The record-union., 1892-08-06
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.

Evans and John Sontag hired a livery
team in this city to GO to the mountains.
Yesterday at noon they returned with
the shoes off the horses. After the Coils
train robbery Detectives Thacker and
Hickey and Sheriff Cunningham traced
the robbers to this city.
Shortly before noon to-day Detective
VIII Smith asked Deputy Sheriff Witty
to accompany him to Evans house, i'll
the northern part of town, where he
stated he wanted to interview a man.
They went to the house and found George
Sontag and took him to Jail. They after
ward went again to Evans house and Sc
cured trunk supposed to contain the
coin.
Following is Smiths statement of the
occurrence at Evans house:
'Mr. Witty and myself went down to
Chris Evans house and asked George
Conant, alias Sontag, to step up to the
Sheriff's office, as we heard he was on the
train when it was robbed, and we wanted
to question him. John Sontag was in
the house at the time We brought
George to the Sherif's Office, where he
made statement and was afterwards ar
rested and charged with robbing the
train.
''Mr. Witty and I then returned to
Evans place. While we were hitchlng
the horses we saw John Sontag enter the
house. We asked little girl in the. house
where John Sontag was, and she said he
was not in the house. Just then Chris
Evans entered the house from the back
door.
THE house consisted of sitting
with bedroom on the left side In place
of door to the bedroom there was a por-
there. There was another bedroom next
to the sitting-room. Evans was in the
latter room. He said that John Sontag
had gone up town. told him that John
had just returned to the house.
81 stepped into the house and pulled
aside the portiere. and there stood John
Sontag with doubled arreled shotgun.
1 stepped to one side and attempted to
inhibition my coat to reach my six
shooter, when [ saw that Chris Evans
had another shotgun down.
witty and 1 then run out through the
front door. He ran through the gateway
and 1 went over the fence. turned to
the left of the road, and Witty to the
right. We left the team, as we did not
have time to unhitch it. Evans pursued
Witty and SOntag pursued me. I
looked over my shoulder just as Evans
fired at Witty. / stopped and fired two
shots at Evans, when John Sontag
stopped and fired at me. AS he pulled
the trigger I crouched, and the charge
went over me, but he fired again, his
shot striking me in the back and hands.
The charge was double B shot.
"As Evans and Sontag continued their
pursuit they threw out their empty shells
and reloaded their guns. They then took
our wagon and drove off, but as one of
the horses is stiff 1 think they will be
captured soon.
81 found in Chris Evans house the
material from which the masks were
made, and I also found that the team
which the robbers used two nights ago
was hired here by John Sontag.
After Evans fired at Witty the latter
fell, and Evans stepped over him with
his gun to fire again, when Witty asked
him not to shoot again, as he was killed
already"
Half an hour after Smith and Witty
had their encounter with the robbers
hundreds of men were in pursuit. but up
to the present moment the robbers have
escaped.
Witty was shot under the right shout
derblade, the bullet coming out under the
arm. His back and one side of his face is
well sprinkled with shot from the shot
gun. The cavity of the chest was not
penetrated. Detective Smiths wounds
were but scratches.
The opinion is general that if Smith
had waited the arrival of Sheriff Cunning
ham and Detective Thatker the men
would have been arrested. Evansis well
acquainted in the mountains east of here
and the chances are that upon reaching
the timber line he will escape.
Evans has wife and seven children
here. John Sontag has been attentive to
Evans oldest daughter. Sontag has
been a railroad engineer. The two men
year ago kept a livery stable at Mo-
desto, which was destroyed by fire.
Sontag had been under surveillance of
10 offinarr cn.no fiT1,o