The morning call., 1893-06-30
EVANS === SONTAG.
Marshal Gard Describes
Their Capture.
ON ANOTHER ROBBERY BENT.
The AmbusCade Which Resulted in
the Wounding of the Bold
Brigands.

Urited States Marshal George E. Gard,
who was in command of the deputies when
the last fight with Sontag and Evans took
place. is at the Palace for a few days.
This is Marshal Cards first visit TO the
city since the terrible fight. and as he has
number of warm friends in San Francisco
he was given warm reception last evening.
The Marshal has never given his version
of the capture of two of the most noted
outlaws that ever infested this State. and
he was able to throw some new light on the
causes leading up to the only successful
expedition against Sontag and Evans.
Twelve days before the fight Wells
Fargo's detectives and myself" said Mar
shall Gard to a CALL reporter, Learned
that Sontag and Evans intended to rob an
other train and leave the country. The
Information came so straight that / de-
cidPd TO organize and capture the men either
coming down from their stronghold at
Badgers Camp or on their return.
I'VE knew tnat they would have to come
down Wilcox Canyon and secure a cart
and horse at Perkins so we made our
camp on Stokes Mountain. where we
could keep a close watch on the road and
the trails leading out of the mOuntuins.
Ten days before the fight L selected
Rapelje, Jackson and Burns and swore
them IN as my deputies l sent them out
to Stokes Mountain at night 10 select
camp, and told them not 10 show them
selves during the day. I Joined them a
few days later and took command.
The sun was just setting when one of
the boys who was on watch while we
slept called US, and we rec gnized Sontag
aud Evans about 800 yards away coming
toward the shanty. We were partly I'M
dressed as it was a very warm day, and
the robbers were so close that we had only
INN ,rYI to roll
for fight.
I'VE took our places, and my instrue-
tionS to my deputies were to keep per-
fectly cool and not to IRE a shot until l
gave the command. Each man had a rife
and shotgun, and | ordered them 10 wait
until the men got so close that We could
blow them all to pieces.
My plans failed to carry for the reason
that one of the boys who was at the corner
of the house, peeped around the corner
when Sontag and Evans reached a point
about 200 yards away, and Evans saw him.
Quicker than flash both robbers.fred,
and we saw that the fight could n OF be de-
laypd any longer This was bad, for l
wanted The men to use their shotguns. but
the robbers were so far away that we
could not do so, and rifle fight in the
growing dusk was soon under Roadway.
AT the first discharge from Jackson's and
Rapelje's rifles | noticed that one of the
men was struck. Both men jumped be-
hind hayStack.
1--WE could only see the tops of their hats,
but we Kept up the fire and they returned
it until it got SO dark that Evans thought
lie could escape and he started to crawl
away. but Rapelje spotted him and fired
several shots, when old Chris jumped to
his feet and broke for high ridge.
shot from Rapeljes rife shattered bis left
hand and Chris lost his rife. bnt did not
stop running and escaped over the hills
las jackson had been wounded early in
the fight and was in bad way, ordered
Burns 10 60 for wagon and take him TO
Fisalia. 1t was after o'clock when We
got wagon, and, as we we're loading Jack
son in, Sontag began firing at US from the
straw pile and poor Jackson asked US to go
tor our guns and not to let the robber in
the straw pile get away.
81 ran to the shanty Tor my gun, and
when l looked back toward the wagon to
see if any of the boys had been hit by
Sontag's bullets, | saw that Rapelje was
driving off with jackson. 1t was quite
GaEk by this time. and Burns and 1 be-
came separated and l got behind pile of
rocks near the straw pile. Sontag fired
several shots at me at 10 O'Clock, but after
that all was quiet until daylight, when
Rapelje and several Visalia officers ap-
peared on the scene.
"We did not know whether it was Evans
or Sontag in the straw pile, but we were of
the opinion that it was Evans. We were
very careful about going 10 the straw pile,
for [ knew that if the man was alive he
would make another fight. And / was
right, for had S0ntag been able to use his
left hand, which was benum bed with cold,
he would have Onened fire on us. He had
his pistol loaded. but his fingers were So
stiff that he could not grasp the handle of
his pistol, although he made several efforts
80 do so.
1.-The rest of the story has been told, but
the public has not been given our reasons
NO 10y inn hot hn flo.
their way to tie valley to rob train
am convinced OF this fact not only from ill.,
formation which | received from persons
IN the mountains, but from the fact that
Evans and Sontag brought down from the
mountains twenty-five pounds of dried
beef and crackers. Had they been on their
way to Visalia they never would have
taken provisions of that class with them.
They evidently expected to be away from
any settlement after robbing the train and
that was what they we're doing with dried
beef ana crackers. They intended to blow
mp the through safe on Wells-Fargo's car.
This is the safe that leaves the Southern
Pacific at Mojave and is taken on
East over the Atlantic and Pacific This
safe generally carries large sum of
money. and Evans wanted money enough
to provide for his family and take Sonlag
and himself out of the country. Had we
not met them as we did they would have
been successful, Tor their plans were well
arranged.
NO. there is nothing new regarding the
rewards. We have not put in our claims
yet, but l am satisfied that the Visalia
officers who caught Evans at the Perkins
house after he was shot all 20 pieces will
not get any of the reward. They do not
deserve it. and neither the Southern Pa
citic nor Wells-Fargo will allow them any
thing unless the courts decide that they
are entitled to it,