The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-06-14
LATTER BADLY WOUNDED
a Running Fire with
the Four Officers.
Evans Escapes, Leaving a
Trail Of Blood
And There Is All Probability of His
Capture Soon-Sontag Talks Freely
Although Suffering Greatly and
Thinks His Race Is About Run
Fate OF Ofcers Who Previously At
tempted to Capture Them.

VIsALIA, Cal, June 12.-After search
extending over two months and after six
encounters the notorious train robbers,
John SontaQ and Chris Evans. last night
met four deputy U. S. marshals aud as a
result of the encounter which followed
Sontag was wounded, possibly fatally, and
is now in custody, having been brought
here this forenoon. His companion,
Evans, escaped after firing forty shots at
his pursuers. Where he made his stand
last night ne left his hat and two empty
guns, and the ground was found covered
with blood this morning, indicating that
he, too, is wounded. Being without guns
or ammunition it is thought he will be
captured.
-Four Brave officers.
The four officers who made the attack
upon the bandits were u. S. Marshal
Gard and bis deputy, Edward Rapelja, =
deputy sheriff from Fresno county, Fred
Jackson, an officer from Nevada, and
Thomas Burns, who was with Black at
Camp Badger when the latter was shot by
the robbers last month. The officers have
been in the mountains for week looking
for the robbers, and Sunday afternoon en-
camped at a vacant house twelve miles
northeast from this city. About twenty
minutes before sunset Rapelja went TO
the rear door of the house and saw two
men come down the hill and toward tho
nla IN nla oh
covered that the men were Evans and Son
tag. The former was in the lead and car
ried a rifle and shotgun, and Sontag was
armed with simply rifle. Rapelja turned
around 10 his comrades in the house and
said Hello. here comes two men down
the hill" He did not know positively
who they were, but judged from their ap-
! pearance and arms they carried that they
| were the outlaws. Jackson went TO the
door where Rapelis was standing and said:
"They are the men we have been look
ing for"
Forty Shots Exchanged.
The two men woke up Burns and Gard,
who were asleep. They jumped up
quickly and grabbed their guns and pre-
pared to make fight. The officers went
out of the front door of the house and as
| they went around back of the corner
Evans saw Rspeljs and. throwing his
! Winchester to his shoulder, took deliber-
ate aim and fired. Just then Jackson
stepped around behind Rapelja and fired
at the bandits. Sontag threw up both
| hands and fell backward. Then the firing
became general and Evans returned the
| shots with a vengeance. Evans got be-
| - ,ilo ~ aio A,,k
kept up terrible rnking fulisade. Jack
son wen. Ground the far end Of the house
to see IL he could get better place from
which 10 shoot. As he went around he
was shot in the leg between the knee and
ankle. He told Rapelja he was shot, but
told him to keep up the fight and not to
| give it up. About forty shots were ex-
| changed between the officers and the BAN
dts, but the sun went down and darkness
! ended the battle. Evans Was seen to
crawl on his stomach from behind the
rubbish pile and Rapsljs again opened
fire on him.
Too Hot for Evans.
Evans then arose 10 his feet and ran to-
ward the hills followed by Rapelje, who
continued firing. Evans did not return
the fire and in q few minutes was out of
sight Rapeljs returned to the house and
| procuring a wagon brought Jackson to
town after midnight. Marshal Gard and
Burns remained at the scene until morn
ing. Sontag lay behind small stack of
hay all night, where he was found by Gard
and Burns. Sontag says he spit blood all
| night There is a glancing wound along
| his forehead and on each side of his nose.
| 1t is claimed that be inflicted these
wounds himself, though this is denied.
| Evans tracks show that he started toward
Visalis and his home will be watched day
and night. Sontag talks freely. He says
the Jig is up and he does not care for his
future. 1t is possible that Sontag may re-
cover from his wounds though the attend
ing physicians will express no decided
opinion. Officers are now searching the
hills in the hope of finding Evans and
completing at once the long chase.
Their Crimes.
The train robbery, which was the be-
ginning of this criminal chapter, occurred
at q station near Coils, near Fresno. Cal,
Aug. 3, 1892. An express car was blown
up with dynamite, and Express Messenger
George ID. Roberts seriously injured.
Officers soon arrested George Sontag at
the house of Chris Evans in this city. He
was afterwards tried and sent to the peni-
tertiary for life. When an attempt was
made TO arrest Evans, he aud John
Sontag opened fire on the officers,
wounding George Witty. In a second
encounter Oscar Weaver. an officer, was
killsdIin front of Evans house. On Sept.
IA Andrew McGinnis and Victor Wilson
were killed in the mountains by the ban
dts and two other officers were wounded.
On May 26 s. j. Black, another officer,
was wounded by the bandits
in the mountains. No previous
criminal incident in the history OF Cali
fornia has oecasioned greater public in