the road toward
them, which caused them to
turn back and take road that leads up
Niger creek and to Drum valley,
Fresno county. Dyer watched them
while in sight, then came on to town,
and left notice at the eheriff's Office.
Officers left the city on horseback. and
if the robbers went to Stokes valley,
are probably close on the track
| of them, though nothing had been heard
from any of the party up to o'clock
| this evening. Evans owns mine
| in the mountains northeast of the
city, and it is believed he has plenty of
provisions there.
Evans knows every mountain trail in
the Sierras of Fresno and Tulare coun-
ties, and q man on foot can take paths
which no horse can travel.
CONCLUSIVE CLUES.
Evans is said to have stated to one
man Thursday, accounting for his pleni-
tude of money, that he had sold his mine
and received part payment. 1t will be
recollected that on Tuesday before the
train robbery John Sontag, when hiring
o team, said he and Evans were going
to the mountains. The team was
brought back to the stable Thursday
noon looking sleek and fresh. 1t is
about sixty miles from Visalia to
Coils, and that drive could be made
from the time of the robbery to noon,
Thursday, without jading the horses.
Had the team been to the mountains
they would have shown hard
work. Sheriff Cunningham states
that there is no doubt that
the men committed the most OF the
train robberies that have occurred IN
this vicinity. Excitement is high here
and the men will be hanged if taken
alive. They can hardly escape as all
the thoroughfares are guarded.
WAITING FOR NEWS.
Nothing has been heard from those IN
| pursuit Of the robbers, but it ia expected