The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-12-30
ESCAPE OF EVANS.
The Whole Country Around Fresno
Is Excited and Up In Arms
Over the Event.
The Notorious Outlaw and the Man
Who Helped Him Escape Are
Still at Large,
But Hundreds Of Men Are Hunting
For. Them-He Evidently Had
Many Acc0mplices.

FRESNO, CAL, Dec. 30.-Fresno is up
in arms, and the whole county is ex-
cited. The Jail delivery by which at
least temporary freedom was secured by
Chris Evans, the visalia bandit, who
led the Evans and Sontag gang in the
Coils train robbery, and through q
series OF desperate 5atIics that finally
resulted in the capture of r ,ans and the
two Sontag brothers, creat.d such ex-
element In Fresno that few lnen slept.
Evans was to have been taLen to the
state penitentiary during the dry to be :
gin to serve life term for murder of
Vic Wilson, deputy United 'states mar
shal from Arizona, who was one OF the
three men killed by the bandits. Instead
of wearing stripes Evans ia
again free to shoot and kill.
Evans and the young man
who assisted in effecting the delivery
disappeared in the direction OF the
mountains and big woods, and it is now
supposed that the bloody encounters of
!, the past few months will be fought over
again. The people here now recognize
In Chris Evans one of the most desperate
OF the many desperate men who have
figured in the annals Of California
crime. Though the recent gun fiphts at
Visalia and In the foot hills left him
crinnled in one arm and with ona hl;rd
eve the bandit il still eoual 70 a hard
fight. OF Ed Merrill the vouny man
who made the escane noss;laa and
who f,ed with the band;t bnt l;tt,a i
known. Merrill was emnlovad ne !
va;tar IN c,,a., r.s+a,r..,t r. !.
known. however. that he Is AN er-nen-
itentiary conyict and he il believed 10
be . hard cbaractar In tha hands os
Chris Evans there i little do,,ht h,t that
he will haco,oa : das,,srata ,,,sa G.
4 far - ca, Ia ascsrta;,,sa ha a-ra.~s - - -
have hsar ssa into tha ha,ar5a.,a - - =
tak;nr soialv bv 1o'
oihardy Desf !" % prlA
anu anu ASSIST = desperae nian ooaDiy
WV men are now s0urns tue oan
yoaquin valley In pursseei1 2, tne Iusl-
s M oneI1Hs posses anu solun.eer
uur uoes are going IN eSery uirectioh'
wn .ne escape became> known men
sneu 70 hardware and gun sIo.es' "nere =
~ 'cl1eu fines ana ammunon -
- s'oIes were puDiic arsenals, as last
assile llien could get horses w guns
s.,,. Sn1 pos,se no loi.oWed another into thS 80
Inc Vincers and machinery of
n Tacinc railway was also pr.
o'ion. In an incredibly shoiII'
~ onslle ana cars We're run c..,
n oearlng many deterp ~
1 y. sanger, small town - 'li1
0s0ssnie Drancn, started in th urec-
~ - tne mountains. This pos. se0.ns
nase gone IN the right dirf fc.lon, 10.
800 tne night word we-s i0oOl,e.
n oanseI ina. cart - 1os .ASs
wi'nous orlver hag m. .oulu
.ne roaosiae near tba. Als was
S uouD.c0iy the horsso 70. Isans . allu
Mo,Il eook nom thf5 neWspHpel oaiiier
~ 'ney were escapiys iM loSno'
was carefS hnea-
1t was evidepat that the escape was
very carefully planned. ana evidently
young Merry y anu Mrs. Evans nad many
accompiceZ me conspira.ors Planned
70 get neapNiy All oI ene snerin : men out
o. the cHy ~ was just ge1sing darK
Mnen he men passed INTO the streets.
Inc q kiec'ilc hgnts were not burning yet.
Spir1geea noIses ana q wagon Were wait
mFk ior tne IugiIives on the street, but In
t5ne snooting aHray winch ensued, when
Wy Marsnai Morgan was shot, and
49,. nsn = 1alol scot. made nus escape, the
,:as nolses became heightened broke their
bandits were then comnelled ~ taLa :
newsboy's horse and cart. Marshal
Morgan was shot in the shouldar lint
was not seriously injured.
The police have arrested two girls and
81 boy, brother and sisters, named