The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-14
THE CHASE BEGUN.
Of1cers Have Known Where the Robbers
Were for Several Days.

Were for Several Days.
SANGER, Sept 13.-For more than a
week Evans and Sontag have been staying
in the neighborhood Of a place called
Sampson Flat. a thiekly wooded. rough
country in the mountains, where they could
secrete themselves 10 q certain extent
They wandered round in radius of few
miles. and were repeatedly seen by parties
knowing them.
They were seen by some Of the Kings
River Lumber Company'S 6umehands on
the morning of the 10th, apparently en-
jOying a somewhat meager breakfast of fish.
v hich they had caught 10 Kings River. and
were not in the least disturbed at being OBJ
served. Sampson Flat Is about eight miles
northwest OF Dunlap and about thirty miles
from Fresno.
Having heard of their whereabouts viii
Smith and party of six white men and two
Indian traiiers. who had been specially
brought from Yuma, Ariz, for the purpose
of tracking the oobers, had been in that
part of the country for several DAYS.
The posse was on its way TO Sampson
Flat, and had got within about two miles of
that locality when they stopped at the cabin
of a man named Jim Young. They stopped
there to cook some provisions, not expect
ing to meet the train-rohbers in that imme-
diate neignb0rhoOd. Being perfectly at
their ease. they did not have the slightest
idea that Evans and Sontag might be in the
cabin at that time. They had been 10
YOung's house the day before this. and had
not observed the least trace of any one nav
ing been there for some time. Consequently.
they did not expect that the enemy was en-.
trenched within barrlcade which gave the
TWO desperadoes an advantage over bat
TALON of armed men.
Ihe posse was going down narrow
one who might happen to be in the cabin.
They were proceeding leisurely, Indian
fle, Wick d. Wilson, Deputy United States
Marshal of Tucson, leading with Frank
Burke, Deputy Sheriff of Yuma, next, a
man named Magennis next, then Warren
Hill. one of Sanger's constables. who was
leading pack-animal loaded with food and
articles they had taken from Evans and
Sontag's camp, which they had come across
in their march, and near which il was their
intention to wait till night In order 10 sur
prise the robbers. After Hill came VIII
Smith. then the two Indian trailers from
Yuma
They arrived at Young's cabin and, VII
| son and Burke had gone inside the fence
and were within ten feet of the front door,
when the door was suddenly thrown open
and Evans and Sontag came ont quick as a
| fash and opened a regular fusillade of shots
! on the party. Wilson aud Burke, before
they could turn around or reach their arms,
| were killed in their tracks.
At the time the shots were fred Al Wilson
ard Burke, Warren Hill was tying his
! horse and the pack animal to the fence and
| McGinnis was standing alongside 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 rifleshot
| passed through .Witty's neck, infiicting an
| ngIy though not dangerous wound. Nc
| Ginnis was shot and dropped dead by
| HilPs side. A charge Of Duckshot was
fred at Warren Hill, but he happened to be
| standing behind his horse and was not hurt,
| the horse receiving the entire charge. His
| hat was lifted from his head and the horse
was killed. The party was taken COM
piete!y by surprise and did not have time
| TO return the fire.
The two Indian trailers, however, always
on the alert. discharged their weapons at
the robbers, but il is not known how the
shots affected them. The horses of the
| posse stampeded in the tumult, and the re-
| mainder Of the posse then got under cover.
| Evans and S0ntag Immediately turned and
| went through the house, out at the back
| door, and escaped, going in northeasterly
! Objection, and that was the last seen oi
them. VIII Smith and the Indian tralers
| stayed to deal with the wounded man and
Warren Hill started after one Of the fright
ened horses aud succeeded in capturing it
| in about half an hour. He then carried the
news Of the disaster TO the SeQu0ia mill of
| the Kings River Lumber Company and
transmitted 1t TO your correspondent. Hill
says they were going down then 10 lie In
walt Tor the robbers tonight