The morning call., 1893-06-13
STORY OF THE ROBBERY.
Willis Polk Tells of His Recognition
of Sontag at Fresno.

Willis Polk. the local architect, fur
nished Il CALL reporter yesterday with
the following facts of the robbery: de
was on the train on his way south and was
awakened at midnight by a Deputy
Sheriff from San Bernardino County,
Newton j. Brown by name. Brown was
frantically waving revolver in the air
and eXclaiming that i; was all up. Mr..
Folks hands, of course, at the sight of
stranger with a big revolver, were prop
erly elevated before he ventured to in
oure what was up. On learning that the
intruder was simply Deputy Sheriff and
not robber he became curious. Just
then bomb went off and the Sheriff
slammed the door of the stateroom. After
few more bombs had gone off and thu
Deputy had refused the loan of his revol-
yer or his company for venture outside
Mr.. Polk rushed out in his pajamas. but
he Immediately rushed in again after re-
ceivng blow in the head from gun in
the hands of some one on the outside. His
assailants language. which, in polite
literature. would be represented by series
of dashes, was more forcible than elegant,
and the adventurer returned to the car.
The train men, from the conductor down
W inc news dSHilt- were thoroughly de-
moralized, and refused TO venture forth.
The Pullman car porter was discovered
half an hour afterward on the top of the
buffet Very few of the passengers, how
ever were awakened. From the brake
mans time-card it was learned that the
train was detained between the stations of
Rolinda and Pratton, and the time was
just few minutes past midnight The
interval that elapsed between this time
and the time that the train reached Fresno
is important. The robbers. after having
blown open the car. forced the engineer
and fireman to accompany them down the.
track with their booty; thus the entire
coast was clear for several minutes after
the robbery before any one ventured from
the train. The wounded express messen-
ger, Roberts, only lost consciousness when
Informed that the robbers had gone. as he
begged the first person who addressed him
not to kill him, and on being assured that
his life would be spared he Immediately
swooned. An interesting point which has
been suppressed by the express company
is the fact that Roberts. the messenger,
when he realized that his car was being at
tackled, opened the safe and removed
everything but the silver, and secreted it
among the packages in the car. He then
locked the safe and put the key in bis
pocket. However, he still refused to open
up his car and was prepared to blow off
the first head that appeared, but the ninth
bomb, which blew hole through the side
OF the car, disabled he messengers gun
| and seriously wounded him. and the rob-
bers had free entrance. After compelling
the messenger to omen the safe with the
silver in it, they brutaly beat him about
the head because he could not open another
safe which had a time-lOck set. They then
left him in the sm0ldering ruins of the
car, where he would have probably smoth-
cred, if he had not been discovered but a
few moments later,
BY this time it was half past - and
fifteen minutes IN ore were consumed in re-
pairing the engine. anG at least fifteen
minutes more in slowly running to Fresno.
Time, 10 A. NJ.
ut was there" said Mr.. Polk, "that &C.
CURED the incident which led to the arrest
of George Sontag and the pursuit Of his
partners"
Mr. Polk stood on the platform Of the
seeping-car, and as the train pulled into
the depot his attention was attracted to a
! This man, who proved to be George SON.
tag. was calmly and quietly telling a circle
of listeners all about the robbery. Such a
fact would appear curious to most people.
considering that the narrator was not on
the train when it arrived at Fresno. The
fact of Sontag's appearance at the depot
was brought forth at his trial to prove
that he could not have been one of the
robbers. However, he had plenty of time
to drive the short nine miles from the
scene of his exploit to Fresno and join the
anxious crowd that awaited the arrival of
the train. This very train, which left
Fresno at $3.50 o'clock that morning, car
ried George Sontag to Visalia. When ne
arrived there information had been sent
from Los Angeles giving the description of
the strange passenger, and the ini0rma-
ton that he had cot off at Visalia. The
rest of the story is very well known.