The morning call., 1893-06-14

Instead of answering, Evans said: "IS
Sontag dyirg?" and when told that he
was he mnttereG: 81 expected it; l ex-
pected it," Then. answering Carrol's
question, he said:
81 don't know who fired the first shot,
because they were all strangers, but some
one in the posse did. John and l were on
our way to Visalia and we came around
back cf the hill to Billy Bacon's old
abin. The door was open and we thought
nobody was in it, but to make sure we
started toward the straw pile to watch a
while. The first thing l knew | received
two shots, one in my eye and the other
across my back, just creasing it. l fell
backward. and John said: My God,
Chris. are you hurt?' at the same time
dropping down behind the straw. said
Not much but was badly ratified.
John was shooting all the time. Finally
l got so / could shoot. and helped him, but
my eve spoiled nv aim. We had been
shooting ten or fifteen minutes, when
John gave groan and said he was hit in
the right side. You know Johns heart is
on the right side-it was shifted in that
railroad accident Pretty soon John got
L
Pretty bad,' he said L want water But
there was 20 time for anything but shoot
ing.
1.-The battle began about o'clock Sun
day night and lasted till about dark. We
had been fighting almost an hour. Then
| moved around so as TO help John, when
received my third shot. 1t was glanc-
ing one, and hit me Ia the right arm above
the wrist and came out near the elbow.
1t did not cripple me much. because l am
right and left handed and shoot with one
hand as well as with the other. | dropped
down again. and John quit shooting and
lay down IN the straw. I'm done for,
Chris, he said. | tried to move over TO
him and just then man over by the fence
shot me. breaking my left wrist.
ut was dark by this time, and / said to
John that If he could walk we might get
away, but he could not stand up. Ee said
to me: XIII me. old pard. and Save your
SELF
II wouldn't do it. and he again begged
me to kill him. DO. old partner, do he
said; It's the best thing you can do for
me. L can't live anyway l dragged
John over into the straw and covered him
up as we'll as | could. and then said
good-by to him. l started to crawl out
through the woods, dragging my Winches-
ter, but the man by the fence saw me and
started shooting. John shouted, Go.
Chris, co. and dropped my gun and ran.
the man by the fence chasing me for 100
yards and shooting at me all the time.
ran a little ways and then fell down. l
guess l tainted, for 1 was weak from the
NJ I D1an RI o. nd
here about daylight this Monday morn
ing"
While Evans was talking to Carroll the
Scott-Rapelje posse drew up. and hitching
their horses got behind some trees and
hailed the house., Witty, who had re-
turned from the barn, raised the window
of the room Evans was in and called out,
"Come Oh. IFS all right"
Rapelje and party came upstairs and
Rapelie said to Under Sheriff Hall: Here
is the man l am after"
well, I've got him." replied Hall.
"Buthe belongs TO us. We made the
fight" retorted Rapelje, "and l am a
Deputy United States Marshal and my
authority exceeds that OF any Sheriff or
Constable"
WELL" said Hall, 'Pve got the man and
l am going to take him in."
1t looked for a second or two as if the
officers would have fight as to who should
take the wounded robber to jail.
Rapelje finally said: This is Fresno
County, amt it?"
Not much,". said Hall. "Its TuIare
County and / represent a man who has
spent hundreds of dollars to your cents
chasing this man."
"Ifit was Fresno County 1 would take
him." said Rapelje.
Would your retorted Hail.
And then Rapelje and his party left and
drove eff.
During the controversy Evans did not
| speak word, but he once smiled as much
| as to say. II may get out of this yet if they
kill each other off" When quiet was re-
stored Carroll resumed his interview.
Tell me, Chris, about the train rob-
berry"
30, 1 never committed any train rob-
berry. If Witty and Smith had told me
| that day they had come to my house for
George Sontag's trunk they could have had
it. Ii they had stood their ground there
would have been none of this trouble.
Il am sorry abont shooting you." said
Lf"hSs duulcSS'us NlttJs UuG LDOuGnt
yuu were VIII Smith and he insulted my
daughter. l used to know him at Modesto
| and l didn't like him then. But didn't
shoot you with sho tgun. Sontag must
have done that"
Witty said nothing in reply and in ans
wer to Carroll's question Evans continued
After the fight with Witty and Smith
we hid, of course. and came back that
night aud the next night Oscar Beaver was
killed.
When we left the house that night we
saw most of the posse. but they we're our
friends, and we did not wish to iniure
them Some one sang out to US, Who is
there?' and then number of shots were
fred at us. We returned the fire, and
Beaver was shit. l thought it was Tom
Cunningham. We went to the hills and
camped in Dark Canyon several days.
IN the fight at YouDg's cabin we were
there getting dinner. Mainwarren came
in, surprised to see us. He told us a party
was coming down the hill. lie was look
ing out of the door. There was only one
mode of egress from the bin, and it was
case of either surrender or fight, and we
| fought. When the firing commenced Burke
jumped over fence and fired two shots
and ran down the HILL Smith put spurs to
his horse aud lost his arms in the attem pt
tn eseape Warrnn Hill iumned off hie