The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-03-24


known as the Farmers warehouse, and
during the summer OF 1887 was manager
of that one. There l first made the
acquaintance OF John Sontag.
A commonplace recital of events of
a commonplace life takes the reader
along until the time of the Colfax train
robbery and the first of Evans career of
murder and outlawry-laboring on
farms and in the mountains, camping
trips to the Sierras, the huying aud
selling of horses aud the shooting of a
bear at Bulbs creek. Evans and John
Sontag put 81, 800 into a livery stable
in Visalias, and Andy McGinnis, who
died at Stone Corral, did collecting for
cnem. The stable was burned and all
was lost. Sontag worked on the rail-
road, and afterwards when his leg was
broken was nursed by Evans wife in
her home.
Evans tells in detail a story of his
trip to Fresno at the time of the Colfax
robbery, and what he knew of the do
ings of John Sontag and George Con-
.ant. He tells of his return TO Visalia
at night, and of his keeping away from
home because he was drunk. Then the
story of blood and outlawry goes on in
the same calm, matter-of-fact way. II
was the next day that the officers in
search of the train robbers vitited
Evans house and the shooting of VIII
Smith and FL Whitney and the escape
occurred. The story continues:
AS rode out home and within three
blocks of the house buggy passed me
with three men in 1t. After driving
past me it stopped and one of the men
got out, who proved to be Perry Byrd.
He waited for me to ride up, and said
he had rode out with two men to show
them my house. l asked them why they
did not speak to me when they passed if
they were going to my house, and he
said that Will Hall had sent them out
for to bring George Contant up town,
that he wanted to have a chat with
him, for he had been told that George
was on the train that had been robbed,
and he wanted him to tell what he
knew about it. Perry said to me then
they think he robbed the train, but are
not sure of it. rode on home and saw
him get into the buggy with him and 60
up town.
went to the barn and split some
wood, when John Sontag came to me
and said he would go to town to see
what had become of his brother. He
went away, and about l O'Clock nv
daughter Inez came to the barn and
said, Papa, come to dinner 1 put on
a light summer coat, and, going toward
the house, saw two men on the front
porch, who turned and walked into the
house. When I was within twenty feet
Of them and without saying a word to
me stepped onto the kitchen porch
and my wife said to me, dinner is
ready" and, going to the washstand,
which was at the pump back of the
house, met Eva running out of the
house when she said to me, "Papa, that
man insulted me, meaning Will Smith,
whom had never seen before.
AS stepped into the hall I looked
into her bedroom and picked up a re-
volver, 44-caliber Colts that l ALWAYS
left at home for their protection.
then walked into the parlor and said
to the front man, what in hell do YOU
want?"
He said: Where is John Sontag?'
1 told him that he went up town. and
he replied that he did not do anything
of the kind and pulled his gun.
jumped quick to one side, drawing mine
as did so, and he missed me, and both
men ran out at the front door, for at
that moment John Sontag stepped into
the room with a shotgun. | followed
him out and ducked down as Sontag
fired. One man ran for the gate with
his pistol in his hand, and the other,
jumping off the corner of the porch,
fell headlong into some potatoe vines,
and l thought Sontag had shot him.
followed the other man over to John
Howell's house and shot MIN, thinking
he was the man that had lnsulted nv
daughter. When 1 walked up to him
he raised up ana begged me not to shoot
him any more, for 1 had killed him, and
saw that had shot the wrong man,
but like poor dog Tray, he was in bad