St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-14
shot FOUR OFFICERS.
A Posse Has a Bloody En-
counter With Evans and
Sontag.
Four Officers Are Killed by
the Robbers and Others
Wounded.
After the Battle the Outlaws
Succeed in Making Their
Escape.
No Further Attempt Will Be
Made to Take the Rob-
berS Alive.

countered Evans and Sontag at Sam
son Flats today, and exchanged shots
with them. The robbers made des-
perate defense, and killed four men
and wounded others. after which they
escaped. Those killed are United States
Marshal McGinnes, Dick Olien, a man
named Wilson and another whose name
has not yet been learned. George
Witty. who was wounded before, was
again shot, and the horse ridden by
Constable Warren Hill was shot from
under him. The news has caused great
excitement, and additional officers are
going in pursuit.
Additional Information concerning
tho encounter between train robbers
and posse have been obtained by tele-
phone from Moore & Smiths mill at
Sequoia. The affair happened this
morning on Young's place at Samson
Flats. The posse had tracked the robbers
from Dunlap to Samson Flats, about
forty-five miles east of here in the
mountains. The posse was coming
down the trail. and when opposite
Young's house the door was violently
thrown open, and Evans and Sontag
appeared. Before the officers could
recover from their surprise the two
robbers opened deadly fire on the posse
with shotguns and Winchesters. The
posse was so demoraliZed by this sudden
aetack that they could make no effectual
response.
The whole country in the neighbor-
hood of the encounter is aroused. and,
it is said, no further attempt to take the
robbers alive will be made. They Will
be shot ON sight if discovered.
History of the Crime.
1t will be remembered that Chris
Evans, John Sontag and George Sontag
robbed the Southern Pacific train near
Coils, Fresno county, obtaining $4,000
in gold and silver coin. Three days
later the detectives secured clews that
led them to Evans house in Visalia,
though they did not then suspect
Evans. Their evidence pointed to
the two Sontags. who had just
come from Mankato, MINI. George
Sontag was secured by stratagem, but
when the officers went to the house to
get his trunk Evans and John Sontag
opened fire and drove them away. badly
wounding Deputy Witty. Then fol-
lowed one OF the most remarkable chases
on record. The robbers actually re-
turned to their own house late at night,
and. being surprised, killed young
Oscar Beaver, who was on guard.
They escaped to the mountains, and
though they have been seen since at
several places, there has been no fight
with them until today.
Sunday. Sept. 4, they stole horse
md hn yhn
lives nearVisalia. Two days after they
left the outfit at Howe's ranch, saying
they were going to Sansom's Flat,
where Evans has mine and ranch.
Last Sunday the robbers
Narrowly Escaped Capture
by posse headed by an Arizona rail-
road detective named Wick Wilson, who
has been on their trail for two weeks.
Wilson came upon little camp in a
secluded part of Kings river, and was
amazed to find the buggy robes and
blankets stolen from Ellis week be-
fore. This place is forty miles from vi
salla. 1t was evident that the robbers
had heard the posse coming, but had no
time to remove traces of their presence.
Of course. these discoveries greatly
stimulated Wilson's party, and they felt
sure of the $4,000 reward offered for the
bandits.
They reckoned without old Evans
shotgun, however. Wilson and his men
were accompanied by two Apache
scouts, who had tracked Evans and
Sontag to Sansom's Fiat. Just as the
party arrived in front of Rancher
1oung's house this morning, the door
was thrown open and Evans and Son.
tag appeared with shotguns on their
shoulders. They delivered a broadside
from both barrels before the officers
could draw weapons. Then the bandits
seized Winchesters and continued to
fire into the posse. The Apache scouts
jumped behind stones before the firing
began and
Escaped Unhurt.
At the first fire Wick Wilson. the
leader; United States Marshal McGin-
mis-, of Modesto, and Dick Olson fell
buckshot. A. l.. Witty, brother of
the deputy, who was so badly wounded
by Evans In Visalia, was severely
wounded, and the morse of Constable
Warren Hill was shot from under him.
The news came in by telephone, and
the operator said that after the killing
Sontag and Evans seized the horses of
the murdered officers and escaped, O
one daring to modest them.
The news OF the engagement created
great excitement, and great posse left
at once for Sansome's Flat, headed by
Sheriffs Kay and Viau and Deputy
Picky. People in Sansome's Flat and
vicinity are greatly excited over the
news, and are agreed to help the officers
shoot the bandits OH sight. Without
aid from the miners and sheep herders
the fugitives cannot escape. Wilson,
who was shot down in this cOwardly
way, was one of the best trailers of
criminals on this coast. He was fearless
and very expert in the use of weapons.