The record-union., 1893-05-29
EVANS And SONTAG.
The Outlaws Hands Again Stained
With Human Blood.
AMBUSH AND SERIOUSLY WOUND
A PURSUER
The National Board Having Control
Over the Affairs of All Soldiers
Homes on Its Way to California to
Investigate the Scandals Connected
With the Home at YountvIlIe.
Special to the RECoRD-UN MON.

special to the RECORD-UNIoN.
NIsALIA, May 2S.-Fresh blood is on
the hands of Chris Evans and John Son
tag, the outlawed train robbers. Friday
night they crept up to cabin in,the hills
near Camp Badger. sixty miles from
here, and did their best to murder Samuel
j. Black, who, with a companion named
| Tom Burns, was in the mountains for
the purpose of running down the des-
/ peradoes.
1t was not battle, for Black was prac-
tically unarmed. Though wounded in
eight places by the fire from the robbers
shotguns, Black dragged himself into the
cabin, secured his rifle and drove the out
laws off,
The facts concerning the fight, as ascer-
tained from the wounded man. are as
| follows:
The story of the encounter with Evans
and Sontag is short one," said the
wounded man, land it can be told in a
very few words. 1 have been in the
mountains since last fall looking for the
bandits, and | can assure you it was lik Q
looking for needle in haystack to find
them. l am satisfied l was spotted some
time ago, Judging by the actions of sew
eral parties residing up there. 1t is i'm
! possible for man to 60 into the mount
aims to hunt the bandits without his
presence soon becoming known and his
mission learned by the bandits.
"0n Friday night L was in the saloon
talking with sheepherders and others.
who are known as 'hayseeds.' About
! IN njalnnly Oto fo1 e.,
distance away, accompanied by Thomas
| Burns. l went to the door and opened it
and then went to the corner of the house
to reconnoiter, as | usually had been in
the habit of doing,
Just as l got to the corner of the
cabin, Evans and Sontag, who were be-
hind ID pile of wood and a stump, rose
| and opened fire on me at a distance of
between twenty-five and thirty feet.
| They both shot at me twice with their
shotguns, and the first volley took effect
in my thigh and leg. 1t was done so
| quickly that l was knocked down.
II crawled around to the door of nv
cabin and soon reached my Winchester
rifle, which was standing in corner of
the room. The crawling nearly ex-
pended all my strength and | was very
weak. The bandits, after opening fire.
started toward the brush, but did not
cease their fusillade. Picking up nv
rifle | fired in the direction of the glare
of the bandits guns. They then directed
their fire toward the cabin, and it seemed
as if they were advancing on the house
intending to finish me. 1 fired two or
oh in, tIo Il Al.
and it had the effect OF soaring them off
think my shots saved my life. If l had
not returned their fire they would have
entered the cabin and killed me. There
were at least sixteen shots fired.'
Black concluded by stating that he was
not done with the bandits, and if they
are not captured or killed before he is
able to get up he would be on their trail
| again. He is man of grit, and his face
had determined look when he uttered
the words. He is a splendid marksman.
and has given ample proof Of his skill
with rifle while in Camp Badger. He
is Deputy United States Marshal from
San Diego County, where he lives. He
refused to state by whom he was en-
ployed.
DIR. Mathewson, the attending surgeon,
says Black was struck by eight buckshot;
| four are in the thigh, three in the leg and
one in the groin. The latter wound is
considered the most dangerous, but it
gave the least trouble and pain to the
wounded officer. Two pistol shots also
went entirely through his left hand and
there are several glancing shot wounds.
His clothes were perforated in several
| places. The buckshot are all imbedded
in the flesh; they were not probed and
/ will not be for another day at least. DIR.
| Mathewson is an old army surgeon and
/ he says that he does not consider the
mans condition dangerous, but said ne
could speak authoritatively in a few days.
He said the wound in the groin is the
most serious, but it may prove super
| fetal after a closer examination.