The morning call., 1893-03-04

OF any oae who might lay in ambush. But
the squads had received careful Instructions
from their chief before separating. Take
no chances, boys, aud shoot a. the least sign
. Of resistance" we're his final orders.
Gradually the territory 10 be searched
was extended. Two OF the men were de-
tailed In regular turns to drive the convey
ance to designated meeting places and
signal stations. In this way tie circuit was
slowly extended until 10 o'clock this morn
ing, when the squad under the Sheriff
reached the outskirts II New Almaden.
a search was made of the abandoned quick
silver mines, in which there are hundreds
of winding tunnels.
It should be explained that a careful in
quiTy had been made of every farmer and
all persons met, but no ore answering the
description Of Sontag had been seen. Many
tTamps and blanket-men had passed
.. that way. but none tailed with the appear
ance of the man for whom tie officers were
searching.
When the Sherif's squad finished the
search Of New Almaden and vicinity it was
decided to secure saddle-horses and pene-
trate The mountains that stretch southwark
:. 10 the coast range. So the Sheriff and his
: four deputies were soon penetrating the
Businesses beyond the mines. They had
not ridden very far when a mounted mes
--senger came laundering after them, crying,
''Stop the officers, Sontag is captured"
- The news spread like widfre, and in
short order the mounted men had changed
their course and were riding at terrific
speed toward the spot where the fugitive
was said to be. And what a ride it was /!
Six horsemen, including the Sheriff's COM
mand, Of which The CALL man was
member, and the messenger, rode four
miles toward Guadaoupe at a speed that Is
seldom beaten on racetTack. And each
: man had TO carry during this race his shot
. gun or rife and small arms.
- Suddenly they turned into a lane and
. almost ran over Deputy Sheriff Rucker and
!: his assistant Matt Arnerich, who stood in
the roadway guarding a prisoner, who
looked for all the world the very picture of
George Sontag. The fellow was a tall wiry
. man, with dark hair, bronzed face, sandy
: mustache and keen eyes. Yes, he tailed
nicely with the description of Soutag, but
before the tOrsemen arrived his captOrs had
already concluded that he was not the train
robber.
:. In few minutes horses were exchanged
:. Tor three-seated buggy and the officers
:. started for San Jose with their prisoner.
During the journey explanations were
made. Rucker told how he and Matt
Arnerich had made the capture. He said
= that soon after they left the vicinity of
Gnadaloupe they procured horses and rode
= southwark along the Guadaloupe River.
They had proceeded about six miles when
Rueker saw the back of mans head pro-
e. truding from behind log. only few yards
away. The men quickly dismounted, az
- while Arnerich placed the barrel Of his rifle
ha haal IF
bead" on the man behind the Jog, Rucker
. stealthily advanced. There could be no
: mistake, it was the man with the three
guns who had escaped from him the day
before. The man wore duck jacket and
vest lined with rife and shotgun cartridge.
He was busy filing a sack with a small
double barTeled fowliDg piece and also
slowing away some pans and kettles and
the remnants of his breakfast. On the
grass by bis side lay big shotgun and
: Winchester rifle.
= Taking IN all these details at a glance
,. Rucker continued his approach until he
- was near enough to seize both OF the guns
: that lay on the grass In an instant he
: slipped the cartridges out of the shotgun
and stuck .the fugitlve's rife against the
owners breast.
;. Throw up your haudsp was the stern
command
:. The surprised fugitive hesitated and his
right handsmoved toward his hip pocket.
Throw up your handsp repeated
.Rucker, and he added with emphasis, "or
e. you are dead man. Pm deputy Sheriff
and you are under arrest"
This time the double of SontaR hesitated
no longer and his hands went up with
alacrity. Quickly he was manacled and as
q. corted across the fields 10 the lane where
=: the Sheriff's squad joined the captors.
When second search was made Of the
prisoner a small revolver was found in his
= hip pocket During the ride to the county
=. seat the prisoner appeared very gay and
kept repeating, "I'm in luck to be alive.
It's wonder wasn't shot for not throw
ing up my hands. but l thought the men
were tryiDgito roh me-"
: :In anGMer tn questions asked by the
Sheriff and THE CALL correspondent the
" prisonef said that his name was Robert J.
Alien thar be was aged IL years and. a
NATIVE OF Eew YorE, and that he was
hun ter by occupation. Asked why he made
such q walEfpg arsenal Of biuaself he said: