The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-22
From the San Francisco Examiner.

Church.
From the San Francisco Examiner
About two years ago the pastor of the
Methodist church south Of Visalia found
on the dOorsteps of his church iapanned
tin box full Of watches. The church was
just preparing an elaborate festival for
Christmas. A splendid Christmas tree
was among the features of the proposed
festival, and the good people of Visaia
were lavish with their donations that
were to hang on the branches of that big
evergreen in the little church. But that
box of watches was much the biggest con
tribution to the gifts with which to stock
the Christmas tree.
Even the unsuspicious minister was
startled by the generosity of the unknown
friend of the church. Before he chung the
watches on the evergreen bOughs among
the cOlOred wax tapers and bonbons and
threaded popcorn and Snnday-school
books he took the precaution to give
notice in the papers that certain I'M
described iCwelry had been found, and
that the owner could recover the same by
proving property and paying for the ad-
vertiSement. Some of Wells, Fargo q
Cos. men saw the notice and went around
to the minister's He had put the caskot
containing the watches inside a cigar box
The express company's man told him that
if the iewelry was that for which they
were looking, the box contained a number
of watches, and they told him the num-
bers of the timepieces and described
them. They added the information that
the box was part Of the plumber secured
by robbers who months before had held
up Southern Pacific train near Goshen.
They paid for the advertisement and the
preacher surrendered the timepieces
The cigar box was sealed and placed in
the bank at Visalia.
There it remained until few days ago.
They were keeping it against the time of
the apprehension of the train robbers. All
this was long before the robbery at Coils
attracted attention to Chris Evans and
the two Sontags. Evans was only
known as a hard working, serious minded
farmer, and his two friends were able
bodied young men who hewed logs and
drove teams.
When George Sontag made his confess
sion the other day he was asked if he
knew anything about the box of watches
that the parson found on the church
doorstep
did Chris or John ever say anything
to you about them2" asked Detective
Hume
yes" answered George. 81 think that
was in the Goshen robbery that they
took that box Of watches. They wrote
on the box train robbers and put it on
the steps Of the preachers house in
Visalia, and think that's where they
found it, the preacher or the janitor of
thechurch."
''Who did it," was the next question.
al don't know who it was; it was either
Chris or John. They didn't want to han
die any jewelry."
The detective announced that he pro
posed to test the truth of George Sontag' s
confession, and the box Of watches sug-
gested a way. He telegraphed the ex-
press agent to examine the box in the back
vault TO see if it bore out George Sontag' 8
story. The agents report was received
yesterday. The watches were found all
right, and scratched on the bottom of the
case was the word train robbers" II
was only scratched in lightly, and had
escaped the eye of the parson. No one
knew Of the word on the box until George
Sontag told about it on Friday last