The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-14
ANBUSHED III ROBBERS
Brave Officers Shot Down in
Cold Blood.
EVANS AND SONTiG ARE DESPERATE.
They KneW That the Detectives We're
Following Them.
FRIENDS KEPT THEN WELL POSTED.
Ind When the Posse Least Expected 1t,
the Train.RObberS Stepped From
CGFer and Fired.
FRIENDS KEPT THEN WELL POSTED.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

FRESNO, Sept. 13.-Ouce more is the tow n
Of Fresno in furry of wild excitement
Four men have fallen victims to the mur-
derous aim of Evans and Sontag, the
ROlinda train-rObbers and before tomorrow
night it may be that yet others will fall at
the hands Of the same dread assassins. 1t
will either be that or the robbers themselves
Will pay the penalty OF death for their
crimes. The men who have gone to the
mountains after them now are determined
men. and they are spurred on, moreover. by
the desire for vengeance upon the muir
oerers of their fellow-officers.
Not since the brutal murder Of Louis 3.
McWhirter has there been such excitement
at the Sheriff's Office as presented when, at
2:30 P. NJ. to-day. the news was received that
there had been an encounter between the
robbers and the posse In puTsuit-an en-
counter that resulted so disastr0usly to the
officers.
At noon there was received from Reedley
telephone message stating that the pur-
suing party had found the abandoned camp
of the outlaws on Sunday evening but it
told nothing further than that the pursuers
were still on tho trail.
Then at 2 80 P NJ came the shock that
threw the town into fever Of excitement.
Sheriff Hensley received a telephone mes
sage from Constable Warren Hill Of Sanger.
who was then at SeQuOia, TO the effect that
Evans and Sontag had been oyertaken few
hours earlier IN the DAY at the house of a
mau named Young, In Sampson Flats, and
the story was tnat there had been q
pitched battle In which tbs bandits had
killed four men aud wounded a fifth.
As nearly as can be ascertainsd, the party
IN pursuit Of the outlaws consisted OF
Deputy Sheriff Witty of Tulare County,
Deputy United States Marshal McGinnis,
Constable Warren Hill of Sanger. Detective
Will Smith of the Southern Pacific Com
pany, man named Olsen, another named
Wilson, and the two Arizona Ind an traiieTs.
These two are Apaches, and were brought
here for the express purpose or trailing
Evans and SOntag to their hiding-place in
the mountain Businesses. McGinnls, Olsen,
Wilson and one more man, whose name is
at this writing unknown, were killed, and
Deputy Witty was again wounded. this time
in the right side OF the neck.
The pursuing posse were not aware that
Evans and Sontag were in YOung's house,
till the bandits opened fire on the two
Indian traiieTs, who were walking down
the path leading TO the house. A very
strange feature of the fight is that the
traileTs seem not to have received any in
juries although trey were in the thickest
of the battle Constable Warren Hill left
the wounded Witty and dead men and pro-
ceeded to Moore & Smiths mills several
miles distant. which was the nearest tele-
phone Office, and communicated the facts
above stated.
Sheriff Hensey. accompanied by Deputies
Pickett. McCaTdle and Ashman. left for
Sampson Flat at $3.50 O'Clock P NJ, and
Deputy Coroner IL. o. Stephens, accOmpa-
MED by DIR. L. Msupin, left at the same
time to bring the bodies of the victims to
this city.
Sampson Flat is well up into the noun
tsins, about fifty miles southeast of this
city, and Ii Will be at least O'Clock P. NJ.
tomorrow before any parties return. There
Is no doubt that new recruit officers from
Visalia will Join the posse of Hensey in
the pursuit OF the bandits, but owing TO the
nature Of the country around Sampson
Flat and the start the bandits will have,
there is little probability Of their early cap
tU-e More THAI that. Evans has been ope-
rating a mine in the vicinity, and is well
acquainted with the avenues of escape.
Besides it is we'll known that neither of the
bandits will be taken alive. and the officers
will be as cautious as possible under the
circumstances.
What adds to the excitement here Is the
belief that has gained ground that Evans
and SontRg will turn upon their trail and
come into Fresno for the purpose of liber-
ating George SOntag now confined in the
county Jail here. At this hour the Jail is
heavily guarded, AMI nothing that might
happen would surprise the citizens of this
place.