Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-06-13
TELEGRAPHIC.
EVANS AND SONTAG.
4 Desperate Battle Yesterday With the
Notorious Outlaws.
CHAPTER IN A STORY OF CRIME.
soniag Is Confident that His Companion
VIII Never BE Captured
Alive.

VisALIA, Cal, June IL. - After
search extending over ten months, ana
after elk encounters with different
legal posses, the notorious train rob
bcfs, John Sontag and Christopher
Evans, finally met last night iour
deputy United States marshals, and as
result Of the encounter which follow
cd, Sontag was wounded, possibly
fatally. His companion, Chris Evans
escaped, after firing forty shots at MS
tufsuefs. Where no made his STAND
last night he left hat and two empty
guns, and the ground was found COW
cred with blood, an indication that he,
too, was wounded.
The officers had been In the noun
tains for week looking for the rob
bers and Sunday afternoon oncamped
In vacant house eighteen miles
northwest OF this city; About twenty
minutos before sunset two men were
seen coming down the hill toward the
place. On closer observation II was
discovered that the men were no other
than Evans and SOntag, the fugitive
deslefadOcs. The mATshAls and depu.
ties grabbed their guns and prepared
10 make n fight. The officers went out
tho front door OF tho house, and A.
they went around the back corner
Evans saw them and took deliberate
aim ana fired. Just then deputy
jackson opened fire on the bandits.
SOniag was seen to throw up both
bands and fall backward. Then the
firing became general and Evans re-
turned tile shots with vengeance.
Evans got behind an old rubbish pile
out Of sight, but kept up n terrible
Igklng iusiladc. Jackson was shot In
the left leg between the knee and
ankle. About forty shots were ex.
changed between the officers aud
bandits, and darkness ended tue bat
Gle.
Evans was seen to crawl from behind
the rubbish pile anu run towards the
hills.
sOntag lay behind small stack Of
hay all might. lie talks freely, says
the jig Ia up anu does not care for the
future. Ii 10 possible he may recover
from his wounds.
The train robbery which was the
beginning VI his criminal career Oc-
Cured at Coils, near Fresno on April
3, 1892. An express ear was blown up
with dynamite, and Express Messen-
enger George ID. Roberts seriously
injured. The officers on alter
arrested George Sontag at the house Of
George Evans In this city. He was
afterwards tried aud sent to the pens
tentiary for life. When an attempt
was made 10 arrest Evans, no and
John Sontag opened fire on the officers,
woundIng George witty. In
second encounter Oscar Beaver, an
officer, was killed In front OF Evans's
house. On September 18th Andrew
McGlnnis and Victor q. Wilson were
killed In the mountains by the ban.
dts and two other officers were
wounded. On May Goth 5. J.. Black,
another officer was wounded by the
bnniits In the mountains. No pre-.
vlous criminal Incident IN the history
OF California has occasioned greater
public Interest. Until the train rob.
berry occurred Evans had borne n good
reputation anu great surprise was
shown when the crime was traced 10
his door.
Coming down from the scene OF the
affair last night Sontag talked freely
to the officers. He said he and Evans
mao not hhd q cent OF money for n
month, but did not intend 10 hold up
train. They would have left the
mounlains,only they had no money or
clothes.
"When was shot last nighl,D he
said, ~ asked Chris TO shoot ms but
he would not. We had two Winohes.
tors, two shotgun and two six .shootrfs.
Chris carried away n Winchester, aud
hal plenty Of ammunition. Evans
las often said he was sorry he shot
Deputy Sheriff Witty. He Thought
II was Detective smith. He would
have shot Detectives Hame, Smith or
Vhacker though, but besides these We
were only after money men. We did
not always stay together, but nevor
were separated longer than four ours
We could not have been convicted OF
train robbery M we h ad no hand ia H..
The Southern Pacific did me a hard
turn when ! was hurt Ia their employ
~ when Smith tried to arrest me last
August was determined / would not
be taken by Southern Pacific officer.
Thnps why | resisted"
bontag talked calmly. He refused
to state what he and Evans had In
contemplation. He seemed confident
Evans would never be- captured
alive.