The herald., 1893-10-01
GEORGE SONTAC SQUEALS.
The Bandit Makes a Full
Confession.
A Complete History of His
Many Crimes.
His Partners Were Chris Evans and
His Brother John.
Between Them They Held Up Two Trains
In Minnesota and Several in
California Evans De-
niles the Story.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SACRAMENTO, Sept. 30.-The Evening
Bee this afternoon published sensa-
tional story of confession of George
Sontag, the notorious train robber. Son.
tag having expressed willingness to
tell all he knew, J. B. Hume, the Wells
Fargo detective; Colonel j. B. Wright,
railroad division superintendent, and a
stenographer went to Folsom peniten-
tiary yesterday and the prisoner told
the story of hia crimes in the presence
of the gentlemen namsd and Captain
Aull, the warden of the prison. Sontag's
narrative is extensive, making between
5000 and 10000 words. He told of all
the train robberies in which he and his
rother John and Chris Eveans were
implicated, including the Coils rob-
berry.
All particulars were learned from Son.
tag as to how the details were arranged
for the recent break of the prisoners at
Folsom penitentiary. If proved the
theory of the warden that William
Fredericks, the ex-convict now wanted
fer killing Sheriff Pasco OF Nevada coun-
ty, had placed arms and ammunition
where they could readily be found by
the prisons at the proper time.
MOTIVE OF THE CONFESSION.
sontag was sent to prison for life. His
brother John is dead. The Evans fans
ily has not treated old Mrs. Sontag in a
very cordial manner, and George doubt
less thought nothing was to be gained
by silence, but he 10 shrewd and un-
dcubtedly demaaded that some sort Of q
promise for the hope of his eventual lib
erty be beld out to him. In fact 1t is
undou bted that he had promise that,
in return for his aid to the officers, in
tercession for the Communication o. his
life sentence would be made with Gov
ernor Markham, but the men who heard
the confession refused to say whether
this was go or not. The railroad officials
declined to give out the complete de-
tails of the confession.
The confession of George Sontag will
be used against Chris Evans in tine trial
soon to be called at Fresno.
THE BANDITS NARRATIVE.
George Sontag says that in May, 1891.
ne was living in Mankato, Mimi, and
his brother John (who is now dead
came home from California en- a visit.
John told him he was train robber
and that he had robbed two trains in
California. He said he was going back
to rob train at Ceres, near Modesto,
and he did leave for California in June
and went to Modesto, where he met
Chris Evans.
THE CERES ROBBERY.
George says his brother John and
Evans did attempt to rob the train at
Ceres, and from what they told him
afterwards they threw several dynamite
bonn bs into the car and Evans shot De-
tective Len Harris of the Southern
Pacific. After the robbery had proved
unsuccessful they returned to Modesto,
one of them going to Stockton and the
other to Sacramento.
John Sontag then went to Minnesota
and made proposition to George to
rob train near there.
HOLD UP IN MINNESOTA.
George told his brother they could
rob train No. running between Chicago
and Minneapolis on the Milwaukee
road. They sent their mother and
Georges family to place of safety and
prepared for the robbery. This was in
the early part Of November, 1891. They
went to place called Western Union
Junction, lay for No. 3 and got about
s4800. John took the engineer and
fireman up the track and George did the
robbery. He says it was his first at
tempt and he felt lack of confidence !;
that he ought to have got 100000, as
the messenger threw out some boxes OF
money, but he mistook them for some
thing else.
GEORGE MEETS EVANS.
Up to this time George Sontag says he
had not become acquainted with Chris
Evans. After the Western Union juno
tion robbery the brothers went to Cali
forna together. first stopping at Los
Angeles. George soon went to Visalia,
where he met Evans, who knew that he
and John had just been engaged in a
robbery. John joined them later and
the three left Visaiia and went up into
the mountains. Here George became
i'll and had to 60 to San Francisco TO
have his eyes treated. When he recov-
cred he returned to Mankato. Minn.,
arriving there about April 20. 1892.
GEORGES SECOND HOLD UP.
He soon got letter from his brother
asking him il he could not fix a job
there. George says he intended to rob
some train running out OF Chicago dur
ing the worlds fair, anyhow, but he
wrote nis brother to come, and they
would DO what they could. John did
not come, but Chris Evans did. and
joined George in Minnesota in June.
They went to q place called St. Peter's
and looked the ground over, and planned