The morning call., 1893-05-29
Details of the Bandits
Attack.
WOUNDED MAN FEELS WELL
Allies Keep the Outlaws Posted-Poet
Miller Visits Camp Badger and
Reports the Fray.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

VISALIA, May 26.-Sam Black, who was
brought here yesterday morning. says that
he lay on the floor of the cabin into which
he crept after the attack by Evans and
Sontag at least half an hour before any
enc dared TO come to his aid, although the
whole village was aroused by the fusil-
lade. Others say it could not nave been
more than fifteen minutes. They admit.
however, that they were pretty badly
scared.
AS soon as preparations could be made
the Marshal was placed in spring wagon
and brought to Visalla by George Pollock.
Tom Burns and Robert Clark. 1t was a
long drive of about forty miles. The
wounded man com planned but little,
though the jolting must have hurt him.
DR.. Mathewson was called. He found
that the Marshal's lef: hand had been
shot through the palm by two shots.
Another wound was found on his left
side where shot had pierced the
flesh and come out again just above the hip
bone. The worst wounds are on the up
per part of the right leg. Several shot had
struck him here. some of them being still
in the leg. His left leg was also slightly
wounded. In all he received eight or ten
buckshot.
The Marshal is seriously but not danger
ouslY wounded. 1t was suggested by some
one in the crowd to-day that perhaps il
was not Evans and Sontag doing the shoot
ing. This was told to Tom Burns. Maybe
it wasn't" said he, ironically. 81 know
Chris Evans mighty well. l could tell his
voice anywhere and among a thousand.
Besides, the moon was shining almost as
bright as day. One man was tall and the
other was rather low. One look was all |
got. but that voice of Chris was enough"
Others corroborated Brrns by saying that
any one who knew Evans would recognize
his voice ever after.
At the first fire, Burns, who was behind
Black and unhurt, ran down the road to-
ward the saloon quicker than he ever ian
before. YOu may say, if you like" he
told the reporter, "that l was scared out of
my wits. There was one obstruction in
my way as ran that must have been six
teen feet high, but l cleared it al leap."
After Black fell at the corner and began
crawling to the door the murderous out
laws fired under the house and into it,
Black says the splinters from the boards
on the side of the house whizzed around
| lively. He found it hard work TO crawl to
where his gun stood in the corner, as his
right leg and arm were both paraIyzed.
He could see the fash of the bandits fire.
arms through the cracks in the wall as
there are no battens over the cracks be-
tween the boards. This guided his aim.
He says he knows he fired two shots and
perhaps three.
Then the firing outside ceased and he
knew they had gone. Both Burns and
Black say that near the northwest corner
Of their house stands big stump. The
tree had been cut down and partly cut into
wood, aud the wood hauled up. Just as
they reached the corner Evans rose from
behind the stump and Sontag from behind
the wood pile and fired simultaneously.
Black had no bullet wounds, and must
have received the contents of the first
shot fired from shotgun. The outlaws
after firing both shotguns used their Win
ehesiers and then their six shooters, as
shells of the latter two arms have been
found by residents of Camp Badger. Black
is now more determined than ever, and as
soon as well will try. and do business with
Evans and Sontag for Friday nights
cowardly work.
Black dictated the following dispatch to
a friend in San Francisco last evenings:
Got 1t last night Don't know whether 1 did
anything or not. Got seriously used UP, but
not dangerously.
Black is strong-Iooking man of over
medium size. He has black hair. His
short, stubby whiskers cover his face
pretty WELL He is thoroughly weather.
beaten and his hands indicate plenty of
hard work. He was quite cheerful this
morning and found no fault with anything
done by his friends in handling him or
caring for his wants.
Evans and Sontag had evidently spotted
their man, had found out that he was do
ing detective duty. and had laid their
plans to murder him last night. Burns
thinks he and Black would both have been
dead men to-day If they had gone into their
house at once Instead of hating outside as
they did. Friends of the wounded officer
say that the bandits are kept well posted:
that they know everything in day or two
that transpires here or elsewhere. One of
the men from the Camp Badger vicinity
says that he has good proof that Evans
received communication yesterday. One
officer is satisfied that Mrs. Evans spent
last night in the mountains. but he will
not give away the source of his informa-
ton. But with plenty of help and numer-
Gus friends. the officers and detectives
stand but poor chance to capture the
desperate men.
Joaquin Miller. the poet of the Sierras,
came down on the stage yesterday after
noon and gives the following notes, mado
after visiting the battle grounds:
Left Sequoia at A. NJ, got 10 Camp
Badger in TWO hours. There was a battle
here the previous night. A man named
Black. said to have been employed by
San Francisco organization to hunt Evans
and Sontsg, was wounded during the fight
in tho thigh and hand. His companion,
Burns, was badly frightened Many
stories and opinions are heard along the
six-mile drive. Some say there was no
light, that Back and Burns did The shoot
ing for effect. think not. There are
seven Winchester holes through the thin
shellboard hut and eighteen buckshot in
and about the house, besides marks of two
shntS fired from within. Some say Evans
and S0niag made the attack. Others say
they are not 10 the country
nspe ted every thing few hours af-
ter the h2ht, ana think it was they who
made the assault Tom East Of Esham
Valley, whom they had warned not to in
terfere, told me to-day he had taken a
me ssage to Black and Burns from Sontag
and Evans that if they continued to track
them they would strike back.
There is no sympathy for the hurt man.