Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-06-15
SHOT A BOLD OUTLAW.
JOHN SONTAO RECEIVES HIS
DEATH WOUND.
The Notorious California Train Robbers
Have an Encounter with the Officers
--sontag Ia shot but Evans Succeeds
In Making His Escape.

NIsALIA, Cal, June ii.-After a
search extend ng over ten months, and
after six encounters with different
legal posses, the notorious train rob.
bers, John Sontag and Chris Evans,
finally met four Deputy United
States Marshals, and as re-
suit of the encounter which followed
Sontag was wounded, possibly fatally,
and is now in custody, having been
brought here at 1890 yesterday. His
companion, Chris Evans, escaped after
firing forty shots at his pursuers.
Where he made his stand he
left his hat and two empty guns,
and the ground was found
covered with b God, indicating
that he, too, was wounded, Being
without guns or ammunition IL is
thought he will be captured.
The four officers who made the ut
tack upon the bandits were United
States Marshal Gard aud his deputy,
Edward Rapelje; deputy sheriff OF
Fresno County; Fred Jackson, an Off.
Ger from Nevada and Thomas Burns,
who was with Marshal Black at Camp
Badger, whom the latter VS. shot by
the robbers last month.
These officers have been in the
mountain for week looking for the
robbers, and on SUNDAY afternoon
camped Mt n vacant house eighteen
miles northeast from this city. About
twenty minutes before sunset Rapelie
went to the rear door of the house and
saw two men coming down the hill to.
ward the place On closer observation
it was discovered that the men were
no other than Evans and Sontag, the
fugitive dcspcraCo,s Evans was in
the lead and carried u rifle and shot
gun and Sontag was armed with simp-
ly rifle. Rapelie turned around TO
his comrades in the house and said:
Hello, here comes two men dow :,
the hill" lie did not know positively
who they were, but judged from their
appearan, and the arms they carried
that they were outlaws.
jackson went to the door where
Rapclje was standing and said; "They
are tho men we have been looking
for" The two men woke up Burns
and United States Marshal Gard, who
were asleep, They jumped quickly
and grabbed their guns and prepared
TO make n fight The officers went
out of the front door of the house, and
us they went around the | ack corner
Evans saw Rapclje and throwing his
Winchester TO his shoulder took de-
libcrate aim and fred.
Just then jackson stepped around
behind Rapclje and opened fire on the
bandits. Sontag was seen to throw
up 10th hands and fall backward
Then the firing became general and
Evans returned the shots with ven
geance. Evans got behind I'M old rub.
bish pile, out of sight, but kept up u
terrible raking fusillade. Jackson
went around the house TO see If he
could get better place from which TO
shoot and as he went around he was
shot in the left leg between the knee
and ankle. lie limped back to where
his comrades were and lay down on
the ground. lie told Rapelje he was
shot, but told him to keep up the fight
and not give up.
About forty shots were OK hanged
between the officers and the bandits,
but the sun went down and darkness
ended the battle. Evans was seen to
crawl on his stomach from behind u
rubbish pile, and Rapelie again opened
fire upon him. Evans then rose to his
feet and ran towards the hills, fol.
lowed by Rapelic, who continued fir
ing. Evans did not return the fire
and in few minutes he was out of
sight Rapeljc returned to the house
and procuring wagon brouc hit Jack
son 10 this city. Marshal Gard and
Burns remained at the scene until
morning. Son ag lay behind n small
stack of hay all night where he was
found by Gard and Burns. Sontag
says he spit blood ali night. There is
a CHANGING wound along his forehead
and one on each side of his nose.
Evans tracks show that he started
toward Visalia, and his home will be
watched day and night. Sontag talks
freely, says the jig is up and does not
care for the future. 1t is possible that
Sontag may recover from his wounds,
though the attending physicians win
express no decided opinion. The off
GERS are now searching the hills in
hope of finding Evans and completing
at ono the long chase