The morning call., 1893-06-13

then asked me if l could move, and l told
him no. We had two shotguDs. two rifles
and two slX-shooters. Chris carried away
his Winchester. | am certain Chris was
not injured. He had plenty of ammuni-
ton left for his rife and pistol.
Chris was always sorry he shot Witty.
He thought it was Smith at the time.
Yes. George" said the bandit, turning
to Witty. who was in the room, Il did tell
that l had a good bead on you, but would
not shoot you. We would have shot
Hume, Thacker or Smith. but we never
had it in for the county officers. They
were only doing their duty in hunting US,
but we were after the blOod-money de-
tectives.
I'VE were not at Mrs. Perkins just be-
fore the shooting. We had no regular
camp. We have only been at her place
four times, and never put in any crop
there. as reported in the papers. We did
not always stay together. but never sepa-
rated very long. Chris did not see Joa-
quin Miller. / saw the interview in the
Delta with Sam Ellis and it was right.
| The story of Tom Cooks stage being held
up was also right.
"We were only in Visalia once since May
S-the time Kay and his posse surrounded
us-and that was about two weeks after
ward. We have not been here since. The
report that we were III Visaia last week is
mistake. The time we were fired Oh
was driving. We borrowed the horse and
cart. We intended to so out of the county.
but could not make the turn.
I'VE could not have been convicted OF
train-rObhery, as we had no hand in it,
know did not. The Southern Pacific did
me hard turn. When l got hunt in their
service they threw me out OF work. out of
the hospital. out on the world. crippled
and without dollar.
when l was told my brother George
was arrested for train robbery, and that |
was to be also, [ said, No Southern Pa
Citc detectives will arrest me- l went in
the house ahead of Smith and Witty.
When Smith got to the gate he pulled his
siX-shoOter out of his belt and put 1t in his
outside pocket. 1 understand now that
Smith was not after US then. but had an
order for George Sontag's trunk. When
he came in he asked for me. If he had
asked for the trunk, it would have been
| delivered and this trouble would have
! never happened.
no kick coming. l am only sorry l did
not make better job of myself. 1 have
answered all your questions. Now" said
he. turning to George Witty, ''answer me
one question. Who gave Us away?"
Mr.. Witty answered: 81 cannot say"
At this point Sontag quit talking. re-
marking: II can't talk any more, it hurts
me-
He said he was satisfied at the way
things had gone, was not sorry for what
he had done and any one that wanted to
could finish him By shooting him in the
head. He declined to say what he and
Evans had intended doing and repeated
that Evans was not shot and that the de-
tectives never would catch him.
The conversation was beginning to tell
on him and he was told to talk no more.
George E. Gard, United States Marshal
for the Southern District of California,
makes the following statement:
ION Wednesday l received a message
from John n. Thacker, detective for
Wells, Fargo & Co., asking me to
come to Fresno. l went mp and arrived
there On Friday. John unfolded plan,
and we talked the matter over and agreed
that it was good idea. He argued that If
we could get a party in the mountains I'M
observed we would succeed in capturing
the outlaws. Tbacker recommended
Rapelje, Jackson and Burns as fit persons
to constitute posse, and | deputized them
as Deputy United States Marshals.
The plan agreed on was to send the
boys into the hills | went back to Los
Angeles and got out warrants against
Evans and Sontag under the United States
statute for destroying Government re-
ceptace for the delivery of mail. which is
a postoffice on wheels. Under that clause
the United States District Attorney in
Los Angeles issued warrant. l decided
that if l could get away | would serve
them in person. The bandits had run
about long enough and it was a duty 1
owed the people to try ard assist in their
capture.
Last Wednesday I arrived in Visalia,
and stayed at a ranch near the city that
night. Tie following day [ was with the
boys at the station. We lay in camp two
or three days. and finally we concluded we
had better move our camp nearer the road
Hi Rapelje and jackson went down to a
cabin two miles below the other station on
Smith Mountain, and came back and re-
ported that it was a good place. Saturday
we moved down to the cabin and lay in
wait all night.
Sunday. about twenty minutes before
sundown, Rapelje was outdoors and saw
two men coming down the hill in the rear
of the cabin. He called Jackson, Burns
and l. who were lying down inside.
Jackson looked through a telescope we
carried and saw that one man had two
guns and the other only one, although he
had another under his clothes, as we after
ward learned.
wv hen Evans and Sontag had reached a
position about 100 yards from the cabin
| Rapelje looked around the corner. Chris
saw him and fired the first shot, and then
fell to the ground after his ire had been
| returned. The fight lasted about an hour
and something like 100 shots we're fred.
jackson said to me, Don't let them get
away; watch them A.; and then l saw Evans
crawl across a depression and then rise to
run. Rapelje got shot at him while
crawling through the weeds.
After the fight we heard no more shots
until Jackson was being put in the wagon,
when shot came whiZzing by me. After
! Evans left no other shots were fired. ]
doubt the cock and-bull story that Sontag
shot him self. After Jackson was taken to
! Vsalia Tretreated to a wheat field and
then afterward got behind pile of rocks
and laid there all night.