The morning call., 1893-06-16
True Story of Evans and
Sontag's Capture.
KAY's ABSURD PRETENsIoNs.
Thacker and Gard Organized the
Hunt, Which Was Successfully
Made by Their Posses.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

shows how utterly absurd are the preten-
sions Of Sheriff Kay Of Tulare County or
any of his deputies 10 any part of the re-
ward offered for The capture of the ban
dts.
The fact is that neither Sheriff Kay of
Tulare County nor Sheriff Scott of Fresno
County had any knowledge whatever of
the posse under United States Marshal
Gard being in the field, aud but for the
unfortunate accident TO jackson, necessi-
tatlng his being brought to Visalia, neither
Sheriff would have known anything about
the fight between the train-robbers and
Cards posse until both Evans and Sontag
had been landed in Jail.
On June last United States Marshal
Gard of Los Angeles met Detective
Thacker of the Wells-FargO Express Com
pany at Fresno, in answer to telegram
from the latter. The two men went to
room 10 in the Depot Hotel. There
Thacker unfolded plan he had matured
for the capture of the bandits to Gard and
asked tile latter's assistance, Thacker
knowing the Marshal not ouly to be a
brave man, but one possessing more than
ordinary ability in hunting down crimi-
mails. The plan was simple one. namely,
TO sneak posse of not more four men into
the territory freQuented by Evans and Son.
tag and let them wait there until they got
sight of the outlaws, hiding by day and
travelling by night
Thacker was convinced that it was use
less to apply to either of the Sheriffs
for the simple reason that every
time those officers had been consulted thu
proposed plan of operations, the names of
the men comprising the pusses and even
the time of start and probable destination
Of the officers had found its way into print
and thence to the outlaws.
Thacker asked United States Marshal
Gard to swear in as Deputy United States
Marshals F. E. jackson, Hi Rapelje and
Tom Byrnes. men selected on account of
their bravery. endurance and skill with a
rife or revolver. Gard readily consented,
and sending for County Clerk Shepherd
OF Fresno County, who is also a notary
public, the men named, who had been
summoned to the room, were sworn in.
County Clerk Shepherd was pledged to
secrecy and faithfully kept his word. Gard
said to the three men that some one must
be captain. and both Rapeiie and Byrnes
said '1et Jackson be the man." Gard
himself did not expect to be with the
posse. but said he would came if be could.
This part of the work DONE Gard returned
TO Los Angeles ana quietly swore out two
warrants for the arrest of John Sontag
and Christopher Evans on the charge of
delaying and obstructing the United States
malls in Gripping the engine at the Coils
robbery.
On the night OF June 8, 1898, Jackson
and Rapelie left Fresno and Byrnes Vi
salia after dark and during the night met
at point agreed upon. Gard had given
Jackson 500, with the instructions to buy
provisions, but it was distinctly under
stood that not only were no fires to be
lighted by the posse, but that even a
match should not be struck and no tobacco
in any form smoked. Rapelje made one
mistake and in so doing probably gave
Sheriff Scott tip that another still hunt
for the robbers was to be made. Ha went
to Scott and borrowed a shotgun, and that
was enough.
The men located on the ranch of John
Patterson and camped there, scouting at
night. Thacker had information that
Evans and SOntag were hiding in the
vicinity and ordered the men to "lay low"
and wait. Two or three days after the
three deputies had gone into camp Marshal
Gard jpned them. So quiet did the posse
OF four keep and SO stealthlY did they
work that Uncle John Patterson, aS he is
called, who is an old mountaineer and
hunter, never suspected their presence on
the place. He told jackson SO in the
presence of a CALL reporter, and yet the
men lived within rifle-shot Of his home for
nine days. The men lived on sardines.
bologna sausage, canned vegetables and
dry bread and there were no songs or
toasts at their feasts.
The fight at the cabin has been de-
scrIbed. 1t was the first two shots that
poor Jackson fired that settled the career
of the bandits. The first shot cut Evans
eye and the second mOrtally wounded
Sontag. Then Jackson was hit and had to
be taken to town. Rapelje went with
him, leaving Gard and Byrnes to watch ior
Sontag, Evans having escaped, though so
badly wounded as to be unable to offer
further resistance. Then 1t was that the
Sheriff's posses heard of the fight and went
out to capture Two men so badly wounded
that they could neither run nor fight. 1t
IS an unwritten law that if a hunter
wounds deer and it ESCAPES him, no mat
ter who finds the animal dead IL belongs
TO the man who shot it, and the men who
know the truth about the capture of Evans
and Sontag hold that the reward does not
belong to the men who found the crippled
bandits but to the men who rendered them
helpless to do further mischief.
ASO far as the Wells-Fargo Express Com
pany is concerned, it is not going to take
any part in the wrangle over the reward.
The way the matter will be settled is as
follows: The express company will have
some one enter an amicable suit for the
reward, and thus force all claimants for
the money to intervene. The court will
then hear the testimony, and upon its
decision the company will act
After Hall had brought Evans in from
the Perkins house he began celebrating
his victory. and was in Fox & Barr's sa-
loon when Hi Rapelje and Tom Byrnes
came in. Both of the latter haf, ap-
parently, been imbibing, and Rapelie
walked up to Hall and III language much
more emphatic than polite informed the
Deputy Sheriff of Tulare County what he
thought Of him. Hot words followed. and
Tom Byrnes ''chipped in' with some more
choice language, and then all three went
for their six-shoeters.
About this time Detective Thaeker took
hand in the melee and got between the
men and ordered Rapelje and Byrnes to
not only "shut up," but get out and go to
bed. They obeyed him, bnt people who