St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-13
SONTAG IN CUSTODY.
One of the Noted California
Desperadoes Captured by
officers.
He Is Perhaps Fatally Wound.
ed Before He Is Round
ed UP.
Evans, His Partner In Crime,
Makes His Escape to the
Hills.
Scores Of Shots Fired Between
the Pursuers and the
Outlaws.

VIsAIIA, CAL, June 12. - After
search extending over ten months, and
aft six encounters with different legal
posses, the notorious train robbers,
John Sontag and Chris Evans, finally
last night met four deputy United States
marshalS. and, as a result of the en-
counter which followed, Sontag was
wounded. possibly fatally, and is now
in custody, having been brought here
tbs forenoon. His companion, Chris
Evans, escaped after firing forty shots
at his pursuers. Where he made his
stand last night he left his hat and two
empty guns. and the ground was found
covered with blood this morning. indi-
eating that he, too. is wounded. Being
without guns or ammunition it is
thought he. too, will be captured.
The four officers who made the attack
upon the bandits were United States
Marshal Gard and his deputy, Edward
Rapelje, deputy sheriff from Fresno
county; Fred Jackson, an officer from
Nevada, and Thomas Burns, who was
with Black at Camp Badger when the
latter was shot by the robbers last
month. These officers have been in the
mountains for a week
Looking for the Robbers.
and Sunday afternoon encamped at
vacant house eighteen miles northeast
from this city. About twenty minutes
before sunset Rapelje went to the rear
i, g lO COZ fxHn m
coming down the hill and toward the
place. On closer observation it was dis
covered that the men were no other than
Evans and Sontag, the fugitive despera-
does. EyauS was III the lead and carried
rifle and shotgun, and Sontag was
armed with simply rifle. RapelJe
turned around to his comrades in the
house and said:
Hello, here comes two men down the
hil''
He did not know positively who they
were, but Judged from their appearance
and arms they carried that they were
the outlaws. Jackson went to the door
where Kapelje was standing and said:
They are the men we have been
looking for"
The two men woke up Burns and
United States Marshal Gard, who were
asleep. They jumped up quickly and
grabbed their guns and prepared to
make fight. The officers went out of
the front door of the house, and, as they
went around back of the corner, Evans
saw Repelie and, throwing his Win
chester to his shoulder, took deliberate
aim and fired. Just then jackson
stepped around behind Rapelje and
opened fire on the bandits. Sontag was
seen to throw up both hands and fall
backward. Then the firing became
general, and Evans returned the shots
with a vengeance. Evans got behind
an old rubbish pile, out of sight, but
kept up
4 Terrible Raking Fusllade.
Jackson went around the far end of
the house to see if lie 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. He limped
back to where his comrades were aud
lay down on the ground. He told Ra-
pelie he was shot. but told him to keep
up the fight, and not to give it up.
About forty shots were exchanged be-
tween the officers and the bandits, but
the sun went down and darkness ended
the battle.
Evans was seen to crawl on his stom-
ach from behind the rubbish pile, and
Rapelje again opened fire upon him.
Evans then Eose to his feet and ran
toward the hills, followed by Rapelje,
who continued firing. Evans did not
return the fire, and i'll few minutes
was out of sight. Rapelje returned
to the house, and, procuring
wagon. brought Jackson to this city
soon after midnight. Marshal Gard and
Burns remained at the scene until
morning. Sontag lay behind small
stack of hay all night, where he was
he spit blood all night. There is
glancing wound along his forehead and
on each side of the nose. 1t is claimed
that he inflicted these three wounds
himself, though this is denied. Evans
tracks show that he started toward
Visala, and his home will be watched
day and night. Sontag talks freely. He
says the jig is up, and that he does not
care for the future. 1t is possible that
Sontag May Recover
from his wounds. though the attending
physicians will express no decided
opinion. Officers are now searching the
hills in the hope of finding Evans, and
completing at once the long chase.
The train robbery which was the be-
ginning OF this criminal chapter oc-
Cured at station named Coils, near
Fresno, Cal, Aug. 8. 1892. An express
car was blown up with dynamite. and
Express Messenger George D. Roberts
seriously injured. Officers soon after
arrested George Sontag at the house of
Chris Evans, in this city. He was after
ward tried and sent to the penitentiary
for life. When an attempt was made to
arrest Evans, he and John Sontag
opened fire OH the officers. wounding
George Witty. In second encounter
Oscar Beaver, an officer, was killed
i'll front of Evans house. On
Sept. II Andrew McGinnis and Vic
tor e. Wilson were killed in the
mountains by the bandits. and two
officers were wounded. On May &c S. j.
Black, another officer, was wounded By
the bandits in the mountains. No
previous criminal incident in the his
tory of California has occasioned
greater interest. Until the train rob-
berry occurred Evans had borne good
reputation, and great surprise was
shown when the crime was traced to
his door. He is an educated man, is
O1tiya M Canafj1 and it.jc caid thot bic