The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-22
THE FRESNO ROBBERS.
s0NTAG AND EVANS NAILED AT
LAST
sontag is Mortally Wounded Evans
is Surrounded by Big Posse
Bloody Record of the Men.

liken place III tlllS county III WHICH tllS
odds were not in favor of the train
robbers. The encounter took place
last evening six miles west Of Wilcox
canyon, in the Sierra foothills, about
twenty miles from Visalia. In the
fight one of the officers was wounded
in the leg and brought to this place.
)ntag was probably fatally wounded,
and Evans escaped. Fred Jackson, an
officer from Nevada county, is the
wounded man. He had been in the
mountains for several days with United
States Marshal Gard and Deputy Sheriff
H. Rapeje of Fresno county, hunting
for the bandits They were accom-
panied by Tom Burns, who was with
Black when he was shot at Camp
Badger. Wearied with their trampings
about the mountains, they spent Sun
day in a vacant cabin in the locality
mentioned and slept the greater part Of
the time.
A little before sunset Rapelje OBJ
served through the rear door the out
laws coming towards the house from a
hill back of the place. Evans was in
the lead with a rifle and shotgun and
Sontag carried a rifle only. Burns and
Gard were still asleep and they were
at once awakened and all seized their
firearms and prepared for fight
The men passed out Of the front door
of the house and as they passed to the
rear Evans saw RapeIje and at once
opened fire with his Winchester
Jackson fired next and Sontag was
seen to throw up his hands and fall
backwards. By this time all were in a
position to fire and rapid fusilade was
kept up. Evans dropped behind a
rubbish pile and returned the fire with
vigor. He could not be seen and
only his firing showed his position
Jackson moved to the opposite side of
the house to get better command of
Evans position and was shot in the
left leg near the ankle. He returned
to his companions, but told them to
keep up the fight and never mind him.
About sunset the firing stopped for a
brief period, up to that time about
forty shots having been exchanged.
Evans was then seen to crawl from his
position on his stomach, and Rapelje
again opened fire. Evans then jumped
up and ran W the hill without firing.
Rapelje followed and kept firing until
Evans was lost to sight in the brush.
Gard and Burns remained at the house
and Rapelje hitched up his team and
at once drove to town with Jackson
who was wounded. They left before
any attempt was made to find Sontag
A posse that started at once for the
scene returned at 1925 with John
Sontag, the wounded desperate. Son
tag was shot in the right shoulder, and
the shot possibly entered his breast
Evans started for mill, and the grounC
below was bloody where he stopped
He left his two guns lying there, anc
his hat was all covered with blood
Sontag lay behind small stack of hay
all night, and the posse who went GU
this morning found him there. Care
and his party were camped on side
hill awaiting for daylight to see if the
desperadoes made any move, or i
they had gone to follow their tracks
Marshal Gard thinks he fired the sho
that hit Sontag.
Sontag says he spit blood all night
There is a glancing wound along hi
forehead and on each side of his nose
He claims he shot himself in thes
three wounds though this is denied
Evans tracks show that he started to
i, wards Visalia and his house will
be watched day and night. Beini
without arms or ammunition and un
doubleday wounded and his partner II
crime captured he must give up prett
soon. Sontag talks freely, saying tn
jig is up and he cares nothing for tn
future. 1t is possible that Sontag will
recover from the wound, the doctc
thinks, though he expresses no decide
opinion.
Sontag denies that he and Evan
were at Visalia week ago Wednesday
but says they were here two weeks age
He admits they shot Black at Cam
Badger. He says when he was She
last night he thought he was mortal
wounded and asked Evans to shoe
him and then make his escape. Whe
Sontag was found this morning, he wa
covered with straw which he had pulle
out of stack, and his beard WI
matted with blood and dirt. A n
porter asked him if he had any wor
to send to his friends, and he replied
81 have no friends or no place"
the sack that the desperadoes had vii
them we're bread and jelly. Mr.
Evans and her daughter Eva called
the Jail an hour after Sontag W
brought in Eva cried bitterly, b.
Mrs. Evans looked determined ar
composed. Jackson, the officer wi
was shot, is likely to lose his left lie
He was shot just above the ankle ar
both bones of the leg were broke
Sontag has been under the inhuen
of opiates most of the afternoon, thous
he talked some to Mrs. Evans and h
daughter. His statements were CO
Trajectory. To the officers he sa
he tried to shoot himself but