The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-06-27
EVANS AND soNrAG.
Captured in the Mountains After n
Desperate Fight.

VIsALIA, June 1S.-Day before yes
terday desperate fight took place in
/ the mountains eighteen miles from
here between the officers of the law
| and Evans and Sontag. The posse
was under command of United States
Marshal Gard.
The bandits were surprised near a
! house in the mountains. Evans fired
| the first shot The firing then became
! general, and Sontag returned the shots
with a vengence. jackson went round
| the far end of the house to get a better
place from which to shoot, and as he
! turned the corner he was shot in the
| left leg, between the knee and ankle.
About forty shots were exchanged be-
tween the police and the robbers, but
darkness ended the battle. Sontag
was seen to crawd from behind rub
bish pile, and Rapelje again opened
fire on him. Sontag then rose to his
feet and ran toward the hills, followed
by Rapelje, who continued firing.
Sontag did not return the fire, and
was soon out of sight.
Yesterday John Sontag was cap
tured and brought to the Visalia Jail
at 1880 a. NJ. by United States Mar
shall Gard of Los Angeles. Evans is
supposed to be wounded also, for when
he left Sontag he also left all his
shooting outfit, except his revolvers.
Sontag looks like man who has had
a hard time. His appearance refutes
the charges that the bandits had been
well cared for by their friends.
Chris. Evans is now an inmate of
the Visalia Jail. He was captured in
Wilcox canyon, about four miles from
the scene of the fight with Deputy
Marshal Cards posse. Evans right
arm is broken in two places, his left
arm shot through the fleshy part, and
one of his eyes has been shot out.
Notwithstanding the grevious condi-
ton that Evans is in he was able to
walk up to the second story of the
jail Officer Jackson passed a good
night and feels well and cheerful,
much elated over the outcome of the
battle. Sontag is very low. The doc
tors say the bullet in the lungs is
very dangerous. About midnight his
friends, the Byrds, were summoned to
his bedside as he thought he was dy-
ing. Perkins, who lives in Wilcox
canyon, just east OF where the Sunday
nights fight took place, arrived in
town last night with information that
Evans was at his house badly wound
ed and could be taken A posse was
Immediately organized and left about
hurried through the dark
ness and over rough roads and ar
rived at Perkins house about , o'clock
at morning. \ little boy of the
Perkins family went upstairs and in
formed Evans that the officers had
arrived. Mr.. Perkins then went up
while the officers remained below
and told Chris. that the officers were /
below and advised him to give up the
fight and surrender before he was !
killed. Chris. ,despondent and sick at
heart, replied: "All right" and re- 1
quested that the officers come up |
stairs and he would give himself up. /
Deputy Sheriff Hall and posse then |
the room, and Hall said:
''Chris., / have come to. arrest you;" |
and Evans replied: "All right, Billy" /
When asked if he had any arms, he
replied that he had pistol under his (
pillow, he being in bed. When asked
the fight with Cards posse,
ne said that the posse opened fire
irst. He was hit first but returned
he fire. About the tenth shot Som
ag complained of being hit in the
ide. Evans then fell and fired from
he ground. Evans then went on to
ay: "We laid on the straw and kept
iring. Sontag did not complain of
he shoulder, but kept asking for
water. / said: Are you much hurt,
ohn?' He replied: Pm shot to
,ieces. / can't stand this old pard,
ill me- l refused to do the deed and
e renewed his supplication for me to
nd his life and said, IF you think
nything of me, Chris, shoot me-
We kept up the fight determinedly
gainst heavy odds, and stayed there
ntil it was good and dark" Evans
-as shot by a member of Cards
osse, who stood near the fence, as
le bandit was running up hill.
The physician in attendance on
ontag reports that he is much i'm
roved but the outcome is still in .
Oubt. Evans is very crest fallen and
no danger whatever.